The collection of Stories About Ocean Animals features a variety of tales centered on different sea creatures and their interactions with the world around them. These stories often blend folklore and natural behaviors of ocean animals to convey lessons and adventures.
One of the recurring themes is the relationship between crabs and their environments. In The Crab That Played With The Sea, Pau Amma, the Crab, disobeys the Eldest Magician’s guidance, causing chaos in the sea, but is ultimately given a compromise to retain his shell. What The Crab Does illustrates a crab’s quick temper and defensive behavior, while Mr. Crab And His Friends shows how the crab uses its large claw to attract a mate and interact with other beach creatures.
The theme of survival is explored in stories like How The Whale Got His Throat, where a whale learns the consequences of swallowing a mariner, which alters his ability to eat larger creatures. Similarly, The Hungry Baby Sea Horse tells the tale of Shelden, a baby sea horse who learns moderation after an overeating incident with an octopus. The Heart Of A Monkey showcases how a monkey outwits a shark that plans to eat his heart, offering a clever escape from danger.
Crabs, in various forms, also appear in stories that focus on adaptation and change. The Hermit Crab depicts a hermit crab’s search for a new shell as it grows, while Mr. And Mrs. Crab Get A New Coat describes how Mr. Crab sheds his old shell when it becomes too tight, developing a new one. Some Other Crabs introduces different species of crabs, showcasing their behaviors and habitats.
Other animals, like the shark, also feature prominently in these tales. The Shark Story recounts the experience of two young boys encountering a persistent shark that follows their ship, while The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat explores the conflict between dolphins and whales, with the sprat offering a peaceful solution that is rejected by the dolphins.
These stories touch on themes of conflict, survival, and adaptation, using ocean animals to convey moral lessons through engaging, action-packed narratives.