Trout Tales, part one
Hi everyone, V here. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but our in-house rainbow trout, Kilgore, has finally returned from his winter abroad. Of course, there were late nights in the aquatic tanks here at the zoo, with everyone listening in as Kilgore spoke of his long journey.
And now, Kilgore has decided to share his fishy tales with you! I’ll let him take it from here:
Kilgore: Hi kids! This winter was my first time out in the open seas and rivers! I know, I know, hard to believe for a fish my age. But, you know, when I was stuffocated, I had already been living in a zoo for a while – my whole life, actually. Yup, I was born in a zoo, grew up, got stuffocated, came here to SZ, and spent many fine years as the most popular stuffed trout around.
It may also surprise you to know that I didn’t swim on my trip. Well, there was this one hotel – they had an indoor pool with a coiling waterslide – and I had to swim there. But that’s not how I got from place to place. . . For that, I rented a boat.
Yup, stuffed fish love to go on boat rides, and even when I was a real fish, I’d always envied them. Not to mention the fact that Abby, at the SZ, gave me an amazing pirate hat for my birthday last year, and I’ve wanted to use it ever since.
Renting a pirate ship was more difficult that I’d thought. So, I had to settle for a lesser vessel. Before heading out, though, I went to a nearby thrift store and found one of those big, wooden ship wheels you always see pirate captains turning. The people in the thrift store were a little concerned, selling a ship’s wheel to a stuffed trout, but I, and my pirate hat, assured them that I knew what I was doing.
I mounted to wheel onto my boat, and took off for the nearest river, which around here is called the Snarquetupple. A school of fish – they were purple perch – flagged me down. I recognized one from fish boarding school. “Hey, Kilgore! It’s me! It’s Franklin!” he shouted. “Let us on your boat! We’re tired! We’ve been swimming for three years!”
I let Franklin and his friends hop on deck, but was soon pulled over by the authorities. “Where’s your commercial fishing license?” the officer asked. “And where did you get that hat? Pirating is illegal around these parts!”
“These are my friends,” I explained. “I’m not going to catch and sell them!” After much explanation (about my vacation, my birthday hat, my year at fish boarding school), they let me go. Franklin’s words and friends helped – purple perch have a good report with the law.
The rest of the way down the Snarquetupple river was fine, and I let Franklin and his friends off. After that, I was on to the high seas, and more daring adventure!
Next time: Hear Kilgore’s ocean tale!
