Mother fish and her children [short story]

Media

Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: Mother fish and her children [short story]
Creator: Salazar, Sixto Q.
Language: English
Year: 1940
Subject: Short stories, Philippine (English); Philippine fiction (English)
Rights
Fulltext: THE YOUNG CITIZEN April, 1940 MOTHER FISH AND HER CHILDREN By SIXTO Q. SALAZAR• ONCE there lived Mother Fish and her children. Their home was in a big hole of a huge rock in the bottom of the sea. One day Mother Fish and her children heard a big splash. Mother Fish was very much frightened. She called her children, "Dear ones, come closer to me. Don't go out of our home. There is danger nearby." The little ones gathered around Mother Fish. Th~y were afraid of ·the terrifying noise. They did not like to go away from their home. After a while the water became clear again. The eldest little fish became curious. He wanted to find out what was the matter. He said to Mother Fish, "Mother, it is quiet now. I will go and find out what caused the great noise near our home." Mother Fish did not want Little Fish to go away. But the little one would not listen to her. So he went out and swam here and there, hoping to find the cause of the trouble .. After a short time Little Fish saw something moving. He placed his little mouth on it, and it tasted good. He tried to swallow all of it, but his mouth was too small for it. And so he began eating the food little by little. Suddenly a big black fish came. He drove Little Fish away be-cause he wanted to eat the food himself. Big Black Fish opened his mouth wide and swallowed all the food at once. Alas! It was a fisherman's hook. Big Black Fish cried and cried for help. He tried to get the hook out of his throat, •Teacher, Sulat, Elem. School, Sulat, Sainar. but all his efforts were in vain. At last he was taken out of the water. Little Fish who had seen everything returned to his home very much frightened. He told Mother Fish what had happened to Big Black Fish. Little Fish promised his mother not to disobey her again. I. Where was the home of Mother Fish and her children? 2. Why did the eldest little fish go away from home one day? 3. What did he find? 4. Who got .the food away from him? 5. What happened to Big Black Fish? 6. What would have happened to Little Fish if Big Black Fish had not come? 7. What did Little Fish promise his mother?