A Toothy Grin in the Darkness

Pogi Fish and Ganda Fish’s favorite place in the world was the old boat wreck. There were tons of nooks and crannies in which to find new things. More often than not, they played hide-and-go-seek in the boat wreck. Today, little brother Pikon tagged along, too.
“Who’s it?” asked Pikon.
“He who asks, knows!” said Ganda Fish.
“What does that mean?” asked Pikon.
Pogi and Ganda glanced at the little fish and then swam to the boat wreck, leaving Pikon far, far behind.
“Guys!” Guys!” before Pikon had a chance to argue, he was left alone in the middle of the Ocean. He swam to the boat wreck and poked his body into the large crack in the hull.
“Hello?” he called out. His voice echoes through the empty ship.
Carefully, he swam through the darknes as hundreds of eyes watched. He poked his head into every empty hole, but the other two fish were nowhere to be found. As he poked his snout into a cabin door, a stream of air bubbles rushed towards the surface.
“This must be it!” thought Pikon. He reached out a fin and tagged his bigger brother. Only, it wasn’t Pogi Fish at all. It was a Hammerhead Shark.
“Rrrrr,” growled the Hammerhead.
As Pikon backed towards the cabin door, it slammed shut.
“What are you doing in my house?” said the Shark.
“I’m s – s – sorry, sir” stammered Pikon.
The Hammerhead looked at Pikon shivering in front of him. A Hammerhead Shark had no reason to be bothered, let alone scared of a tiny Blue Acara Fish. He reached out a guiding fin and showed the tiny fish to the door.
“You don’t have to call me, Sir. My name’s Mack – but my friends call me Mack the Knife.”
“Yes, Mack the Knife Sir,” replied Pikon.
“Just watch where you’re going from now on,” said Mack.
“I will,” said Pikon.
He poked his snout through a hole and darted out of the Shark’s room. He swam so fast that he swam smack-dab right into his brother.
“Ooof!” said Pikon.
“You surprised me!” replied Pogi.
“I surprised me, too.”
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“Worse than a ghost. I saw a shark!”
“You did not.”
“I did too!” argued Pikon.
“You’ll just have to be more careful,” said Pogi.
“I keep hearing that,” replied Pikon.
Pogi dismissed his little brother, thinking he was telling a tall tale. Anyway, it was Pogi’s turn to be ‘it.’ He covered his eyes while Pikon found a hiding place.
Pogi searched each room in the boat wreck. He found Ganda Fish, but she swam too fast for him to catch her. He decided to find his little brother instead. Pikon hid in the Captain’s room, beneath a broken table. As Pogi neared him, nervous little Pikon jetted away.
“I’m going to get you, little brother!” shouted Pogi.
Pikon darted through the hallways, looking for a new hiding place. He snuck into a room and hid in a corner. Quickly, he realized it was a place he had been before.
“You’re back awfully fast. How am I supposed to get any rest?” snarled the Hammerhead.
Without a word, Pikon backed towards the door. Just then, Pogi slid it open with his snout. Pogi punched little Pikon in the gills with his dorsal fin.
“Gotcha!” said Pogi.
As Pikon flinched, he fell back into the Hammerhead. Pikon darted to one side as Pogi attempted punching him again. Instead, Pogi’s dorsal fin tapped the Hmmerhead directly in his long, flat snout.
The Hammerhead snarled at Pogi.
“Do you want something?” asked the Hammerhead.
“I didn’t mean to hit you. I was tagging the little fish.”
“What did he do to you?” asked the Hammerhead.
“He didn’t do anything,” said Pogi.
“Then why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”
The Hammerhead backed Pogi Fish into a corner, baring every one of his jagged teeth. Just then, little Pikon Fish came to save the day for Pogi.
“Stop!” shouted Pikon as he used his fins to shield his big brother from Mack the Knife.
“Isn’t he bothering you?” asked Mack.
“Not at all. It’s my big brother, Pogi.”
“He looked like he was giving you trouble.”
“We were just playing hide-and-seek,” explained Pikon.
“If he ever does give you trouble, then you let me know.”
“Does that mean I can visit you again?” asked Pikon.
“We’ll see about that,” replied the Hammerhead, “Right now, it’s my bedtime.”Pikon and Pogi let Mack the Knife get his sleep. Together, they found Ganda Fish and the three fish instead played hide-and-seek out in the coral reef. And now Pikon had a friend in times of trouble.

+++++++++++++

MORAL: If you live in the river, make friends with the crocodile - Indian Proverb