Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Corsican Hermit

Meet Hermie, the Corsican Hermit. You will have to take my word for it that he lives in that shell as he was most unco-operative.

I was watching him when he popped out and he was huge and orange and beautiful. I ran to fetch the camera and when he saw me coming he went back into his shell.

It is something when a 56-year-old woman sits on the edge of the sea for 30 minutes talking to a shell.

'Come on out, Hermie, please. Come on. I'll take your photo and put it on my blog and you will be famous!'
'You are missing ze point,' he grumbled from inside his shell (in a French accent). 'I am a 'ermeet. I do not wunt to be faymous.'
'Oh come on, I tell you what I'll set up a Facebook page just for you. Like Teacosy Pete, the famous Swansea tramp. People all over the world will report sightings of you!'
'I tell you I do not wunt to be faymous!'

I was telling Husband about this conversation. He remarked that Hermie must be an unusually intelligent crab to be able to converse in English.
'Most hermits are very intellectual,' I said. 'Many are philosophers who spend their days contemplating the meaning of life.'

A thought suddenly struck me and I raced back down to the sea. 'Hermie, Hermie! I know the answer to the meaning of life. If you come out of your shell I will tell you!'
'Pah! If you tell me I will no longer need to be a 'ermeet. I just want to be alone. Go away!'

So I had to be satisfied with the photo of the outside of his shell.

Next time I'll tell you about the fish that bit me.

11 comments:

Gledwood said...

I know they always pinch someone else's disused shell to live in ... so do they ever set up home in Coke cans/etc, do you think ...

I've seen films of seacritters (of the blobberous variety) who set up home in CARRIER BAGS of all things ... then some sea turtle will come and choke to death on the plastic, having mistaken it for a tasty wandering jellyfish ...

Puss-in-Boots said...

Well, that was most unsporting of Hermit...he sounds quite curmudgeonly.

I hope you have better luck next time...

NitWit1 said...

What an uncooperative grump Hermie is. But I guess some conversations and interviews are not meant to be!

Furtheron said...

Reminds me when we found one on Deal beach some years ago. My daughter loves collecting shells - she saw this large white spiral shell and picked it up - only for her to scream and drop it again. It was occupied by a large hermit. She was most upset that we insisted that she leave the shell despite it being just what her collection "needed". :-)

CherryPie said...

Perhaps Hermie was just camera shy?

James Higham said...

If he was a hermit, he'd hardly be likely to emerge. How did he taste?

Gledwood said...

Surely you didn't eat 'im did ya??!!?

Gledwood said...

OK I'm saying this 12 hours later not 1 hour later... why does your comments give times but not dates? I don't get that...

Anyway I just wanted to say I tried to log on to you twice... and got "nowhere"... then it turned out your blog started halfway down the page... any idea why this could be??

Lia said...

Liz,
you are madder than a box of frogs and I adore you for it.
much love
Lia xx

Liz Hinds said...

Plastic bags are bad in so many ways, gledwood.

I suppose hermits tend to be rather curmudgeonly, puss.

Indeed, nitwit, and after all I promised him too!

I love collecting shells too, furtheron. I hope Daughter managed to find a replacement for it.

Or a miserable old so'n'so, cherrypie!

I didn't eat him, james!!!

Of course not, gledwood. I don't know why you're having problems with my page. I'm having computer problems but I don't think that should affect you! And I only noticed recently that the commenst aren't dated. You would think they would be. Are yours? Am I doing something wrong?

Why thank you, Lia x

Dragonstar said...

Hermit crabs are fun. I'm glad you had a good time on your holiday. Your photos are great.