Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a small boy called Hari. Although he wasn't very big, he was strong, and he loved to tease all the boys and girls who went to school with him. What he loved to do most was to pinch. He could make e a big bruise appear in Half a second. Another trick he played was pricking people with a pin.
So you can guess how all children hated him. They tried pinching him back, but was no good because he could always pinch harder. They didn't like telling their teacher, because that was telling tales.
It so happened that the class went for a picnic to seaside for a whole day. All the children were most excited.
On that day, the sun shone bright, and all the children were wild with excitement. They crowded into the train and sat down — but nobody wanted to sit next to Hari because he always pinched.
When they arrived at the seaside, out jumped all the children with a shout of joy. Down to the sands they raced, hand in hand — but nobody took Hart's hand. Nobody went near him.
Hart was angry. He went to a sandy corner near a rocky pool and sat down by himself. He took out his lunch and looked at it. It was a good lunch. There were two hard-boiled eggs, six jam sandwiches, three pieces of bread and butter, a ginger cake, and a bar of chocolate. He would eat it all by himself. He wouldn't offer anything to anyone!
Just as he was beginning on the eggs, he heard a hoarse voice near him. "Good morning! I am so pleased to meet a boy like you/ Hari turned around and stared in fright. Whatever do you think he saw?
Hari saw a monster crab walking sideways out of the pool. His eyes were on the ends of short stalks and he looked most queer. He held out his front claw to Hari. Hari put out his hand to shake the crab's claw, but to his surprise and anger the crab opened his pincers and nipped his hand so hard that the little boy yelled.
"Ah, here is my good cousin," said the crab pleasantly, and, to Hart's horror, he saw a large sandy lobster crawling heavily out of the pool. Before the little boy could stop him the lobster took his hand in his great pincer-like claws and pinched it so hard that Hari yelled in pain.
Then he stared at the pool in surprise, for, out came sandy-colored shrimps and prawns, more crabs, and another large lobster and they pricked Hari till he was soon black and blue with their pinching.
"Don't you like it?" said all the creatures in surprise. "Why, we were told you would love to see us because you were a champion pincher and picker yourself. Come, come join in the fun!"
Hari leapt to his feet, crying loudly. His lunch rolled into the pool, and when the crabs and lobsters saw it they ran to it and began to feast eagerly. Hari saw that they had forgotten him for a time, and he turned and ran for his life, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“They only did to me what I keep doing to the other children,” he thought. “But how it hurt! And how I hated Those crabs and lobsters! I suppose the other children hate me too. Well, I jolly well shan’t pinch or prick any more.”
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