#@#$==~^..                                          ..^~==$#@#
##@#$==~^.                                          .^~==$#@##
#@#$==~^..                                          ..^~==$#@#
@#$==~^...                                          ...^~==$#@
#$==~^....                                          ....^~==$#
$==~^.....              ## .^~~~^. ##               .....^~==$
==~^...... ~~~~~~~~   #  egg   eater   #   ~~~~~~~~ ......^~==
=~^.......              ## .^~~~^. ##               .......^~=
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
.......... absolutely  spherical  egg.  find it  on ..........
..........    large sandy beaches, upshore where    ..........
.......... dunes  meet  shadowy  pines.  teal  egg, ..........
^.........                                          .........^
~^........ makes   some  sentient  bird  or   other ........^~
=~^.......    warm-blooded creature. lanky meat,    .......^~=
==~^...... incredible meat inside, mostly tendons.  ......^~==
$==~^.....           slithery but strong.           .....^~==$
#$==~^....                                          ....^~==$#
@#$==~^... the  egg  has  an opening. the egg has a ...^~==$#@
#@#$==~^.. belly   button.  looks  like   a  rubber ..^~==$#@#
##@#$==~^. vortex, the crust gets soft  and becomes .^~==$#@##
#@#$==~^..                 a hole.                  ..^~==$#@#
@#$==~^...                                          ...^~==$#@
#$==~^....           # ...^~~~~~~~~^... #           ....^~==$#
$==~^.....                                          .....^~==$
==~^...... and   on   these   beaches   there's   a ......^~==
=~^.......     particular snake or lizard which     .......^~=
~^........ certainly  eats   insects  most  of  the ........^~
^......... time, but it  knows a  good belly button .........^
.......... when  it sees  one, and  knows  to enter ..........
..........                 the egg                  ..........
..........                                          ..........
^......... it  will  crawl  into  the  teal sphere, .........^
~^........ disappear completely and eat  it all up, ........^~
=~^....... ruining   the  integrity  of  the   egg. .......^~=
==~^......        destroying the inhabitant.        ......^~==
$==~^.....                                          .....^~==$
#$==~^.... it's  a  grisly  sight  when  it  cracks ....^~==$#
@#$==~^... open,  the  reptile  taking  the   quick ...^~==$#@
#@#$==~^..  exit, emerging bloodied and victorious  ..^~==$#@#
##@#$==~^.             and satisfied~~              .^~==$#@##
#@#$==~^..                                          ..^~==$#@#
@#$==~^...                                          ...^~==$#@
#$==~^....                                          ....^~==$#
$==~^.....                                          .....^~==$
==~^......                                          ......^~==