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Come, Bob, Tom, Ned, Jack, Jim—all of you. We are going a-crabbing.
Hooray! hooray! hooray!
Bob and Tom must carry the nets, and here is twine and bait enough for
all of us. It is a dull day, and the crabs will bite well, I guess.
What queer shells! Yes. They are periwinkles. Ned will crack them for us
when we get to the creek. Then I will show you how to catch crabs. Here
we are!
Along the shore now take your stand,
With a bit of fish-line in your hand!
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At one end of the fish-line tie on this piece of periwinkle meat. Ugh!
It is not nice I know, but you must not be too nice when you go
crabbing. The boys must look after the girls and see that their lines
are all right. Now—have you plenty of elbow room? Is the bait tied on so
that it cannot get off? Then swing the line and throw it so that the
bait falls well out into the creek. Now wait—and hold on to the other
end of your line. Do you feel a jerk? a pull? Then haul in very slowly,
and be ready with the nets, Bob and Tom. Slip the net under the crab as
soon as it is near the shore. If you do not it will get away. Look!
There is a crab with but one large claw! It broke off the other in
trying to get away. A crab will often lose a claw rather than be taken
in a net.
See that one dart off under the seaweed! Now we have all that we need.
Let us roll up our lines and go home. Look at John, with a crab fast to
his coat. Oh! what fun we have had!