The Little Fish Who Wasn’t Sleepy

Night was falling over the sea.

High above, the waves became quiet. Below, the tiny lights of the glowing plankton faded—one little light after another.

The whole ocean was getting ready for sleep.

Everyone except a little fish named Pearl.

Pearl wriggled. She twirled. She bumped into Daddy’s fin—once, twice, three times.

“I’m not sleepy yet!” said Pearl.

Daddy did not mind.

“Then come with me,” he said gently. “I will show you how the ocean sleeps.”

Together, they swam into the soft blue darkness.

First, they visited the coral reef.

Between the pink and orange branches, little reef fish rested without making a sound.

Their eyes were still open because fish do not have eyelids.

“Good night, little fish,” Pearl whispered.

“You can rest now too,” said Daddy.

“Not yet!” said Pearl loudly.

They swam farther. A little deeper.

On the sandy seabed rested a starfish. All five of her arms were still.

She did not wiggle. She did not twirl. She did not move at all.

“Good night, Starfish,” Pearl whispered.

“You can rest now too,” said Daddy.

“Not… yet,” said Pearl, a little more quietly.

They swam farther. A little deeper still.

Inside a cosy hole in the rocks, an octopus was fast asleep. She had folded all eight arms around herself like a soft blanket.

As she dreamed, her skin slowly changed—from grey to purple, from purple to blue.

“Good night, Octopus,” Pearl whispered.

“You can rest now too,” said Daddy.

“Just a little longer,” Pearl murmured.

Then she gave a tiny yawn.

They swam back towards the moonlit surface.

There, in the wide, quiet water, a great whale was resting.

She was as big as a hill.

Slowly, she rose for a breath.

In… and out…

Then she floated peacefully beneath the silver moon.

In… and out…

So slowly. So calmly.

“Good night, Whale,” Pearl whispered in the smallest voice of all.

“You can rest now too,” said Daddy.

But Pearl did not answer.

Daddy smiled.

He gently held her little fin, and together they swam home.

The warm water rocked them softly.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

The whole ocean seemed to breathe with the whale.

In… and out…

Slowly. Quietly. Deeply.

At home, in their cosy nook between two smooth stones, Pearl snuggled close to Daddy.

Her eyes stayed open, just as fish eyes do. But they became still.

Her little fins stopped wriggling. Her tail stopped twirling.

She listened to Daddy breathing beside her.

In… and out…

Just like the whale.

The plankton gave one last sleepy shimmer.

The waves gently rocked the sea.

And little Pearl finally fell asleep.