Four Hapless Little Prawns and a Spider

They were on their second glass of white wine.

Belle et Bonne picked a prawn from the top of the pyramid and dangled it in the air.

Hello little prawn, she said. I wonder if you've had your genome mapped?

Without waiting for an answer she popped it into her mouth.

Oh yummy, she said. It's drenched in mango, lime and coriander.

She picked up a second little prawn.

Have I had my genome mapped? said the second little prawn. I could tell you.....

Gulp. Too late! Belle and Bonne had swallowed it, but not before she'd noticed something strange.

Did my prawn say something? she asked.

Yes, said The VeloDrone. How very remarkable. David, did you hear what Belle's prawn said?

No, said David, picking up a prawn. Did you say something little prawn? He dangled it in front of his eyes and stared.

Yes, said the third little prawn. The CSIRO has mapped our genomes.

Remarkable, said The VeloDrone again. Why did they do that?

But before the little prawn could answer, David had bitten off its head.

The VeloDrone picked up another glass of white wine, and a fourth hapless prawn.

You don't give us much chance, said the fourth hapless prawn.

I'm giving you a chance right now, said The VeloDrone. Tell me why the CSIRO have mapped your genome, before I eat you.

It's so that they can enhance our economically important traits, our size and taste, said the hapless prawn. But a fat lot of use that is to us. In fact it is the opposite of useful.

I was just going to say the same thing, said The VeloDrone, as he bit into the hapless prawn.

David was on his third glass of white wine. He did a little jig.

Is that the barnacle dance? asked Belle et Bonne.

I do believe it is, said Le Bon David.

You look just like a spider, said Belle et Bonne.