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The Otter And The Clam
Reader Star Rating: 
Excel
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There was once a sea otter named Carl.
Carl really, really loved to eat the delicious inner morsels of clams.
But he had a problem, how to open the clams; he had to get past the tough outer shell.
The shells were actually quite disgusting to eat.
One day Carl decided to try and find a way to break into the clams, without having to get lucky and find one that was pried open by alternative means.
So he swam down to the sea floor and grabbed the first clam he saw in his paws.
Returning to the surface he twisted and turned the clam shell, trying with all the strength that his body could muster to break it open.
But to no avail.
Alerted by all of the noise made by Carl some other sea otters came over to see what all the commotion was about.
Upon seeing Carl struggle with the clam, the otters began to laugh and tease him about how he was so dumb.
Disheartened by the bullying Carl swam off and anchored himself on some seaweed and began to cry a little.
He thought to himself, 'It's pointless; I'll never get it open.'
But just as he was about to throw the clam back to the sea floor, his heartthrob Carol came over and asked, "What's wrong Carl?"
He replied, whilst avoiding eye contact so as to shield his shame, "I'm a failure, I thought I might actually be able to do something worthwhile for all sea otters, but I guess I was wrong."
"Oh Carl, you aren't a failure, I know you will be able to open that clam.
I heard some humans the other day talking about some 'ed-son' guy, or something like that, and how his motto was that he hadn't failed, he had just found 99 ways that didn't work.
Maybe a sea otter can't open a clam by brute force alone, but I think you can open it somehow."
Reinvigorated by these words of kindness, Carl shouted out, "YOU'RE RIGHT! I will figure out a way to open this clam if it is the last thing I do!"
"Atta boy Carl!" Carol replied.
With that Carl began swimming back and forth and back and forth, trying to come up with a different approach to opening the clam.
That is, until the mean otters from earlier threw a rock at Carl, calling him a NERD!
But little did they know; they had quite literally struck Carl with inspiration.
He dove to retrieve the pebble.
The otters were confused by this, but figured, "Eh, he is probably just brain dead now."
But to their surprise Carl burst from the depths, clam in one paw and pebble in the other.
Anchoring himself on the seaweed, he shouted.
"I'LL SHOW YOU, I'LL SHOW YOU THAT I CAN DO IT!"
While saying this Carl began to pound the pebble against the clam,
CLINK! SHINK! CLINK! CRACK!
To the surprise of all those who doubted him, the clam burst open.
After a loud laugh Carl swam over to Carol, and promptly shared the morsels of his labour with the one who had supported him when no one, even himself, believed.
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