Alicia
&
The Talking Fish.

By Ian Mcluckie
( PaPa )

Written For my Gran kids.


The summer sun flooded through the bedroom window, waking Alicia from a sound sleep. Someone was down the stairs walking around banging stuff, she could hear dad talking and laughing with mum. Alicia decided to get up and investigated, out of bed she jumped and quickly made her way down the stairs. As she run into the kitchen she could see that dad was going out for the day, in fact he was going fishing.
“ Morning honey “, dad leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
Alicia smiled then asked, “ Where are you going today dad, are you going fishing again ”. Dad didn't answer he just nodded his head and smiled. Mum came over and lifted Alicia up and sat her down at the table saying, “ Time to eat breakfast honey, you need to grow big & strong “.
“ But mum its not fair, the fish in the lake are my friends, “ Alicia protested.
Mum just smiled and gave her breakfast. Dad carried on building up his fishing rod, he smiled and then asked “ The fish are your friends honey, come on you know fish cant talk, “ Dad said laughing.
Alicia didn't laugh but grew cross with her dad,
saying, “ Dad the fish are my friends, if you let me come with you, I will show you that fish can talk. “ Alicia pleaded & pleaded & pleaded.
Dad finished putting his fishing rod together and told Alicia she could come with him. Dad laughed “ I would be a fool to miss a talking fish “.
After Alicia had eaten all her breakfast, she believed she was now big & strong just as mum had promised her. She dressed quickly and followed dad out the house. They made there way across the open pastures where they watched cows grazing. Up & along the forest fire-breaks and soon arrived at Alicia's magical lake, full of talking fish.

The lake was crystal clear with barely a ripple on the surface. Dad got his fishing rod built up and on his hook he pushed a large juicy worm. Dad was sure no fish could resist such a juicy free dinner, this worm would make. All of a sudden dad heard a large splash on the water. Quickly he looked around for Alicia, he was relieved to see her standing near to him.
Dad asked, “ What was the big splash, did you throw a stone in the water. “
Alicia shook her head & said “ It wasn't a stone dad, it was my friend Felix the talking catfish “.
Dad sat down beside her & ruffled her hair saying, “ Honey fish don't talk its just your imagination. “
Alicia turned round to dad and said, “ Do you want me to call him over and you can see that he's a real talking fish. “ Dad decided the only way to solve this puzzle was to play along and he asked Alicia, to call over her fish.
Dad asked, “ What's your friends name “.
“ His names Felix he's a catfish “, Alicia replied.
“Why don't you call to your catfish, “ said dad, feeling a little silly, but really wondering if a catfish could purr like a normal cat.
Alicia walked to the waters edge being careful not to fall in, she shouted to her friend, 3 times. “ Felix, Felix, Felix. “ At first dad could see nothing, not a ripple on the water. Alicia called him 3 more times and a wave of water rose slow at first, then quickly made its way toward the bank.
Dad never said a word he just stood there with his mouth open. Just as the wave hit the bank, there swam a large yellow catfish 6ft long with 4 large whiskers and it spoke.
“ Hello Alicia, “ said the fish. Dad nearly fell over with shock, its not everyday you hear a fish talk. Alicia clapped her hands together and shrieked with joy.
“ I told you dad, now do you believe me, “ Alicia asked her dad. For a few seconds dad couldn't talk all he could do was nod his head up and down. “ I believe you, “ Dad eventually said. Now feeling embarrassed because at dad's feet was his fishing rod, which he would have used to catch such a fish.
Felix the catfish now swam up & down the lake, showing off to his audience. Felix swam quicker each time he swam past Alicia & her dad. With one flick of his powerful tail, water shot all over Alicia's & her dad, soaking them both to the skin.
“ Aaaaahhhh,” Screamed dad, his arms in the air howling like a new born baby.
“ I wish your mum was here,” Dad cried out, running up and down the waters edge, unsure what would come next. Alicia laughed and shook the water from her hair and clothes.
“ Chill dad were going to get more wet when we go in the water, “ Alicia now telling dad of her intention to swim with the fish.
Dad shouts, “More wet, were not going in there with that HUGE fish, it might Eat me, Eat Us. “
Dad's face had turned white as he paced up and down the bank. Dad protested talking to himself, “ I heard people say, your kids will be the death of you, but this is real .” Dad whimpered.
Alicia stumbled and slid as she made her way down the waters bank. The last couple of feet she slipped on the mud and found she was up to her waist in the water. Dad screamed seeing his daughter land in the lake. With a leap, a bound & a very large splash dad was standing in the lake beside his daughter.
“ Its al-right dad he wont harm us,” Alicia told dad trying to calm him down. “ He's my friend “.
Dad quickly looked all around thinking the next vision he would see, would be a large fin streak across the lake intent on dinner.
Alicia started to explain to dad what was going to happen next. His voice trembled as he answered his wee girl.
“ What do you mean Hold on to his whiskers, “ “ He's huge he might bite me, bite us.” whimpered dad.
Alicia laughed remembering her mum calling dad a big fearty, when a spider ran between his legs while on a picnic. Alicia laughed at the image in her head, she always thought her dad was a superhero.
Slowly, as if not to frighten Alicia's dad too much, Felix slowly swam up beside them. Dad still seemed nervous, but as Felix got closer dad put a hand out and stroked him.
“ Hi “, Said Felix, “ Ready for a swim “. Even though he was scared, dad still nodded, “ Yes”.
“ Ok guys, hold on to my whiskers “, Felix chuckled. Without thinking they both took hold of his whiskers. Felix smoothly took them under the water. Alicia had explained to dad that when they had a hold on his whiskers, he breathed for all of them. The air passed from his gills up his whiskers and into there body, strange as it seemed they could also still talk.
The water was pleasant to touch even quite warm, but even stranger there eyes could peer deep into the bottom of the lake. Dad was the first to notice a group of lights moving in front of them. Alicia seemed to know where they were heading. “ Its ok dad “, she shouted “ were going to see the nursery “. Dad smiled back, beginning to enjoying the experience. They swam on a little further passing through some deep vegetation.
“ Amazing, “ was the only word dad could say. After they swam clear of the plants dad was stunned to find they were awash with bright lights and Seahorses !!!
“ Seahorses !!! “, dad shouted. Alicia and Felix laughed at him. Dad couldn't believe his eye's. Beautiful brightly coloured Seahorses swam to & fro, tending to the needs of the new born fish & the eggs that were kept safely in the vegetation. Fish eggs of all types hung on 1000's of broad dark leaves. Another large catfish fanned his broad tail, sending a gentle but constant stream of water over the growing eggs. Looking closely at them, little fish could be seen moving around inside the eggs, happy that they were safe and loved. Alicia looked over and saw her dad smiling back with big bright eyes, happy she was also safe & loved.
Swimming a little further on, they came upon a clearing with a large old Fish called Mr Pike. All around Mr Pike were lots & lots of smaller fish and just recently hatched baby fish. Alicia had learned earlier that Mr Pike was the fish school teacher.
“ Right children, “ said Mr Pike grumpily, his 3 old teeth showing.
“ What do we do when we see Mr Sharky, “ Pike asked. A little fish with a small squeaky voice put up his fin first.
“ Alright coco, what do we do when we see Mr Sharky. The little fish spun around all excited.
“ We attack him Mr Pike and beat him up, “ Coco answered, punching & biting the air around him. The rest of the class started cheering and punching the air with there baby fins. Mr Pike rolled his eyes & groaned saying, “ There's always one, “ while all the other little fish laughed with Coco.
“ You silly minnow Coco, he would eat you “ Pike barked.
“ Some of us wish he would eat you. “
Coco had plenty of spirit but wasn't the cleverest of fishes.
“ You run & hide silly boy, “ Mr Pike told the class. “ Yes, run and hide in the weeds, in the plants, where ever you can, “ added Mr Pike.
Alicia, Dad & Felix all laughed along with the rest of the small fishes. Dad would never have believed what he had just saw, fish go to school. It was then that Dad decided to stop fishing, he couldn't eat another fish. Felix smoothly moved them off, taking them to see another area of the underwater city.
In the gloominess, an old wooden rowing boat came into view. It lay upside down on the lake floor but was propped up on one side, making it easy to see inside. Alicia, Felix & dad swam up close to the overturned boat and looked inside. All along what would be the floor of the lake bed, were soft large leafs functioning like a carpet. Every 3 inches or so, they could see a bundle of little green leaves which Felix explained were the fishes beds. Little fish darted here and there, seeming to play hide and seek. A fat yellow goldfish was playing hide & seek, she was swimming around looking for minnows who had hidden from her. Alicia had seen a small yellow fish called Aiden, hide behind a piece of dark old wood. But oddly every few seconds a burst of bubbles seemed to explode from behind him. It didn't matter where Aiden hid every few seconds a burst of bubbles seemed to explode from behind him. This always made Aiden the easiest fish to catch, which he didn't like.
“ Why don't you catch someone else first,” Aiden protested. The yellow goldfish laughed & chuckled and said.
“ But I always see you first Aiden, you always have bubbles exploding from your bum. “ Aiden didn't laugh he just grumbled, “ I cant help it if I have wind and gas a lot.” All the other fish found this very funny. As if on cue while they laughed Aiden farted again and soon every fish around him, fell about laughing. Alicia, Felix & dad laughed as well, the more Aiden complained the more bubbles shot out from him. They all felt sorry for Aiden but agreed it was very very funny. Felix laughed & told them that secretly Aiden's nick name was Farty pants.
Felix noticed that it was now getting dark and he would need to take his friends back to the surface.
They all waved goodbye to Mr Pike and his classroom of hatchlings and to the little fish playing hide and seek. They made Alicia & her dad promise to return another day. When Felix took them to the surface Alicia & dad climbed out of the water and started to get dry.
“ That was brilliant,” shouted Alicia, now out of the water. Dad looked over to where Felix still swam, and said, “ Thank you.”
Alicia took a sandwich from dad's fishing bag & threw it over to Felix who ate it in one go.
“ Thank you Felix, can we come back another day, “ Alicia shouted.
Felix answered, “ Yes, any time. “
Dad waved over to Felix, who then waved back with his fin and sank beneath the water out of sight.
Alicia walked home with dad at the end of a great father daughter adventure.
Sure that they would do this again another day.


The End.

This story was written for my Grankids Alicia & Aiden, age 3years old & 4months, and for there kids and grankids. Copyright is owned by myself Ian Mcluckie.27th august 2011.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 27.08.2011

Alle Rechte vorbehalten