"The crabs are lots of fun.

I've often caught them among the rocks on the shore and laughed at the way they act.

Wasn't it funny at dinnertime to see the way they slid around with the plates ?" "Those were not crabs, but lobsters and crawfish," remarked the mermaid.

"They are very intelligent creatures, and by making them serve us we save ourselves much household work.

Of course, they are awkward and provoke us sometimes, but no servants are perfect, it is said, so we get along with ours as well as we can." "They're all right," protested the child, "even if they did tip things over once in a while.