The Prawn and the Crab

 Long ago, in the gentle waters of a winding river, the prawn and the crab lived together as companions. Though they often teased one another and exchanged playful jests, their bond was deep. They laughed, they bickered, but they could not bear to be apart.

One winter, when the river ran low and the chill crept into the stones, the crab crawled toward the riverbank to bask in the warmth of the sun. He settled there in silence, soaking in the light.

Just then, the prawn leapt from the shallows, full of energy and mischief. She began darting about, calling out to the crab, “Oh, dear crab! What are you doing just lying there? Look how I jump! Look how I dance in the water! Can you move like this? Can you be as quick and clever as I am?”

The crab, undisturbed, replied, “Indeed, you are swift, my friend, and full of spirit. But tell me, can you rest like this in the sun? Can you lie still and feel its warmth upon your shell? Come, join me, and enjoy the peace for a while.”

But the prawn was restless and would not be still. Time and again she interrupted the crab’s quietude, calling out, “Look at me! Can you do this? Look how clever I am!”

It became a tiresome routine, yet the crab bore it with patience. At last, weary of the prawn’s boasting, he began to hum a tune—one of those old river songs the elders used to sing. It went something like this:

“Look at us, my friend, so proud and free,
Yet ours is a fate we do not see.
We are here for others, that much is true,
So let us be joyful, while time is with you.”

No sooner had the crab finished his song than the stillness of the river was broken. A group of villagers approached, their baskets of bamboo slung over their shoulders, their voices raised in song. They came as their forefathers had—removing stones, damming the current, lowering the water level until all that lived beneath was exposed.

They gathered every creature in their path—fish, prawn, and crab alike. And thus it was that the prawn and the crab, despite all their laughter and quarrels, were caught together and taken away.

That very evening, the villagers cooked their catch over open fires. And as the sun set behind the hills, the crab’s words proved true—they had served their purpose, bringing joy to others in their final hour

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Reflections

The tale of the prawn and the crab is both playful and poignant. It speaks of the bonds between friends—the teasing and the tolerance, the difference in spirit and temperament—and how these, despite their contrasts, form lasting ties.

But beneath its light tone lies a deeper message: a reminder of life’s fleeting nature, of fate’s quiet hand, and of the strange, simple truth that sometimes, our existence serves purposes beyond ourselves.