The Wrong Cheese E-Book

David Morton

• Herausgeber: davidbalaam-books
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 97

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

This is a story of life in a large lake and of Morris the Mirror Carp who is now old, and happy to live out the rest of his days grazing on the gravel lake-bed, looking for cheese. His peace is disturbed when Queen Thea, a Tench, asks him to search the lake and find out what is happening to the fish, as the population is getting smaller, and if a war is about to start with the Pikes who are suspected of taking more food than they are allowed.The Queen insists her royal bodyguard, a Japanese Koi carp called Kenzo, goes with him. However, the royal princess, Tina, tags along as well and their adventure begins. Morris confronts the King of the Pikes, Gaspard, but he is only a puppet king now. His kingdom is being run by his two sons who are suspected of planning a take-over of the lake.Can Morris persuade Gaspard to join them and find out who is taking the fish?Join Morris and his friends, and discover who is responsible for the unrest in Lily Lake, and if Morris will ever find the right cheese.

Leseprobe

The Wrong Cheese

by

David Morton

A children’s adventure of the fish and creatures living in Lily Lake.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Copyright © 2020 davidmorton

E-Book: 1st Edition 2020

Cover design ©CanStockPhoto/Tawng

ISBN: 978-0-9935864-6-0

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real.

Any resemblance to persons or creatures, living or dead, actual events, locales or organisations is entirely coincidental.

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

For my Grandchildren

Liv, Beau, Ella and Ethan

‘Respect the fish’

Some words in this story are in ‘italics’. If you do not know the meaning of that word look for it in the Glossary.

The Glossary

‘pull’ or to be ‘taken’

Caught by a human fishing

‘the above’

Above the lake

‘forbidden zone’

A deep well where old fish go to die

‘fin-ball’

Same as football, but played with sweetcorn

‘day-light’

Day time

‘night-light’

Night time

‘ball-light’

The Moon

‘barbels’

Long whiskers some fish have, like carp.

‘glow-ball’

Sweetcorn

‘flicks’

‘scale’

‘bad-bait’

Food on a hook

‘fiesta-day’

A fishing match

‘net-cage’

Keep-net where humans keep fish

‘tunnel-run’

Somewhere to hide from Cormorants

‘food-cloud’

Churning of the lake floor by carp

‘tail’

A game like Tag

‘mentor’

Someone who helps and teaches someone usually younger than themselves

‘en masse’

Lots of people – a large gathering

Japanese words and phrases

Kon'nichiwa.

Hello

Jā ikou.

Let us go/leave

Sonkei.

Respect

Genkaku.

Strict

Wakarimasu.

I understand

Totemo kanashi.

Very sad

Tomodachi.

Friend

Yūki.

Courage

Tatakaimashou.

Let us fight

Tasukete. Watashi o tasuketekudasai.

Help.Please help me

Chapter One

My life is nearly over. It has been a good life. A long life. I am after all nearly twenty years old, which, for a carp, is a long time.

When I was a young mirror, which is what I am, by the way, a mirror carp, not to be confused with my namesakes, the common carp, for obvious reasons, and the much smaller crucian carp. We mirrors' are particularly handsome. Our blackish-brown body is decorated with a line of large brighter scales, and in the right light give out a reflection . . . so, we are very special.

But, back to my story. When I was a young mirror I would eat anything, and I mean anything. Slugs, worms, maggots, and even . . . bread, I was that desperate. One day I saw a strange piece of food. It was a creamy colour, not white like bread, and much firmer. I nudged it with my nose to make sure it was not alive – I am not too keen on live food but will make an exception for maggots. Then the temptation was too much. I opened my mouth and sucked it in. It was delicious, like nothing I had ever tasted before, or since. I was so mesmerised by this new taste experience I didn’t notice the ‘pull’.

Thepull is what we call it when we are ‘taken’ by the mouth into the 'above'. It can be a frightening experience for the young, especially the first time. When we see a piece of delicious food; meat, maggots or ‘glowballs’, but do not see the small protruding hook hidden inside it, we are pulled to the sky above. It happened to me a few times when I was young, but I have become very careful as I got older and I have not been taken for many years. As I said, I was young when I found that unusual cheese and I just had to have it, and it tasted wonderful. It was the most beautiful cheese I had ever tasted and I was 'pulled to the heavens, but was soon sent back due to being too small to be of interest.

I have looked for that same delicious cheese ever since but have never been able to find it. Now I am old I am looked upon by my fellow fish as being a doddery old mirror who only thought he had a special piece of cheese. But I don't care what they say. I know what I tasted all those years ago.

I live in a very large lake called Lily Lake, which has an island where many species of animal and insects live. I am not sure of the actual size of the lake in human terms but a kingfisher once told me we are in a field surrounded by trees on the west side and rolling hills on the east side, and he could not see the end of the lake unless he flew to the top of the tallest oak tree.

There are many varieties of fish that live here with me; plenty of silver roach and rudd who make themselves at home anywhere. Then we have bream who are large and lazy and mostly sit on the bottom of the lake waiting for food to be dropped in front of them. Then there are my cousins, the common carp and the smaller golden scaled crucian carp.Perch can also be found but they are shy and aggressive, as are the pike, who, like the perch, will eat anything that moves, including small fish who are not quick enough to outrun them or hide.

Last but not least are the very beautiful tench. They are lovely peaceful fish and glide effortlessly around the lake seeking out food on the bottom and shelter in the reeds when not healing others, as they have special powers like no other fish. Our Queen is a tench, a beautiful golden tench; Queen Freya. I grew up with Freya’s father, Skarde, the then King of the Lake. He lived in Lily Palace, as does Freya with her lovely daughter, Princess Tina. The old King and I would play and hunt together and swim all over the lake, even to the ‘Forbidden Zone’. We didn’t know then why it was forbidden, but once we were there we would peer over the wall of fallen trees and stare into the dark depths of the unknown, waiting for monsters to appear with huge eyes and needle-sharp teeth to gobble us up. With that picture in our mind, we turned tail and swam as fast as we could back to the safety of the Palace. I have passed that way a few times since, and although much older and wiser, and know of its significance, I do not linger for very long.

Our favourite game apart from‘finball’was being taken on purpose, and to see who came back the quickest. Skarde always won. It wasn’t until I was much older did I realise the danger we put ourselves in. Not all fish come back after being taken.

On the surface of the lake, we have pond skaters, dragonflies, mayflies, water boatmen, frogs, toads and newts. Some of the animals that share the lake with us are water shrews, voles, and mink. Then there are the flying species who eat some of our very young, but only take what they need; ducks, herons, kingfishers and seagulls, except for the villain of them all, the cormorant. All fish fear the cormorant. They do not just take us for food but will strike usdown and stab us with their long sharp bills, just for fun. I see many fish that have been wounded by such behaviour and live shorter lives because of it.

My days seem longer now I am older. I don’t travel far anymore, happy to find food locally, and rest under a shaded willow tree on a hot afternoon. Fish do not sleep at night as you do - we prefer to rest by keeping still for long periods to save our energy for the ‘daylight’ hours, but I do dream of days gone by, and of that one time I tasted the best cheese in the . . .

“Morris.” I heard my name being called.

“Who is disturbing me at this hour of the day-light?”

“Kon'nichiwa. My name is Kenzo, the Queen's bodyguard,” a very large Japanese Koi carp said approaching me at great speed. We looked equal in size but the similarities stopped there. This Koi had amour plated scales of deep black on the top of his body, with a striking pattern of orange and white under his pectoral fins, and handsome long ‘barbels’.

“I have been looking for you everywhere. The Queen has asked me to find you. She would like you to visit her now.” He said, gasping for air.

“Is she alright?” I asked, wondering why Queen Freya would want to see me unless she was ill.

“She is fine as far as I know. Will you come now?” Kenzo asked, leaving me little choice.

“Yes, course. You go ahead and tell her I am on my way.” And he turned-tail with lightning speed and set off in the direction of Lily Palace.

Chapter Two

I had not seen Queen Freya for some time and I felt bad about that. Our last meeting had been friendly, but she seemed nervous every time I suggested she ventured out and let her subjects see more of her. Princess Tina, on the other hand, was full of energy and loved nothing more than swimming in and out of the lily beds with her friends and having fun. I hope she will be as wise as her mother one day when she becomes Queen.

The palace was on the far side of the lake set deep into the lily beds for protection from predators. I arrived carrying a present of half a worm I found on the lake bed, which must have fallen off a hook. I knew it was one of her favourites and hoped it would make up for not seeing her for a while. As I approached the fortified dug-out I saw Kenzo again.

“Morris,” he whispered, “it was, in fact, Princess Tina who sent for you. She told me to say her mother wanted to see you in case you would not come.”

“But why?” I asked. “Of course I would have come. Where is she?”

Kenzo led me through the entrance of the dug-out, down deep tunnels and through gaps in the lily beds I only just managed to squeeze through.

“Kenzo,” I called out. “Is there an easier way? I am not suited to this terrain.” I could swear Kenzo smiled at my plight.

“Nearly there, Morris. Just around this corner.”

Princess Tina was surrounded by friends and squealed in delight at seeing me.

“Morris, you came.” She said sliding up to me and rubbing her nose against my right pectoral fin.

“It’s good to see you too, princess, but why all the mystery?” Princess Tina asked all her friends to leave so we could be alone. Kenzo stayed on-guard several ‘scales’