Belinda the blow-fish lived in the big Atlantic ocean with her parents and her two little brothers. She was the eldest child and often had to babysit her twin brothers while her parents went to work. Belinda loved her little brothers and they loved playing hide and seek with her. She taught her little brothers everything that she could. She would take them out swimming and warned them about all the dangers that lurked in the deep ocean.
But Billy and Angus were a naughty little pair and they often played tricks on everyone. They once gave Olga the Octopus such a fright that she squirted her ink all over the place to her own embarrassment.
On a different occasion they tied some seaweed to Selma the sea-turtle's leg and she got so tangled up that she nearly got eaten by a shark.
Even though they were only joking and did not really mean any harm, Billy and Angus did not think of the consequences of their actions. They were just having fun. But all their fun made some sea animals very angry and they all tried to talk to the twins, but they did not listen.
One evening after yet another embarrassing episode the sea animals called a meeting. It was time to teach these two a lesson. Belinda did not want her brothers to get hurt, but she knew that they have gone too far this time.
They decided to play a trick on the twins, and Belinda had to play along. The next morning when their parents went off to work, Belinda called the twins. She told them that she wanted to go swimming, and that they had to come along. They were still sleepy, but she told them that they couldn't stay at home alone and that they had to come with her.
Very reluctantly the two followed Belinda. They swam and they swam, until they reached a part of the ocean where they had never been before. They even warned Belinda that they were going too far, and they wanted to turn around. But Belinda kept going.
Belinda knew exactly where she needed to go and soon she reached the cave where she had to hide. Billy and Angus were very tired of all the swimming, and did not even see Belinda dive into the cave. There they were all alone in a place they have never been before, and they had no idea where their sister was.
Billy started crying and Angus became scared. They were not familiar with the area and they did not know what to do. Soon Olga the Octopus came swimming by, and they were so glad to see her.
"Aunty Olga, please can you help us, Belinda is missing and we don't know where we are?"
"Why should I help you?" said Olga the Octopus. "You have never been nice to me" ...and she swam away.
It wasn't long before Selma the sea turtle came past. "Aunty Selma, please can you help us, Belinda is missing and we don't know where we are?"
"Why should I help you?" said Selma the sea turtle. "You have never been nice to me, in fact you damn nearly killed me..."and she swam away.
Billy and Angus were scared our of their wits and they started to cry all over again.
Everyone that came past them did not want to help them, because of something they did to them previously. They then realized what they had done and decided that they would never do anything to hurt anyone again. After a while Belinda came out of the cave and found them right there where she left them.
They were so happy to see her and started crying all over again. They told her everything that happened and they apologized for all the things they had done to others. Belinda knew that they have learned their lesson.
From that day forward, Billy and Angus, became the two most helpful blow-fish in the ocean, and they never ever played any tricks on anyone again.
Moral of the story:
- Do onto others as you want done to yourself.
- Jokes, are not always jokes and sometimes an innocent prank can hurt others more that we can imagine.