 |
Eight Is Great! - Why do octopuses have eight arms? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Although you might not know it when relaxing on the beach or playing in the sand, the ocean is a very busy place! The hundreds of sea creatures living below the surface fill up their days with activities just like you -- schools of fish gather every morning, dolphins jump and play games and do tricks like kids in the school yard, while squids use their special ink like artists and writers!
Among the busy, bustling fish there was once an octopus who might have been the busiest of them all! This was back before octopuses had eight arms. Her name was Olivia, and her two arms never seemed to stop, always keeping busy with a new project or a friend in need.
Olivia was a math teacher for a school of fish. She came home one day with a large pile of tests she wanted to grade right away so she could bake a cake for her friend Stan's birthday party.
But Olivia had barely finished grading the first page of the first test before her sea-phone rang. It was her friend Ellie the Eel.
“Olivia!” Ellie said. “Can you help me out?”
Olivia was eager to finish grading the tests, but when a friend needed help, Olivia always came through. “Sure,” she said. “Anything for a friend. What do you need?”
“I promised Stan the Stingray I'd bring some music to his birthday party. You've got the best collection of music in the ocean. Can you help me put together a good Sea-D?”
Olivia looked at the tests waiting to be graded but then turned back to her friend on the phone. “Sure,” she said. “Anything for a friend. Come on over.”
Olivia was half-way through finishing a Sea-D for Ellie when her phone rang again. This time, it was her friend Martin the Manatee.
“Olivia!” Martin called out over the phone. “Can you help me?”
“Sure,” Olivia said. “Anything for a friend. What do you need?”
“I promised Stan the Stingray I'd make a game of Pin the Tail on the Dolphin to play tonight at his party. You're the best artist in the ocean. Can you help me with the drawings?”
Olivia looked at the half-finished Sea-D and the pile of tests she still needed to grade.
“Anything for a friend. Come on over.”
Martin came over and Olivia started drawing shapes for his Pin the Tail game while still waiting to finish Ellie's music, plus her own tests to grade and the birthday cake she needed to bake, too.
Her phone rang. It was her three turtle friends, Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya.
“Olivia,” they called out together. “Can you help us out? We bought presents for Stan the Stingray, but we can't wrap them by ourselves. You're the best gift-wrapper in the ocean!”
Before she knew it, Olivia and her two little arms had seven whole projects to balance all at once: Ellie's Sea-D, Martin's drawings for Pin the Tail on the Dolphin, a present to wrap for each of Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya, plus her own cake to bake and the tests she needed to grade!
Olivia knew she couldn't finish all of these projects unless she suddenly had seven arms to do it with. “I wish I had seven arms!” she cried out. “Then I'd have enough hands to finish everything!” She put down the gift she was wrapping to quickly scratch her head with worry. “No wait,” she said. “I wish I had eight, because then I'd have one extra to spare for scratching my own head when it itches!!”
All of the sudden there was a big POOF! Ellie, Martin, Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya all came running in to check on their friend, who was now scratching her head with one hand and finishing each of seven projects with another!
“Olivia!” Ellie exclaimed.
“What?” Olivia asked. She didn't know what Ellie was so excited about.
“Your arms!” Martin said.
“You have eight of them!” Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya added.
Olivia looked down to see what her friends were talking about, and sure enough they were right! Olivia's wish had come true!
With her extra new arms, Olivia was able to finish all of her friend's projects and her own in more than enough time for Stan's party.
And when she showed up at the party later that evening, everyone agreed that they loved her new look. From then on, octopuses had eight arms -- five for helping their friends, two for helping themselves, and one for scratching the tops of their heads!
Among the busy, bustling fish there was once an octopus who might have been the busiest of them all! This was back before octopuses had eight arms. Her name was Olivia, and her two arms never seemed to stop, always keeping busy with a new project or a friend in need.
Olivia was a math teacher for a school of fish. She came home one day with a large pile of tests she wanted to grade right away so she could bake a cake for her friend Stan's birthday party.
But Olivia had barely finished grading the first page of the first test before her sea-phone rang. It was her friend Ellie the Eel.
“Olivia!” Ellie said. “Can you help me out?”
Olivia was eager to finish grading the tests, but when a friend needed help, Olivia always came through. “Sure,” she said. “Anything for a friend. What do you need?”
“I promised Stan the Stingray I'd bring some music to his birthday party. You've got the best collection of music in the ocean. Can you help me put together a good Sea-D?”
Olivia looked at the tests waiting to be graded but then turned back to her friend on the phone. “Sure,” she said. “Anything for a friend. Come on over.”
Olivia was half-way through finishing a Sea-D for Ellie when her phone rang again. This time, it was her friend Martin the Manatee.
“Olivia!” Martin called out over the phone. “Can you help me?”
“Sure,” Olivia said. “Anything for a friend. What do you need?”
“I promised Stan the Stingray I'd make a game of Pin the Tail on the Dolphin to play tonight at his party. You're the best artist in the ocean. Can you help me with the drawings?”
Olivia looked at the half-finished Sea-D and the pile of tests she still needed to grade.
“Anything for a friend. Come on over.”
Martin came over and Olivia started drawing shapes for his Pin the Tail game while still waiting to finish Ellie's music, plus her own tests to grade and the birthday cake she needed to bake, too.
Her phone rang. It was her three turtle friends, Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya.
“Olivia,” they called out together. “Can you help us out? We bought presents for Stan the Stingray, but we can't wrap them by ourselves. You're the best gift-wrapper in the ocean!”
Before she knew it, Olivia and her two little arms had seven whole projects to balance all at once: Ellie's Sea-D, Martin's drawings for Pin the Tail on the Dolphin, a present to wrap for each of Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya, plus her own cake to bake and the tests she needed to grade!
Olivia knew she couldn't finish all of these projects unless she suddenly had seven arms to do it with. “I wish I had seven arms!” she cried out. “Then I'd have enough hands to finish everything!” She put down the gift she was wrapping to quickly scratch her head with worry. “No wait,” she said. “I wish I had eight, because then I'd have one extra to spare for scratching my own head when it itches!!”
All of the sudden there was a big POOF! Ellie, Martin, Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya all came running in to check on their friend, who was now scratching her head with one hand and finishing each of seven projects with another!
“Olivia!” Ellie exclaimed.
“What?” Olivia asked. She didn't know what Ellie was so excited about.
“Your arms!” Martin said.
“You have eight of them!” Timmy, Thomas, and Tanya added.
Olivia looked down to see what her friends were talking about, and sure enough they were right! Olivia's wish had come true!
With her extra new arms, Olivia was able to finish all of her friend's projects and her own in more than enough time for Stan's party.
And when she showed up at the party later that evening, everyone agreed that they loved her new look. From then on, octopuses had eight arms -- five for helping their friends, two for helping themselves, and one for scratching the tops of their heads!