A fantasy about a koi performance contest, fame and the appeal of home.
Hikaru’s red, white and black scales were admired throughout the pond. It was not enough. He wanted a crowd, a newspaper photograph and, if possible, a very large trophy.
He practiced jumps and flips in the pond’s enchanted water. One day, the resident turtle mentioned an imaginary performance contest in Tokyo. This was not an ordinary koi show: its judges wanted spectacle. Hikaru immediately decided that spectacle was his specialty.
Hikaru knew this was his chance. He begged the turtle to take him to the competition, but the turtle warned him that it was a long and difficult journey. Undeterred, Hikaru set off on his own, determined to make it to Tokyo.
The journey was long and arduous. Hikaru swam through rivers, climbed over rocks, and even crossed a busy road. But eventually, he arrived in Tokyo, tired but determined. The competition was being held in a large indoor facility, and koi from all over Japan were there to compete.
At the contest, magical tanks shimmered beneath the lights. Hikaru performed his best jumps and flips as the judges watched, but every neighboring tank seemed to contain a fish with a bigger trick. For the first time, his ambition came with nerves.
Finally, the judges made their decision. Hikaru held his breath as they approached his tank. "And the winner is..." the head judge paused for dramatic effect, "Hikaru the koi!"
Hikaru couldn't believe it. He had won! The other koi in the pond would be so jealous. Hikaru became an instant celebrity. People came from all over to see him, and he was featured in newspapers and magazines. Hikaru's dream had come true.
But fame was not without its challenges. Hikaru soon realized that being famous meant having to maintain his image. He had to practice his jumps and flips constantly and always be "on." He missed the simpler times in the pond, when he could just swim around and be himself.
Eventually, Hikaru realized that fame wasn't everything. He missed his friends and the quiet of the pond. He decided to retire from the competition circuit and return home. But he knew that he would always be remembered as the ambitious koi who became a star.
At home, Hikaru stopped keeping a performance schedule. Occasionally, under the moonlight, he did a flip for the friends who had known him before the trophy. Their applause was quieter than the Tokyo crowd’s. He liked it better.
Read Another Story
Browse more koi short stories or visit the koi humor collection.