Crabbing soft-shells
This story happened up North, in a mangrove area. Two people from the bush, a young man and an old one, were crabbing. They were after soft-shell mudcrabs, the ones which have shed their old hard shell only an hour or so before. This is a delicacy for New Caledonian people. They then eat the crab whole.
At low tide, mudcrabs are hiding in their burrow. The fisherman has just to localise their holes on the emerging seabeds. For local fishing experts soft-shell is a matter of moon. Our two men are fishing experts and have picked-up the right moon. However to make sure that there is no hard-shell one rebellious to moon cycles, the fisherman just puts a stick in the hole and feels for the crab. If it is a soft-shell the stick penetrates slightly the skin. The crab does not appreciate it but it will even less appreciate the follow up as our young fisherman drives his hand down the burrow and quickly grabs the harmless animal. He then puts it in the sack, already quite full, that the old man is holding.
However, among the mangrove tree roots, this burrow was particularly twisted and tricky. Despite several attempts our young man had not been able to reach the crab with his stick. But he was sure that there was a soft shell one in this hole. So, he gives up the stick search and, sure of the soft state of the beast's shell, he puts his hand and arm deeply in the burrow, manages to get around bents and corners, and, there it is... the big hard claw grabs instantly and squeezes the closest finger. Pain is acute, unbearable and our man cannot get his hand out since the big crab is well stuck in its burrow. The more he pulls, the more the big crab squeezes!
"Don't move" say the old man. "I know, get lost" thinks the young man who perspires and refrains to scream his pain. He knows well too. If your hand does not move at all, the crab will, after a while, release the finger. A while, this is an eternity!
An old mudcrab does not easily release its catch. It slightly opens its claw, then, very quickly, squeezes it again, harder if possible. The idea is to ascertain the nature of the squeezed object. If it moves when releasing a bit, it is alive thus it is likely to be edible. This why it must be caught back quickly before getting away. If it does not move, then it might be some stick, though this one is strangely soft outside and hard only in the middle.
So the mudcrab tries again, releasing slightly, squeezing again, several times. It is a cautious and thorough mudcrab, fastidious in its checking. It wants to make sure, to avoid any diagnosis error, this stick being a strange one. The young man perspires even more and grinds his teeth. The old one does not open his mouth anymore. He knows that the young man will be angry afterwards, having not duly appreciated unwanted oldies advices.
At long last, after an endless time, half an hour perhaps, the mudcrab completes its analysis and delivers its conclusion. This must be a stick, albeit a bizarre one, thus a thing not edible. He releases it.
The young man draws quickly his hand and stares at his flattened finger.This was a hard shell mudcrab!
Lesson: avoid twisted holes.