A boy went down to the creek to catch crawdads. He had a new trap. He got it for his tenth birthday. He put left over fried chicken in the trap and lowered it into the smooth running water. He tied the trap to a tree branch and then went down stream to his favorite fishing spot. His dog jumped into the water and scared every fish for miles, but the boy didn't really care. He thought he got a couple of bites - something got his worm unless bits of it escaped on their own. He didn't catch anything.
When he went back to the crawdad trap he found the king of all crawdads. It was as big as a small lobster and nearly filled the trap. How did it ever get in there?
He looked closer and noticed that the crawdad was in fact wearing a small gold crown.
``You really are the king of the crawdads,'' he said.
``Of course,'' said the crawdad.
``I like your crown.''
``Crown?''
``Yes. On your head.''
``Oh. You mean this?''
The crawdad gestured with a claw at his head, ``This is a crown?''
``Yes.''
``You want to feel it?''
The boy reached into the trap and the crawdad grabbed the boy's little finger in his mighty pincer and would not let go.
``I need you to do me a favor,'' the crawdad king said.
``Ouch! Like what?''
The boy felt a little like Pip in Great Expectations.
``I was not always a crawdad,'' the crawdad said, ``I was once the king of Sedonia. A band of revolutionaries turned me into an American crawdad and took over my country. I know I'll never be king again. That was was all before the last ice age. But I miss the mountains and rivers of my native land. I need someone to turn me back into a human - you could do it!''
``I could? How?''
``You don't know?''
``No I don't know!''
``Its a spell - you got spells?''
``No I ain't got spells.''
``All virgin boys have spells - you are a virgin?''
``Umm - virgin?''
The crawdad still had his little finger clamped.
``Please let me go -'' the boy said.
``Cast a spell - turn me into a man again!''
``OK! OK! TURN INTO A MAN AGAIN!''
The crawdad started to change so quickly that the boy barely had time to open the trap. At last his finger was free and bleeding.
The crawdad was now a man and quite handsome and also naked. The boy ran home and took some clothes from the Goodwill bag and the man dressed and went on his way in search of Sedonia.
``I wont forget your kindness,'' the man said as he disappeared in the trees.
``Good luck!'' the boy called after him.