Chapter 6 Scene 7

Pelubo and John need worms for fishing, so they dig holes in the soft ground in the Village. They dig holes a meter and a half deep and get twenty worms, and it is a bit of a struggle to climb out, more so for Pelubo as he is a lot shorter and dirt from the sides of his hole keeps coming loose. Once they have the worms, they take the fishing poles and bags and head to the shore of the South Beach.

Quest 73: Catch ten fish, five eels, and three squid.

Pelubo explains, "You can catch fish, but Keruka says eels are attracted by our bright loincloths, so I have to get those. And I may as well go out farther to catch the squid."

"How far out do you have to go to catch these things?"

"Waist deep for eels, and neck deep for squid. But you also catch eels and fish when you're that deep, so I may as well start by going out far.  If I catch three squid before five eels, then you only have to go waist deep, and if I get five eels before ten fish, then knee deep."

John is surprised at the explanation, and suddenly feels Pelubo is much better suited for this task. Pelubo's purple loincloth may as well be swimming trunks. "Maybe you better show me first."

"Sure." Pelubo puts a worm on his hook and strides into the ocean with his fishing pole. He wades out until the water covers his shoulders, and then casts his line. It is awkward with his upper arms under water, but he doesn't mind, and soon he is reeling in a fish. He paddles his way back to shore, and puts the fish in his bag. He then puts another worm on his hook.

"That's impressive, but inefficient," remarks John. "I got an idea. I'll put the worms on the hooks, and meet you a little way, say knee-deep, into the ocean.  Then we trade fishing poles, and I'll put the fish or eels or squid in the bags, and then bait the fishing pole before you get back."

Pelubo smiles and answers "Yes, that's a good idea." He goes back the water while John puts the third worm on the hook of the pole Pelubo isn't using. This time Pelubo catches an eel. He comes back to the knee-deep water and trades fishing poles with John. Pelubo goes back out while John takes the eel off the hook and puts it in a bag, and then puts another worm on the hook. When Pelubo returns, he has caught a clump of seaweed.

"You caught ... seaweed?:asks John.

"Yes, that happens a lot. No big deal."

They trade fishing poles again, and the process is repeated seventeen more times. Watching Pelubo from the shore, John is impressed by the boy's perseverance. Waves regularly crash over his head, and often he is casting his line while completely under water. Other times the waves lift him off the ocean floor, sometimes taking him farther out to sea, and he has to swim back to stay in control and regain his footing, always being careful never to lose the fishing pole. None of this bothers him. In fact, it looks to John that Pelubo is rather enjoying himself.

While Pelubo is far from shore, a butterfly flies by near John, and he is alert enough to catch it and put it in his bag.

You found an Orange Firespray!

When the twenty worms are used up, Pelubo has caught two squid, four eels, seven fish, five clumps of seaweed, and two old shoes.

"Guess we should have gotten more worms," notes John. "You've been doing all the hard work, so I'll dig them up. You can have a chance to dry off."

"There's no point in drying off since I'm going back in again."

"Well, you can look for rarities then."

John goes back to the Village and digs up ten more worms. While he is doing so Pelubo walks up and down the shore of the South Beach until he sees a pretty shell.

You found a Yellow Piper!

Pelubo puts the shell in a bag, and then John returns with the new set of worms. They resume their routine with similar results. Finally after catching two more fish, one eel, five seaweed, and one more shoe, Pelubo catches the third squid.

Quest 73 complete!

With all the necessary seafood caught, Pelubo and John return to the Village in triumph.

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