The seagull, the starfish and the clam

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Seagulls relish clams, as do starfish. Each has its own method of harvesting this delicacy, and therein rests the moral of this tale.

The seagull, an impatient creature, selects a clam, carries it aloft several hundred feet, hovers over a large rock and drops the mollusk. If the bird's aim is true, and it more often is than not, the clam hits the target and explodes into fragments. The seagull then descends and picks out its tiny bits of delicacy from the shards of shell. It's a laborious task and the gull seldom harvests all of the meat.

The starfish, a slow, plodding Echinoderm, goes about getting its meal in a much different way. Once it has located its prey, it embraces it with its arms. The clam immediately closes tightly, content that it has foiled its attacker. The starfish is prepared for this and begins to patiently apply pressure to each half of the bivalve's shell. The clam resists but eventually tires and begins to open, exposing its now defenseless body. (The following is not for the squeamish, but must be reported to complete the story.) The starfish extends its stomach engulfing the entire clam (sans shell), which it then digests at its leisure.

Moral: The quickest way is not always the best way. Patience will always reap a more satisfying reward.