May 2, 2017 – Captain Judy’s ‘Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not’ story featuring The Octopus and the Mouse Story! Thanks for Reading!
Fishing statement: To try to ensure that fishing stays in the hearts of those that love it!
I had a very interesting conversation with an octopus named Karken III! Think like a child and you will understand!
Earlier this year I finally met up with an octopus that really wanted to talk. After a few pleasantries, the octopus and I (Captain Judy) had a quick conversation! After reading this story you will understand more. Anyhow, my question to the octopus was, “Have you ever been told the tragic story by your elders about mouse and octopus?”
The octopus quickly answered, “Yes!” and I replied, “Do you believe it?” to which the octopus answered, “Yes and by the way, my name is Kraken III and it is nice meeting you that’s unless you are going to …well you know!”
I answered, “Nope, no harm will come to you here. A few questions, if you don’t mind, and you are so free to go!”
A sea story about the octopus and the mouse!
Many, many, many years ago while attending a meeting as a Gray’s Reef Advisory panel member, a great story was shared. This is not a story that originated from this area, but far away on an island that is located in the blue waters somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Natives of this land have passed this story down from generation to generation! So as you know any story that is worth passing down such as this should be definitely deemed part of my Little Miss Judy Believe It or Not Stories!
After Karken III introduced himself he started telling the story passed down by his elders. This story has been told to generations after generation about the mouse and octopus. And it went something like this…
There was this mouse “Stubby the Rocket” and this octopus “Karken” that became the best of friends. According to the story, they traveled everywhere together communicating at will. To everyone amazement, the mouse rode on the octopus’s back day after day as the duo made their rounds. On this one particular day while making way under the sea the mouse dropped something on the octopuses back. Apparently, it stuck around to the octopus’s dismay. At this time the mouse and octopus had the worst of all falling-outs! It was such an argument that the octopus never forgave the mouse. In fact, the octopus was so mad, they never spoke again!
The native’s of this Pacific Island used this story’s ending as a means to catch the ever-popular cunning octopus, which iseaten, sold, and given as gifts. Their catching methods are simple. They make some sortof lure, called a “Maka Fete” that looks like a mouse and show it to the octopus. The octopus gets so mad that it jumps out to attack the lure and the natives catch it. The bottom line to this story is that it seems that both generations have passed down this unbelievable story, both the natives of the island and the octopus of the sea!
Back to today, to the conversation with Karken III…
It has taken me this long to find an octopus that was willing to be interviewed. And a mouse as well, I pretty much had to rely on those that walked the marsh around the dock. However, when I finally met up with Abe Sapien, a resident mouse from our dock, I interviewed him. Basically, his elders had told him the same exact things. However, in Abe’s case, the story ended when Stubby the Rocket and Karken parted ways. Otherwise, I found that the story told by the Karken was of the same exact account.
Here’s a photo of a “Maka Feke,” which is called the rat of the Tongan legend. Traditionally it would have palm fronds representing the legs of the rat. I found this picture on the web. This is the homemade lure that is used to catch an octopus. Once this lure is presented any octopus within seeing distance becomes very aggressive and tries to attack it. And of course, this is the beginning of the end for the octopus!
As I interviewed the mouse and then an octopus their stories told to them by their elders were basically the same! This all boiled down to the fact that had this story not been passed down a mouse-like figure would have never been thought of as a means to catch an octopus. I asked Karken III, “Do you still get mad when you see a mouse-like figure?” He replied, “Yes I do! And it is crazy because the only reason I do is because I was told to do so by my elders! And to be honest I have never seen a real mouse before!”
Stubby’s relatives knew about the story, but it had not plagued them as it had the generations of octopuses! The reason being is that since the end of this grand relationship of Karken and Stubby the Rocket there has been no further contact between a mouse and an octopus! As I hear this I felt sad because apparently, once upon a time, the octopus and mouse did have a good relationship.
To be honest, they both had reasons for being distraught. Here’s the basis on which they laid their platform:
According to stories passed down, the Mouse – aka Stubby the Rocket – really didn’t mean to offend the octopus – aka Karken! He was very sorry for making that unscheduled drop on the octopus’s back. Had the deposit not stuck for so long the octopus wouldn’t have even noticed, much less cared. The mouse proclaimed that he had gotten ahold of some bad, recently discarded seaman’s cheese, which didn’t sit well on his stomach. He had to admit that if he had tasted more and ate less everything would have been better. However, both being “Alfa” males, controllers of their kind, strong words had to be exchanged. And then there was the octopus’s side of the story. The octopus being the one exactly from the sea had to make a stand, because there were those that watched this pair diligently. This was due to the fact that it was unusual for the octopus and the mouse to be friends. Although, the friendship was accepted by the octopus’s peers “the just was” that if they had a reason they would have spoke their true feelings of naught!
This scenario leads me to this conclusion:
Both the mouse and the octopus thought they had good reasons at the time to wage this war. However, I truly believe that if they only knew that, by waging this so-called underwater war, how it was going to affect the generations of those that followed. This would not have been the choice that they would have made. However, history has taught us that many wars have been caused by simple arguments and a serious lack of communication!
Thanks for reading! – Captain Judy
Captain Judy Helmey
Miss Judy Charters
Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
(912)-897-4921 or (912)-897-2478
(912)-897-3460 fax
fishjudy2@aol.com