256 The Lije Story of the Fish 



fact, in common language it is known as "sea-cucumber," 

 and some of its species, when properly dried, are esteemed as 

 table-delicacies by the Chinese under the name of trepang 

 or beche-de-mer. Now, the ordinary starfish has one aper- 

 ture in the middle of his under side which serves him both 

 for mouth and anal opening. And through this aperture he 

 breathes. The sea-cucumber has advanced to the point of 

 realizing that it is considered more decent to have the mouth 

 at one end and the anal opening at the other, but, confronted 



Figure 30. FIERASFER ABOUT TO ENTER HIS 

 HOLOTHURIAN HOME 



with the choice of which of these two openings to breathe 

 through, he chose what, from our point of view, is the wrong 

 one, however logical it may seem to a sea-cucumber. He 

 breathes through his anal opening. 



And that is Fierasfer's opportunity. When the sea-cucum- 

 ber is doing a little innocent breathing, Fierasfer pops in and 

 makes himself at home. Believe it or not, he literally lives 

 in the rectum of a sea-cucumber. What the sea-cucumber 

 thinks of it no one knows for sure, but since he is noted for 

 his habit of pettishly throwing out all his internal organs 

 when he is annoyed, we can only conclude that he has no 

 objection. 



Fierasfer's form is a model for anyone who wishes to avail 

 himself of holothurian hospitality. His body is elongated, 

 his tail is pointed, and his vent is located so close behind 

 his head that he can eliminate his waste products without 

 polluting his home merely by sticking his head out of the 



