A FREE SEA FABLE FROM THE PHOENIX PRESS – ENJOY

To celebrate Earth Day this April, and the intrepid voyage of the Plastiki – Max Jordan’s continuing blog is also below – best selling children’s author and Phoenix Ark founder David Clement-Davies is today publishing a free and unseen fairy-tale online.

THE LITTLE OYSTER
by David Clement-Davies

At the bottom of the Deep Blue Sea,
by the edge of the Great Barrier Reef,
there lived a little Oyster.

“You are the most precious thing in the Sea,” his mother would say, and she told him stories of the fishermen who risked their lives diving for his kind in the Ocean’s depths.
It made the little Oyster feel very special and important.

“Come and play with us, little Oyster,” the many coloured fishes would cry.
“Sing for us, little Oyster,” the coral would say, “sing to us on the dancing surf.”
But the little Oyster felt far too special to play with the other creatures.
“Don’t you know that I am the most precious thing in all the sea?”

The Oyster’s shell grew bigger and bigger, and older and older too, but still the Oyster would have nothing to do with the other animals.
So the fishes all moved away. The coral withered and died.
The little Oyster was left all alone, at the bottom of the deep Blue Sea.
Strange, crusty shapes settled on the Oyster’s back, while high above him a single Jelly Fish drifted by…

The Oyster grew sadder and sadder, and lonelier and lonelier too, there inside his shell, at the bottom of the dark, cold sea.
The Oyster did not know how to talk to anyone anymore.

Then one day a bright blue Clown Fish swam by.
“Hello, Oyster,” cried the funny Clown Fish, “and why do you look so sad?”
“Go away,” replied the Oyster, “Don’t you know that I’m…”
“The most precious thing in all the sea?” laughed the Clown Fish, kindly, with his great, wet lips.

Then suddenly the strange fish began to spin, and make silly faces, and blow bubbles at the Oyster through the blue.
The Oyster peered at him crossly, but then something extraordinary happened…
The Oyster began to tremble, and then to shake, and suddenly the Oyster started to laugh, just like the funny Clown Fish.

Suddenly there was a great CRACK and the Oyster’s shell split open wide.
There, inside, was a huge, beautiful pink-white pearl that sparkled like sunlight on the waves.

Now the little Oyster has many friends at the bottom of the Deep Blue Sea.
He plays with the fishes and sings to the dancing coral.
But best of all he likes talking to his friend the Clown Fish, for he makes him laugh.

Copyright David Clement-Davies 2011. First Published by Phoenix Ark Press. All Rights Reserved. The right of David Clement-Davies to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.
You may print up this free story courtesy of Phoenix Ark Press. If you would like to donate to a little publisher please click the donate button below.