Samed Behrengi. The Little Black Fish

Baku, Qanun Publishing House, 2019, 24 p.

Editor: Ian Peart

Cover design: Raphael Gasim

Text design: Rahila Shamil

Azerbaijan, AZ 1102

Baku, Tbilisi - avenue 76

Tel.: (+994 12) 431-16-62; 431-38-18

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AB 022051 / İN 0220

Qanun nəşriyyatı, 2019 ©

The Little Black Fish

It was the longest night in winter. At the bottom of the sea, Granny Fish gathered together 12,000 of her children and grandchildren and began to tell them a story:

“Once upon a time Little Black Fish lived with her mother in a small pool on the side of a mountain. She did not have any brothers or sisters. Her mother had laid 10,000 eggs, but she was the only one who was still alive. Their home was behind a black rock that was covered in green moss, and this is where they slept at night.

Every day, Mother Fish and her daughter went swimming from morning until evening, sometimes with other fish. They swam quickly in and out of small cracks in the rocks and stones. But Little Black Fish wanted to see the moonlight in their home just once.

Then Little Black Fish was very quiet for several days; she was thinking a lot. She swam slowly behind her mother in the pool and did not play with the other fish. Mother Fish thought her child was sick, and would soon be well again. But Little Black Fish was not sick. She was thinking about something else!

Early one morning before the sun had risen, Little Black Fish woke her mother and said:

‘Mother, I want to tell you something.’

Mother Fish was still half asleep, and she replied:

‘Eh, this isn’t the time to talk. Can’t you tell me later? It’s better to go for a swim.’

‘No, Mother! I don’t want to go swimming like that. I want to swim away from here.’

‘You really want to go away?’

‘Yes, Mother, I have to go.’

‘Wait! Where will you go? It’s still dark.’

Little Black Fish explained:

‘I want to go and see where the stream ends. You know, Mother, I’ve been wondering where the stream ends... I can’t think about anything else. I didn’t sleep at all last night. And now I have decided to go and find out where the stream ends. I want to know what other places are like.’ Mother Fish laughed and said:

‘When I was a child, I used to think like that, too. But, my dear, a stream has no beginning and no end. That’s the way it is. The water in the stream is always flowing; it never stops.’

‘But mother dear, isn’t it true that everything has an end? Nights end, days end, weeks, months and years all come to an end...’

Mother Fish interrupted:

‘Stop this silly talk! Let’s go swimming. This is the time for swimming, not talking.’

‘No Mother, I’m tired of this swimming, I want to set out and see what’s happening in other places. Perhaps you think someone else gave me these ideas, but you must believe me, I’ve had these thoughts for a long time. Of course I have learned many things from here, from there. For example, I know that when most fish get old, they complain about everything. I want to know if life is only for swimming round and round in a small place until you get old - and nothing else - or is there another world to live in?’

When Little Black Fish finished, Mother Fish exclaimed:

‘My dear child, are you crazy? World! ... Another world! What is this other world! The world is here, where we are. Life is what we have here...’

Just at that moment, Big Fish was passing their home and called out:

‘Neighbour, what are you arguing about with your child? Don’t you want to go swimming today?’

Hearing her neighbour’s voice, Mother Fish went out of her home and asked him:

‘What is the world coming to? Nowadays children even want to teach their mothers things!’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Big Fish.

Mother Fish replied:

‘Look at her. Do you know where this little fish wants to go? She says that she wants to go and see what’s happening in another world. And all kinds of silly things!’

Big Fish said:

‘Oh little one, tell me something. When did you become a scholar and philosopher without telling us?’

‘Madam,’ answered Little Black Fish, ‘I don’t know what you mean by scholar and philosopher, but I am tired of these boring swims every day. I don’t want to stay in this boring life. I don’t want to wake up one day and see that I have got old like you and still have my eyes and ears closed.

Big Fish was shocked:

‘Oh! Do you hear what she is saying?

Mother Fish complained:

‘I never thought my only child could become what you see now. I don’t know who has filled my baby’s ears with such things.’

Little Black Fish said:

‘No one has filled my ears with anything. I have my own brain to think, and my own eyes to see!’

‘Sister,’ said Big Fish to Mother Fish, ‘do you remember Snail, the one who was always whispering?’

‘Oh, I remember him! He was always talking to my child. God knows what I would do to him!’

Little Black Fish said:

‘Mother, that is enough, he was my friend!’

‘We have never heard of a fish being friends with a snail,’ said Mother Fish, ‘this is the first time we hear of such a thing.’

Little Black Fish answered:

‘And we have never heard of fish being enemies of a snail. But you got rid of the poor thing.’

‘Let’s not talk about the past,’ said Big Fish.

‘You talked about it yourself,’ said Little Black Fish.

Mother Fish joined in:

‘He deserved it! Have you forgotten the things he said?!’

‘Then kill me, too! Because I am saying what he was saying!’ Little Black Fish answered.

What can I tell you? The noise and argument made all the other fish come to see what was happening. Little Black Fish’s words made everyone angry.

Old Fish was angry, too, and asked:

‘Do you think we will feel sorry you? We should give you a good smack!’

This made Mother Fish upset, she said:

‘Get back! Don’t you touch my child!’

‘Madam,’ said another fish, ’if you don’t bring your child up properly, she must be punished!’

Big Fish complained:

‘I am ashamed that I am your neighbour.’

Another fish added:

‘Let’s finish this one, like we did with Snail.’

They tried to catch Little Black Fish, but her friends saved her from danger. Mother Fish beat her own head and breast. She cried:

‘Oh my God, save my child! What can I do? What curse has fallen on my head!’

But Little Black Fish answered:

‘Mother, don’t cry for me. Cry for the old fish who stay behind.’

All the other fish shouted at Little Black Fish:

‘Don’t insult us!’

‘Go away then! You will be sorry; but don’t blame us!’

‘You are too young to understand. Don’t go!’

‘What is wrong with this place, what is so bad about the way we live?’

‘There isn’t another world. The world is here, where we live. Don’t go. Come back!’

‘If you see sense and don’t go, then we’ll know that you are Brainy Fish!’

‘We have got used to having you here. Don’t go!’

Mother Fish was in tears and said:

‘Have mercy on me, my child. Don’t go! Don’t go!’

But Little Black Fish did not listen to them, and swam away. Some friends went with her to the waterfall. Then, when she was leaving her friends she said:

‘I’ll see you soon, my friends! Don’t forget me!’

Her friends answered:

‘How can we forget you? You woke us up; you opened our eyes to the world. You have taught us things that