Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 222

Yuyuan's Garden: A Koi's Tail
Harrow International School Hong Kong, Western, Seraphina – 9
K
ipper! Kipper!”
“What Barney?”
“Well I don’t think it’s a good idea to sleep there, I mean that’s the easiest place for herons to get you.”
“I’ve been here almost 80 years, and I haven’t been eaten yet!” replied Kipper grumpily.
“Suit yourself.” Grunted Barney as he drifted off into deeper water.
Kipper lay on the shallow rocks dozing in the warm spring sunlight. After about half an hour the stubborn koi
was awoken by a “squark” that sounded alarmingly close. Startled, he flopped round and stared right into the cold
eyes of a heron…
Before Kipper could call out for help the heron grabbed him by the tail and yanked him out the water and took to
the sky.
Kipper was barely alive and losing what little life was left in him. The worst thing was that he could see endless
amounts of water through the gap in the heron’s bill, but could only feel the small amount in the heron’s mouth.
After a while, Kipper felt a large jerk, the heron had seen a bustling garden filled with humans, suddenly Kipper
was
FALLING AND
FALLING AND
FALLING until “SPLASH” Kipper had landed in a pond.
After a couple of minutes, which Kipper used to gasp for breath, the first thing he noticed about this new pond
was the smell - the aroma of fried dumplings, whereas Kipper’s old pond smelled like potato crisps and beer. Then
he noticed the taste of the water – it was like nothing he had ever experienced before –the flavor of jasmine
flowers, delicate and pleasant on his tongue.
He soon became aware that he was surrounded by lots of other fish, koi in fact. He heard them talking in an
unfamiliar language. Some seemed to be speaking to him but he was unsure as their words were muffled by the
ripples of so many fish. Kipper swam out of the crowd so as to see where he was.
He saw some trees which were covered in small delicate looking pink flowers, tiny cherry blossoms. He spied an
old but elegant pavilion and running by the side of it was a path paved with little stones.
He swam under a bridge to the second part of the pond – towards the end he saw an amazing jade rock, studded
with holes through which wisps of smoke blew.
RING,RING, RING!
Every fish knows what a loud bell means…food.