  Purcell's scallop theorem defines the type of motions of a solid body -
reciprocal motions - which cannot propel the body in a viscous fluid with zero
Reynolds number. For example, the flapping of a wing is reciprocal and, as was
recently shown, can lead to directed motion only if its frequency Reynolds
number, Re_f, is above a critical value of order one. Using elementary
examples, we show the existence of oscillatory reciprocal motions which are
effective for all arbitrarily small values of the frequency Reynolds number and
induce net velocities scaling as (Re_f)^\alpha (alpha > 0). This demonstrates a
continuous breakdown of the scallop theorem with inertia.
