Summary

The short story “The Larder” by Morris Lurie begins with a group of tourists gathered around to see the shells that other tourists have brought back from their trip to the reef. A woman asks what they are but does not receive an answer. The shells have creatures inside.

Before going to dinner, the tourists ask whether they can leave the shells on the grass. At the guide’s advice, they turn them over so they cannot crawl far.

At dinner, one of the tourists – a real-estate agent – tells the others that he brought back nine shells. Although he does not know what to do with them, he could not pass up the rare chance of taking them. He also tells the others that another tourist has brought back twelve shells. A schoolteacher – who had not been to the reef – asks what the thing...