The Adventures of Stripey the Fish

​​​    The Adventures of Stripey the Fish!

Stripey was a fish that spent his days playing with the other fish in Lewis’s fish tank. More than anything, he loved playing water tag with all of his friends.

One day, however, Stripey began to notice how different he looked from the other fish. This made him feel sad and alone, even though none of the other fish ever made him feel any different.

After a game of water tag, Stripey swam off by himself to think. He found a spot near a sea shell at the bottom of his tank. The sea shell curled up around him.

“Gee,” he thought to himself, “if only I could find one other fish that looked like me. That fish could be my family.”

Starlight, a blue fish that shone bright like the stars, swam over to see what was wrong with her friend Stripey. She listened and agreed that something must be done to help him.

Starlight called all the other fish together for a fish emergency meeting.

Stripey spoke about how sad it made him that all the other fish in the tank had a brother or sister fish that was of their kind. He explained that he was all by himself and we wanted to believe that somewhere out there his family was waiting.

With his fin he pointed to the sky up above the tank that expanded out over a vast, big world.

The meeting was very promising, all the other fish promised to help Stripey find his family.

All through the week the fish saved bits of fish food for Stripey, Starlight helped to make a sack out of seaweed for Stripey to carry things in.

But one very big problem remained. Once Stripey was out of the tank, he couldn’t swim in air, what was he going to do?

Stripey took the matter to the wise, old father fish of the tank. He was called “Fishmonger”. He told Stripey that he had heard stories of animals helping out one another in times of need, but Stripey had to believe with all his heart that this is what he wanted.

Fishmonger told Stripey to go to sleep that night and dream of what it would be like to live outside the tank that he has known his whole life.

That night, Stripey dreamt that he could fly. When he woke, he wished upon a star that twinkled outside his tank window. He wished and wished and wished that he could fly.

In the morning when Stripey woke up, he was sad to see that he was still a fish with fish fins and a fish mouth. He glided over to the other fish. They were holding another fish meeting.

As he approached, Starlight swam over and explained the plan.

That night, after Lewis fed the fish and went to sleep, that other fish would swim around the tank in a lively fish dance to create a swell in the tank.  The hope was that the top of the tank would pop open and Stripey would make his escape.

Stripey was so happy and excited by this plan. But he didn’t feel sure that he could really fly.

Later that afternoon, he sat out from playing water tag with the other fish and continued to wish for a chance to fly.

Fishmonger, who never joined in the activities, swam over to Stripey. Stripey told Fishmonger his fears. Fishmonger, all knowing as he was, told Stripey everything would be alright as long as he believed.

The question was, did Stripey really believe?

That night, Lewis went upstairs to bed as usual, as he fed his fish he said a prayer for them. His mother tucked him in, as always, and read him a story which usually lulled all the fish to sleep. But not this night.

When the lights went out, the fish got to work. They all swam in formation and played a game of follow the leader. Stripeywas their leader. They swam around and around, faster and faster, and then, the top of the tank popped open!

Stripey was hoisted out of the tank, out of the window, into the night sky with is sack of food in his mouth. He closed his eyes and didn’t open them until he felt his fins begin to flap like a bird’s wings.

He opened his eyes and shook with joy as he saw that each fin was a brand new feather with stripes.

Fishmonger had been right! Stripey was so happy. He just knew that his family was waiting for him. And so his journey began.

“Oh boy,” he said to himself out load, “flying sure is hard work!”.  “It sure is,” came a friendly voice. “Hi!, I am Beaker. What kind of bird are your?” Bird, Stripey thought. He had only heard of birds in the stories Lewis’s mother read. “I am not a bird,” said Stripey. “Well actually, I am just borrowing these wings so I can fly and find my family.” Beaker was interested in helping Stripey continue on.” I have a friend who lives on a lily pad on a pond,” said Beaker. “Maybe your family is there!”

“Can you take me to him?” asked Stripey. “ sure, come on, follow me!” and with that, Beaker flew with Stripey straight down to a valley of flowers and trees so brightly colored that Stripey couldn’t believe it.

“Hello? Is anyone home?” Beaker flew on-to a lily pad and dipped his beak into the water looking for his friend, “Gulp”. “Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.”  Then, a bright green frog jumped out of the pond onto a lily pad and said hello to his friend Beaker and also to Stripey. “Beaker,” he gulped, “who is that with you?” Stripey felt a bit shy in front of the big, green creature that made a noise like Fishmonger would make when clearing his throat. “This is Stripey and I’m helping him find his family.” “HI, Gulp!” said Stripey. “Please help me. I have come a long way to find other fish that look like me.”

Gulp could see how much Stripey wanted to find his family but Gulp lived in a pond and knew all the fish that lived there. He had never seen anything that looked like Stripey, feathers or fins. He did say that he would help Stripey meet other animals in the fields that may be able to help him.

Stripey was getting hungry while Beaker and Gulp talked about a way to help their new friend.  Stripey untied the small sack from his left feather and opened up his sack full of fish food. But the, a strange thing happened, when he took a bite, he made a noise very close the sounds Gulp made. When he caught site of his reflection in the water, he couldn’t believe his fishy eyes. His gills had turned into a gigantic throat that bubbled when he ate. “Look at your!” said Gulp. “You look a bit like me!, If you don’t find your family, you can be part of mine.” This made Stripey smile.

He thanked Gulp and Beaker for their help and flew across the fields until he spotted a pool of mud. “This could be a pond with my family,” he thought. Maybe the water was just a different color. 

With that, Stripey aimed his mouth like Beaker had done for the pool of mud and said “ouch!” as he landed on something soft and leathery. “Hey,” came a voice under him, “What are you doing landing on my back like that?” And out came a very funny sound “oink, oinky, oink” from the strange animal. “My name is Stripey, I am sorry for landing on you like this, I haven’t learned how to fly very well yet. I am a fish and I am looking for my family in there. Can you help me?” “Your family is in my mud bath? I haven’t seen anyone that looks like you! I am Oinky oink. That is my name. I will help you find your family, but first you need a bath!” Oinky oink dove head-first into the mud and rolled carefully around on his back so that he could get Stripey “pig clean.” Both of them giggled. “It tickles!” cried Stripey. When they were done, Stripey was indeed pig clean and then another strange thing happened. His fish behind grew a curly cue of a tail just like his friend Oinky oink’s. “Well,” said Oinky oink, “if you don’t find your family, you can be part of mine. You clean up real swell for a fish with a pig’s tail!” This made Stripey smile. “Thanks Oinky oink, but I have to continue on to find my family. Thanks for the pig bath. I hope to see you again!” Stripey gave Oinky oink a high-five with his feather to Oinky oink’s hoof. 

Once again, Stripey was off. Now he had mud clean feathers, a gulp mouth and a curly cue of a tail but there was still no sign of his family.

He flew along until he came to an opening in a forest. He was tired so he aimed to land on a tree leaf. 

This feels so soft and cuddly and I am tired. I think I will close my eyes and take a nap. What he didn’t know was that the nap he was about to take was on the fur of a caterpillar named Hugs. It had been a long winter and Hugs was asleep.

But tomorrow was the first day of spring and it was time for Hugs to wake up.

Through the night Stripey and Hugs slept and in the morning when Stripey woke up his back felt very furry. “Oh no, it happened again!” And so it was Stripey now had feathers, a gulp for a mouth, a curly cue tail and now a furry back like Hugs who he was about to meet.​

As the sun rose over the forest and Stripey yawned, he watched a strange looking insect uncurl himself from a ball. She and Stripey stared at each other for a few minutes before Stripey said the first word. “Hi, thank you for letting me sleep next to you. You are very warm. My name is Stripey and I need your help. I am looking for my family and, as you can see, I am quite strange looking. But I hope that when I meet fish like me, they will accept me for who I am.” 

Hugs took a long look at Stripey. “Hi! My name is Hugs and now you have a furry back like mine. I also hope to find where I belong. My mommy and daddy told me I would turn into a beautiful butterfly but so far as you see, I am still a furry insect.”

“Well then maybe we can help each other,” said Stripey. “I would like that very much,” said Hugs. Will you be my friend? I mean, while you are looking for your family?” “Of course!” said Stripey. And the two furry friends wiggled along the forest in search of the water that hopefully held Stripey’s family.

After wiggling for hours, they came to a large body of water. It was magical. It even had a waterfall. “Oh Hugs, I just know this is where I am supposed to look, but how can I swim if I don’t have any fins?” “I can be of some assistance,” said a very proud, old owl.

“Hoot is my name and I overheard your story and want to help you,” hoot hooted to them. “As for you, my young furry friend, time is on your side. Very soon you will be a beautiful butterfly, but first you must be patient.” Both Stripey and Hugs listened very carefully. Hoot reminded Stripey of Fishmonger back in his tank at Lewis’s home. 

“Now tonight you must go to sleep and dream of all your new friends that have helped you along the way to finding your home. If you believe that, you will find your family. Then, when you wake up, you will have power enough to swim in this water and find what you are searching for,” Hoot hooted. “The question you have to ask yourself is, do you believe?”

“Oh Mr. Hoot, Sir, I do believe! I do. “

“Well then Stripey, sweet dreams. I will keep watch over you and Hugs. See you in the morning when the sun has risen and you will have your answer.” Hoot hooted.

As Hoot flew off across the moonlight and the stars, Stripeytook one last look at the body of water and felt very sleepy. It had been a long trip.

Hugs and Stripey found an empty’s bird’s nest in a willow tree and thought that was a good place to rest.  Stripey, although too nervous to sleep, knew that he once again had to believe. Before he closed his eyes he found a star almost exactly like the one he wished on before. “Please star, help me. I want so much to have a family that looks like me. This is my wish. I am very lucky to have made such great friends and, even though parts of me lookslike theirs, I want all of me to look like who I am meant to be.” 

With that, Stripey, along with his feathers for wings, gulp bubble for a mouth, curly cue for a tail, furry back, and now Hoot had left him two very wide yellow eyes, Stripey closed those eyes and went fast asleep and dreamed. He dreamt that he was an angel fish once again, swimming with other angel fish in a great big body of water.

As the sun rose and all of the forest woke, Stripey opened his eyes. He could not believe what he saw. Hugs was no longer a furry insect, but a beautiful, bold butterfly. Hugs was so happy, but Stripey, alas, was not back to himself.

“Oh Hugs, I am so happy for you. You have become who you are. But maybe I am supposed to stay this way forever.”

Just at that moment the tree they had been resting in shook with laughter.

“Oh Stripey, what a worry fish you are. Don’t you believe? Here! Take my branch and hold on tight, I am going to place you in that great big body of water and, well, we will see!”

Stripey and Hugs said goodbye, Hoot winked at Stripey, and then Willow, the great, big willow tree, took Stripey in its arm and whisked him down to the water. Just as Stripey dipped his first feather in, something wonderful happened. 

His wise yellow eyes turned back to small black ones! His furry back returned to a slick, grey, shiny coat with black stripes! His curly cue tail disappeared, along with his bubble mouth! And finally, the feathers that took him along this journey turned back into fins. 

With a bounce and a flop Stripey dove into the water and swam into the undersea. As he looked around above and said goodbye to all his forest family, he heard someone say, “Hi! My name is Slivers and you look just like me!” All Stripey could do was smile. “Hi! My name is Stripey. And yes, you look like me too!”

​​​​        THE END