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.
No comments:
Post a Comment