or
The Little Black Fish
By famed fabulist
Samad Behrangi
The final part to
Li Bla Fi…
The little fish
looked up at the moon and said, ‘Hello, my lovely moon!’
‘Hello, Little
Black Fish. What brings you here?’
‘I’m traveling
around the world’.
‘The world is
very big’, said the moon. ‘You can’t travel everywhere’.
‘That’s okay’,
said the fish. ‘I’ll go everywhere I can’.
‘I’d like to stay
with you till morning’, said the moon, ‘but a big black cloud is coming toward
me to block out my light’.
‘Beautiful moon!
I like your light so much. I wish you’d always shine on me’.
‘My dear fish,
the truth is, I don’t have any light of my own. The sun gives me light and I
reflect it to the earth. Tell me, have you heard that humans want to fly up and
land on me in a few years?’
‘That’s
impossible’, exclaimed the fish.
‘It’s a difficult
task’, said the moon, ‘but whatever they want, humans can ...’
The moon couldn’t
finish her sentence. The dark cloud approached and covered her face.
The night became
dark again, and the black fish was alone. The fish looked at the darkness in
surprise and amazement for several seconds, then crept under a rock and fell
asleep.
The fish woke up
early in the morning and saw overhead several tiny fish chattering. When they
saw that the black fish was awake, they said in one voice:
‘Good morning!’
The black fish
recognized them right away and said, ‘Good morning! You followed me after all!’
‘Yes’, answered
one of the tiny fish, ‘but we’re still afraid’.
‘The thought of
the seagull just won’t go away,’ said another.
‘You worry too
much’, said the black fish. ‘One shouldn’t worry all the time. Let’s start out
and our fears will vanish completely’.
But as they were
about to set out, they felt the water all around them rise up and a lid was
placed over them. It was dark everywhere and there was no way to escape. The
black fish immediately realized that they had been caught in the seagull’s
pouch.
‘My friends’,
said the little black fish, ‘we’ve been caught in the seagull’s pouch, but
there’s a chance to escape’.
All the tiny fish
began to cry. On of them said, ‘There’s no way to escape! It’s your fault since
you influenced us and led us astray’.
‘Now he’s going
to swallow us all, and then we’ll die’, said another.
Suddenly the
sound of frightening laughter twisted through the water. It was the seagull. He
kept on laughing and said, ‘What tiny fish I’ve caught! Ha. Ha. Truly, my heart
bleeds for you. I don’t want to swallow you! Ha, Ha ...’
The tiny fish
began pleading, ‘Your Excellency, Mr. Seagull! We’ve been hearing about you for
a long time. If you’d be so kind as to open your distinguished beak a little so
that we might go out, we’ll always be grateful to you’.
‘I don’t want to
swallow you right now,’ said the seagull. ‘I’ve some fish stored. Look below’.
Several large and
tiny fish were scattered on the bottom of the pouch.
‘Your Excellency,
Mr. Seagull!’ cried the tiny fish, ‘we haven’t done anything. We’re innocent.
This little black fish led us astray ...’
‘Cowards!’
exclaimed the little black fish, ‘are you crying like this because you think
this dishonest bird is merciful?’
‘You don’t know
what you’re saying’, said the tiny fish. ‘Just wait and see ... His Excellency,
Mr. Seagull, will pardon us and swallow you!’
‘Of course I’ll
pardon you’, said the seagull. ‘But on one condition’.
‘Your condition,
please, sir!’ begged the tiny fish.
‘Strangle that
meddlesome fish, and then you’ll get your freedom’.
The little black
fish moved aside and said to the tiny fish,
‘Don’t agree!
This deceitful bird wants to turn us against each other. I have a plan ...’
But the tiny fish
were so intent on saving themselves that they couldn’t think of anything else.
They advanced towards the little black fish who was sitting near the back of
the pouch and talking slowly.
‘Cowards!
Whatever happens, you’ve been caught and don’t have a way to escape. And you’re
not strong enough to hurt me’.
‘We must strangle
you’, said the tiny fish.
‘We want freedom!’
‘You’ve lost your
senses’, said the black fish. ‘Even if you strangle me, you won’t escape. Don’t
fall for his tricks...’
‘You’re talking
like this just to save yourself,’ said the tiny fish. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t
think of us at all’.
‘Just listen’,
said the black fish, ‘and I’ll explain. I’ll pretend I’m dead. Then, we’ll see
whether or not the seagull will free you. If you don’t agree to this, I’ll kill
all of you with this dagger or rip open the pouch and escape while you ...’ ‘Enough!’
interrupted one of the fish. ‘I can’t stand this talk. Oh, wee ...oh, wee ...oh
wee ...’
‘Why did you ever
bring along this crybaby?’ demanded the black fish upon seeing him cry. Then
the fish took out the dagger and held it in front of the tiny fish.
Helpless, they
agreed to the little fish’s suggestion. They pretended to be fighting together.
The black fish pretended to be dead. The others went forward and said,
‘Your Excellency,
Mr. Seagull, we strangled the meddlesome black fish ...’
‘Good work!’
laughed the seagull. ‘Now, as a reward, I’m going to swallow all of you alive
so that you can have a nice stroll in my stomach!’
The tiny fish
never had a chance. Quick as lightening they passed through the seagull’s
throat and were gone. But, at that very instant, the black fish drew the
dagger, split open the wall of the pouch with one blow and fled. The seagull
cried out in pain and smashed his head on the water but he couldn’t follow
after the little fish.
The black fish
went on and on and still farther on until it was noon. The river had passed
through the mountains and valleys and now was flowing across a level plain.
Several other smaller rivers had joined it from the right and the left,
increasing its water greatly. The black fish was enjoying the immensity of the
water.
Soon the fish
realized the water had no bottom. The fish swam this way and that way and didn’t
touch anywhere. There was so much water that the little fish got lost in it! No
matter how far the fish swam, still the water was endless. Suddenly, the fish
noticed a large, long creature charging forward like lightening. There was a
two-edged sword in front of its mouth. The little fish thought, ‘The swordfish!
He’s going to cut me to pieces this very instant!’
Quickly the fish
jumped out of the way and swam to the surface. After a while the fish went
under the water again to look for the bottom. On the way the fish met a school
of fish-thousands and thousands of fish.
‘Friend’, said
the fish to one of them, ‘I’m a stranger. I’ve come from far away. Where is
this place?’
The fish called
his friends and said, ‘Look! Another ...’ Then replied to the black fish, ‘Friend,
welcome to the sea’.
Another said, ‘All
rivers and streams flow here, except some which flow into swamps’.
‘You can join our
group anytime you wish’, said one of the fish.
The little black
fish was happy to have reached the sea and said, ‘I’d like to travel around
first, then I’ll come join your group. I’d like to be with you the next time
you pull down the fisherman’s net’.
‘You’ll get your
wish soon’, answered one of the fish. ‘Now go explore. But if you swim to the
surface, watch our for the heron who isn’t afraid of anyone these days. She
doesn’t stop bothering us till she’s caught four or five fish a day’.
The black fish
then left the group of sea fish and began swimming. A little later the fish
came to the surface of the sea. A warm sun was shining. The little black fish
enjoyed feeling the sun’s bright rays on its back. Calm and happy, the fish was
swimming on the surface of the sea and thinking, ‘Death could come upon me very
easily now. But as long as I’m able to live, I shouldn’t go out to meet death.
Of course, if someday I should be forced to face death-as I shall-it doesn’t
matter. What does matter is the influence that my life or death will have on
the lives of others . . .’
The little black
fish wasn’t able to pursue these thoughts. A heron dived down, swooped up the
fish, and carried it off. Caught in the heron’s long beak, the little fish
kicked and waved but couldn’t get free. The heron had grabbed the fish’s waist
so tightly that its life was ebbing away. After all, how long can a little fish
stay alive out of water?
‘If only the
heron would swallow me this very instant’, thought the fish, ‘then the water
and moisture inside her stomach would prevent my death at least for a few
minutes’.
The fish
addressed the heron with this thought in mind. ‘Why don’t you swallow me alive?
I’m one of those fish whose body becomes full of poison after death.’
The heron didn’t
reply. She thought, ‘Oh, a tricky one! What are you up to? You want to get me
talking so you can escape!’
Dry land was
visible in the distance. It got closer and closer.
‘If we reach dry
land’, thought the fish, ‘all is finished’.
‘I know you want
to take me to your children’, said the fish, ‘but by the time we reach land, I’ll
be dead, and my body will become a sack full of poison. Why don’t you have pity
for your children?’
‘Precaution is
also a virtue!’ thought the heron. ‘I can eat you myself and catch another fish
for my children. . . but let’s see . . . could this be a trick? No, you can’t
do anything’.
As the heron
thought she noticed that the black fish’s body was limp and motionless. ‘Does
this mean you’re dead,’ thought the heron. ‘Now I can’t even eat you! I’ve
ruined such a soft and delicate fish for no reason at all!’
‘Hey little one!’
she called to the black fish. ‘Are you still half alive so that I can eat you?’
But she didn’t
finish speaking because the moment she opened her beak, the black fish jumped
and fell down.
The heron
realized how badly she’d been tricked and dived after the little black fish.
The fish streaked through the air like lightening.
The fish had lost
its senses from thirst for sea water and thrust its dry mouth into the moist
wind of the sea. But as soon as the fish splashed into the water and took a new
breath, the heron caught up and this time swallowed the fish so fast that the
fish didn’t understand what had happened.
The fish only
sensed that everywhere was wet and dark. There was no way out. The sound of
crying could be heard. When the fish’s eyes had become accustomed to the dark,
it saw a tiny fish crouched in a corner, crying. He wanted his mother. The
black fish approached and said:
‘Little one! . .
.Get up! Think about what we should do. What are you crying for? Why do you
want your mother?’
‘You there . .
.Who are you?’ responded the tiny fish. ‘Can’t you see? ...I’m ...dy...ing. O,
me ...oh, my ...oh, oh ...mama ...I ...I can’t come with you to pull the
fisherman’s net to the bottom of the sea any more ...oh, oh ...oh, oh!’
‘Enough, there!’
said the little fish. ‘You’ll disgrace all fish’.
After the tiny fish
had controlled his crying, the little fish continued, ‘I want to kill the heron
and find peace of mind to all fish. But first, I must send you outside so that
you don’t ruin everything’.
‘You’re dying
yourself’, replied the tiny fish. ‘How can you kill the heron?’
The little fish
showed the dagger. ‘From right inside here, I’m going to rip open her stomach.
Now listen to what I say. I’m going to start tossing back and forth in order to
tickle the heron. As soon as she opens her mouth and begins to laugh, you jump
out’.
‘Then what about
you?’ asked the tiny fish.
‘Don’t worry
about me. I’m not coming out until I’ve killed this good-for-nothing’.
The black fish
stopped talking and began tossing back and forth and tickling the heron’s
stomach. The tiny fish was standing ready at the entrance of the heron’s
stomach. As soon as the heron opened her mouth and began to laugh, the tiny
fish jumped out and fell into the water. But no matter how long he waited,
there wasn’t any sign of the black fish. Suddenly, he saw the heron twist and
turn and cry out. Then she began to beat her wings and fell down. She splashed
into the water. She beat her wings again, then all movement stopped. But there
was no sign of Little Black Fish, and since that time, nothing has been heard.
The old fish
finished her tale and said to her 12,000 children and grandchildren, ‘Now it’s
time to sleep, children. Go to bed’.
‘Grandmother!’
exclaimed the children and grand-children, ‘You didn’t say what happened to
that tiny fish’.
‘We’ll leave that
for tomorrow night’, said the old fish. ‘Now, it’s time for bed. Goodnight’.
Eleven thousand,
nine hundred and ninety-nine little fish said goodnight and went to sleep. The
grandmother fell asleep too. But try as she might, a little red fish couldn’t
get to sleep. All night long she thought about the sea ...
The Fable of Li Bla Fi Ends
image: mirrorswindowsdoorsdotorg
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