Wiggle wiggle Scratch scratch Itch itch itch

by Joy Moore
(Davenport, IA USA)

Comet is a peculiar fish. He’s itchy. He comes from an unusual family of itchers. Together they live in a strange pond with other uncommon fish.

Every day he wiggles round the kink, past a catawampus and dives at a rock to scratch.
But Comet has a deep dark secret. The secret is he HATES scratching.

Ker-plunk, a rock tumbles.

“What’s out there?”

Suddenly he gets sucked out by the current and enters a river. “Whoopee, this is fun.” He
sees a school of green striped fish. But he can’t keep up. They swim too fast. “Wait for me…oh, never mind.” Then he sees a school of purple fish. “Look at me, look at me.” He shows off his wiggle and dive. They are not impressed and swim away. “Where did they go? Phooey, it’s time to scratch anyway.” Locating a rock he stops to itch. “Strange, it’s kinda dark here.” He turns and faces a monster. “Oh, HELP!”

“In here.”

He hears the voice and spots a cave. Bolting inside he hides. The creature meanders
away. “Whew.” He shutters. “I thought I was lunch.”

“Who are you?” asked a voice from behind. He spins around. Staring back is a fish exactly like him.

“My name is Comet. What’s your name?”

“I’m Goldie. Are you new here?”

“Yeah, I come from a small pond.”

“Let me show you where I live.”

Goldie took Comet to a pocket filled with twisted, bent and lopsided rocks.

Comet’s eyes dance. “Magnificent! My family would be impressed.”

“I wish I had a family. I am the only one left.”

“My family is. . .” He glanced over to see Goldie scratching.

“Wait a minute. How did you get here?”

“I was born here. My mother and father came from a small pond upstream. They were eaten by a beast.”

“Upstream. . .where?”

Goldie continued scratching. “I don’t know.”

Comet started thinking. Maybe scratching isn’t so bad. Just because you are peculiar
doesn’t make you bad. Maybe scratching is good! He looked at Goldie. “You look just like
my family.”

“I do? Could I meet them?”

They turn to fight the current, when Goldie sights the beast. “In there Comet and stay
put.”

Comet leans against the wall waiting. He peeks around. Goldie is challenging the beast.
Comet holds his breath. The dark form closes in. At that moment Goldie wiggles a loop then
dives out of sight. The huge fish knocks into a boulder and runs away.

Comet exhales. “Where did you learn that?”

“My mother and father taught me.”

“You were brilliant!”

They arrive home at the first peek of dawn. Comet’s family was waiting at the passageway.

“Hey everyone, meet my new friend, Goldie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Goldie.”

“We’re glad to have you.”

“Welcome to our pond.”

Chattering, they swim away.

“Where did you come from?”

“Are there more like you?”

“Tell us about your family.”

Comet lingers behind watching their tails wiggle, scratch, and itch. He smiles. Yep, peculiar is just another word for special. He’s going to like it here.