The Great Snapping Turtle Adventure Read Online Free

month with an ‘r’,” explained Fred.
    â€œThat’s right. Our boys respect the oyster. They pitch out after ’em come September and work their tongs ’til April. From April to September, it’s time to let those ol’ oysters sleep in their beds quiet like. Time to pick up the nets an’ some good chicken renderin’s as bait, an’ go a’scamperin’ after those blue fins.”
    â€œBlue fins?” asked Max.
    â€œBlue fin crabs. A beautiful swimmer he be. Ever seem ’em with their lady friends?”
    â€œNo,” said Max and Charles together.
    â€œWhy, a male crab will hold his lady in his lovin’ fins and whisk her away on top of the water. You can see them from a far bit away. Just a little scratching of fin on the silver surface when the Bay is calm as satin. I tell you, it’s a beautiful sight! An’ then, should he see you! Down they go, deep into the shade of the sea grass and quiet.” Ham gave a soft whistle out of the triangular break in his front teeth. “Here on the island, we folks have a lot of respect for the ol’ Jimmie, that’s what we call a male crab. We respect his lady friends, too.” Ham paused to wipe his face and then continued. “A crab is a dandy dancer. When I was a boy, long time ago now, I was once out walkin’ with a net, lookin’ for softie crabs, when up I came on a most amazing sight. In all my years, I never did see the repeat of it! There were twelve crabs in a circle. It was like they was havin’ a ring-around-the-rosy dance. I just stood back an’ admired ’em. It was a true miracle, an’ what’s more, that miracle continued, ’cause even though I were a cracker jack crab netter, usin’ a long-handled net like it were a tropical fish scoop, do you know something? When I tried to scoop up a few of those dancin’ beauties, my net came up filled with mud and sea grass but no crabs. The dancin’ dozen had all gotten away.” He laughed at the memory and his wide head waddled back and forth.
    â€œA dozen in a circle dancing!” exclaimed Fred. “That must have been something to see!”
    â€œI never forgot it. I can tell you this: it’s been a picture snapped in my brain all these years.” Ham shook his head some more.
    â€œTell him what we have in the back of our truck, Fred,” said Max.
    â€œWhatcha got?” Ham pushed his face up closer to the bars and peered at the truck.
    â€œA giant-size snapping turtle!” yelled Charles before Fred had a chance to respond.
    â€œThat so. Where’d you come upon him?”
    â€œThere was a little old lady standing in the middle of the road as we were coming down here. She was holding him out by the tail, like he weighed nothing.”
    â€œDid she say who she was?” asked Ham.
    â€œHattie Harriston,” answered Fred.
    â€œHattie Harriston? Nope, weren’t her, I don’t think,” said Ham. He paused a moment, then continued, as if speaking to himself. “But here at the End of the World, I guess nothing’s too strange. An’ were it Hattie Harriston you saw, then the man with the limo would have been her fancy pants son. He thinks himself something too good for Elliott Island people. He forgets where he were born an’ raised. But Hattie would know ’bout snappers an’ most anything else there were to know about the Shore.” Ham stopped, then turned to Fred. “So she gave you a snapper ’cause her son wouldn’t let her put it in the car?”
    â€œThat’s right,” said Fred.
    â€œAn’ the turtle is a big one?”
    â€œYep, and Mrs. Harriston said it looked like it was ready to lay eggs,” said Fred.
    â€œIf Mrs. Hattie Harriston ever said anything, I’d believe her. She used to talk to elves, you know.”
    â€œElves!” said Fred and the boys together.
    â€œYep, elves.