The Little Fish that Could

Handsome and I bought a house with a koi pond. Although we already had a few small fish in it, I thought we should remove the pond or turn it into a fountain as we didn’t want anything extra to care for.

Butttttt Handsome decided to give it a try. He said it could be fun.

He hired a pond specialist who supplied pretty fish babies and repaired the leak. The tech and I chatted as water filled the pond. He pointed to a white plastic bucket containing baby koi in all colors. And then, a flash darted across the bottom of the pond and disappeared in the water lily roots. The tech and I looked at each other. I said, “What was that?” He shrugged. Then the flash flew back.

The tech and I watched for a while. Finally, we determined we had a little black koi about three inches long. But how was that possible? Where did he come from?

He said he hadn’t put the koi in the pail into the pond. I looked again. Nine little ones inside. I asked if it was possible a fish might have hidden for several weeks in a crevice at the base of a rock waterfall?

It seemed anything was possible.

After the pool filled, the new babies swam merrily in their new home. The little black one came out and explored. I named the fish Scrappy. If the little guy could live in a crevice with the tiniest leftover bit of water, he was plucky, spirited…scrappy.

Scrappy has grown to be about twelve inches long. He lives in the pond with the friends from the pail who have also grown. Scrappy has gorgeous balletic fins and behaves like an alpha. I have great pleasure and maternal pride when watching him swim about.

I always worry bad weather could hurt the fish. I shouldn’t. They are always there, especially when I show up with fish food.

Besides having cats and dogs to love, Handsome gave me a fish, too. Who knew this one would be the Little Fish That Could?

Do you have a pet that has conquered the odds?