Dice Roll: crab, cave, submarine, cactus, egg, map, glasses, rice bowl, music note

Herbert the crab lived in a cave at the bottom of the Delusion Sea. One day, while he was out exploring the sandy sea bottom, he found an egg. It wasn't a fish egg. Or a frog's. Or even a seagull's that had slipped from the nest. Herbert couldn't identify the egg at all.

So, he gently picked the egg up in his claws and carried it to his cave. Then, he scurried over to his bookshelf and grabbed a large, heavy tome, carrying it to his table. After putting on his glasses, he opened the book and began flipping the pages, trying to match the egg he'd found to the pictures in the book.

"Ah-ha!" he cried, jabbing one claw on a page. "It's a rattlesnake's egg!" He hopped down from his chair and peered at the egg. "But how'd it get here? There's no rattlesnakes in the ocean!" He paused, rubbing his chin with a claw. "Where do rattlesnakes live? Dry places, isn't it? How did one get close enough to the sea to lose their egg here? The Delusion Sea isn't dry!"

Herbert looked at the egg again, eyes narrowing as he scrutinized its smooth surface. Snapping his claws, he hurried back to his bookshelf and pulled out the atlas. Flipping through the pages of maps, he found one that showed the Delusion Sea and nearby areas.

"So... where's the closest desert...?" he mumbled, scouring the page. Finally, his eyes fell on a large area beyond the mountains. The expanse was colored in drab shades, the simple typeface declaring it: 'Henba Desert.' "Hmm... The Henba Desert? But how did the egg get from the desert, across the mountains, and into the sea?"

Just then, there was a knock at his door. He quickly put down the atlas, calling, "Be there in a minute!" He glanced at the egg as he scurried by, wondering if he should put it somewhere out of sight. Shrugging, he went to the door and threw it open.

"Hello, Herbert."

"Ah. Hello, Quigly." Herbert frowned at the old snapping turtle. "To what do I owe the pleasure...?"

"I was expecting a delivery at my mound today and it never came. I was wondering if maybe you'd taken it by accident?"

"A delivery, you say? Of what sort? I'd never take anything of yours on purpose."

"Oh, of course," Quigly replied, nodding, even as his eyes narrowed. "Hence why I said I wondered if you'd taken it by accident."

"Oh, yes, how silly of me," Herbert replied quickly, "that is indeed what you said. What was it you were expecting?"

"An egg." Noticing Herbert's quick glance backward, the turtle leaned in, peering over the crab's head. "So! You did take it!"

"I—I did happen to find an egg today, yes," Herbert replied, gently pushing the turtle away with his claws. "It didn't have any postage on it, nor any marks or labels of any kind. It's not even an egg from anyone that dwells here! I simply picked it up to see if I could figure out what it was, and where it belonged."

"It belongs to me," Quigly snapped. "Give it!"

"What would you want with a rattlesnake egg?" Herbert asked.

"A rattlesnake egg?!" Quigly demanded. "It's supposed to be a snapping turtle egg! I'm adopting!"

"Oh. Ah, congratulations?"

"I'm not adopting a rattlesnake! Keep the egg! Eat it! Whatever! I don't care!" Quigly stomped off, little puffs of sand clouding up around his feet with every step.

"Hmm..." Herbert mumbled as he shut the door and slowly returned to the egg. "Once you hatch, you can't live here. It's far too wet for someone who prefers dry climates." He peered closely at the shell, walking around the egg and even gently rolling it to scrutinize its top and bottom. "Well, there really are no markings I missed earlier. No return address." He frowned. Finally, he said, "Well, I guess I shall have to return you myself."

He scurried into his closet and grabbed a sheet and some rope, fashioning a sling. Then, he gently rolled the egg into and sling and lifted it up onto his back. After giving his cave one final look, he walked out the door and hurried across the sand.

When he arrived at the station, he bought a ticket on the next ride to the east edge of the sea, then settled at the landing to wait. Submarines came and went, passengers exiting and entering, all going to different locations. Finally, the one he was waiting for came and he went inside and sat down, settling the egg beside him.

The sea passed by outside the windows of the submarine, corals and plants of all colors and shapes, myriads of fish and other creatures. Herbert watched the place he loved passed by, whispering descriptions of it to the egg, wishing the little rattlesnake could see through the shell; it was probably the only time the tyke would be in the ocean, or anything even remotely aquatic, aside from maybe an oasis or two.

The submarine broke through the waves, the setting sun glinting redly across the waters. Soon, the vehicle docked and the doors opened. Herbert gently returned the egg to his back and exited the craft, immediately following the trail up, out of the water, and onto shore.

On shore he paused, looking at the various road signs. Finally, he nodded and followed the sign pointing the way to the airplane hangars.

After inquiring with the staff, he was directed to the plane with a giant set of scales painted on its tail, the words hanging in the scales' plates declared it, 'Even Keeled.' After he'd boarded and settled himself and the egg into seats, being extra careful to securely buckle the egg into place, the captain came over the loudspeaker.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Captain Freddy speaking on behalf of the Even Keeled staff. We welcome you aboard for our flight to Henba Desert. This plane flies on dreams, contemplations, and long stories; my copilot, Bartholomew, here, will be telling us the story of the Thousand Turtles' March. If you'd like to listen in, feel free to put on your headphones, found in the back pocket of the seat in front of you. Otherwise, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride."

Herbert carefully placed headphones first on the egg, then on himself. "You're not gonna wanna miss this. I don't know how many turtles live in the desert to tell you the tale some other time." He settled in, wrapping the blankets also found in the seat pouch around the egg, and closed his eyes as he listened to the story.

The plane landed with a bump on the airstrip in the desert. After waiting through the pilot's arrival announcements and watching the other passengers depart, Herbert carefully unbuckled himself and the egg and once more pulled the sling onto his back.

In the airport, Herbert looked around, wondering how he would ever find the rattlesnake family that the egg belonged with. He decided to try asking at the information desk.

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm?" the camel peered over the desk until her large brown eyes found the crab with his egg. "Yes? How may I assist you? You on a layover to one of the oceans? There's a nice beach room down at gate five."

"No, I'm not on a layover, but thank you. I'm here to return this egg. It was delivered to old crabby Quigly the snapping turtle of the Delusion Sea; he had asked for a snapping turtle egg through an adoption agency. They sent this rattlesnake egg instead. Do you know of a way I can find this kid's family and return him home?"

"Oh. That's kind of you. Give me a moment; I'll look up the number of an adoption agency; they can look into this." The camel sat back in her chair and began clicking through her computer rapidly. After a few moments, she once more leaned over and handed down a sheet of paper. "Here ya go, hon. There are phones just down the hall you can use. Good luck."

"Thank you." Herbert took the paper and went down the hallway to where a row of telephones stood against the wall.

After repeated explanations of what had happened to each new person his call was transferred to, Herbert finally hung up with a smile. He held the paper up at the egg. "Gotcha covered, kiddo. You'll be home soon."

Readjusting the sling on his back, he left the airport and hailed a cab. After giving the cabbie the address, Herbert settled into the backseat with the egg.

As the cab sped through the sand dunes, Herbert stared out the window, watching the scattered tumbleweeds and cacti pass, whispering to the egg all the while.

The cab to a halt outside a squat stone house, the flat roof edged by a railing. Herbert got out of the car and carefully retrieved the egg from its seat, then slowly began walking up the drive, eyeing the short doorway framed with a cactus on either side.

From the roof, someone called, "Ma! Pa! They're here! They're here!"

A horde of snakes all slithered out from the rock out at once, tails rattling. Herbert froze, raising his claws in surrender.

"You must be Herbert."

"Um. Yes."

"The adoption agency called us and told us you were coming! Come in!" With a gentle wave of her tail, the mother snake ushered everyone inside. "You're just in time for dinner! And you must tell us all about what happened! Why, when the agency representative called us and said the child we were adopting went missing, we about panicked! They offered us another egg instead, and, really, we took it since we just really would love to have another member of the family, but..." her voice dropped to a whispered as they passed through the doorway, "...it's a turtle egg." She finished in her normal tone, "Can you imagine? A turtle wouldn't do too well with us snakes here in Henba! A tortoise, maybe. But a turtle...? No." She hung her head. "Unfortunately, no."

As everyone settled around the table, Herbert carefully placing the egg beside him, he said, "Well, actually... funny you should mention a turtle egg..." He launched into the tale as everyone passed around bowls of stir-fried mice with rice.

After dinner, they all gathered around the fireplace, the snake family bringing out instruments and playing songs. Herbert shyly accepted a tambourine and played along.

The next day, Herbert set out once more for the airport, once more with an egg in a sling on his back. But this time, it was a turtle egg. A snapping turtle egg. And when he made it back to his neighborhood on the west end of the Delusion Sea, old, cranky Quigly was delighted to see him. Even cracked a smile.

Through the years, Herbert regularly visited Herbert Jr, the snapping turtle.

Quigly was no longer called 'old, cranky Quigly.' He smiled more. Was friendlier to everyone. Even became known for his jokes.

Herbert regularly received letters from the snake family, with pictures of the little rattlesnake he had brought to them as an egg. He decorated his mantelpiece with pictures of the young turtle and rattlesnake as they grew. And Herbert also visited the Henba Desert once a year, to see little Herbert Jr, the rattlesnake.