Creamy sat down on the sand, a bucket of fish by his side. ‘Here, Lennie, have one,’ he said picking a fish out of the bucket, and passing it to Lennie – or so he thought, till he heard a plop, as the fish landed on the sand.

‘Lennie?’ exclaimed Creamy looking round in surprise. But Lennie was still some distance down the beach, pulling a large bundle of netting behind him.

‘Leave it, Lennie! Come and have some fish!’ shouted Creamy.

Lennie made a face. ‘Coming!’ he shouted back, not hurrying too much, for he was not very fond of fish. That is why he let Creamy rush ahead with his bucket of fish, while he stayed behind helping the green cap. He hoped he would earn enough money to buy a proper meal for himself, and a pistachio ice-cream for Creamy.

‘I can't just leave it,’ he shouted back. ‘I have to take these nets up the beach!’

‘Oh, well, suit yourself,’ mumbled Creamy, his mouth full. ‘This is really good fish, though. You sure you won't have some?’

‘No, thanks,’ said Lennie, ‘and you'd better leave stuffing yourself up with more fish right now, as we both have work to do!’

‘Work! Work! What work?!’ grumbled Creamy, and lay down on the sand. ‘I need a siesta first,’ he announced and closed his eyes.

‘Oh, no, you don't,’ panted Lennie, letting go of the rope for a moment and stopping for a breath. ‘I told you…’

A shrill shout from a beach hut half hidden by the dunes to their right drowned Lennie's voice. It was the fishwoman, waving her arms about and shrilling: ‘Get a move on, you two! Get those nets up here! Quick!’

Swiftly, Lennie picked up the rope and trotted off, dragging the bundle of nets along the sand towards the line of posts further up the beach.

Still muttering to himself, Creamy got to his feet and started to follow him. ‘Oh, no!’ he exclaimed suddenly, as he remembered the bucket of fish. ‘I almost forgot!’ He turned round and ran down the beach, intending to fetch it.

That set the fishwoman off again. ‘Where do you think you're going?! Come back at once! You're a rare pair of rascals, you two!’ the fishwoman ranted on. ‘Come over here – you've got to start right by the hut!’

Lennie changed direction and padded as fast as he could towards her.