The Dangerous End

The baby cuttlefish lands in the water, and starts swimming away.

You've lost it, says Ageless. After all that trouble.

It's going for a swim, says Terence.

Surely you don't think it will return, says Denis.

It might, says Terence. 

Maybe it didn't like the Nachoo, says Captain Baudin.

Why? asks Terence.

It jumped out straight away, says Ageless.

The rough edges, says Gaius. 

We should fix it, says Terence.

To what end? asks Gaius.

The dangerous end, says Terence.

They all look at the Nachoo which has a dangerous end.

Easy done, says Captain Baudin. Just press the jagged parts in with your finger.

Ooh! winces Denis.

Not you, Denis, says Gaius. You've already injured your finger.

I wasn't thinking of my finger, says Denis. I was thinking of being in the Nachoo with the jagged edges turned inward. It would seem like a prison.

Curl them over, says Terence.

This seems like a cuttlefish friendly solution, but how would they do it?

While they are thinking, the baby cuttlefish has swum further away.

 It has met up with some other baby cuttlefish.

Wee! say the other baby cuttlefish. Where have you been?

I have been in a Nachoo, says the baby cuttlefish.

What's a Nachoo? asks the other babies.

A round hole with jagged edges, says the baby cuttlefish. Shiny, outside and in.

Why were you in it? asks the other baby cuttlefish.

I was dropped in it, says the baby cuttlefish. I think it was because of my facial expression.

The other cuttlefish babies examine its facial expression.

Yes, they conclude. It may have been due to the facial expression.

It's good you escaped, say the other cuttlefish babies.

Not that good, says the baby cuttlefish. I was going to go mapping the coast of New Holland.

Wow! say the other cuttlefish babies. We would give anything to go mapping.

Would you? asks the baby cuttlefish. Maybe I made a dumb decision.

Let's go mapping, say the other cuttlefish babies. 

What is mapping? asks one of them.

But there is no baby cuttlefish that knows.