Once upon a time, in the deep blue sea, there was a little fluke named Fin. Fin was born a tiny, transparent creature, but over time, he grew bigger and bigger until he was a full-grown fluke.

Fin lived with his family in a beautiful coral reef, where they swam and played all day long. Fin's mother had told him that flukes were special creatures because they had pectoral fins, which helped them swim gracefully through the water. Fin was very proud of his fins, and he loved to use them to swim as fast and as far as he could.

But one day, Fin's mother told him something even more amazing. She said that flukes have a special time in their lives called "gestation," where they would grow a hard, protective layer made of keratin. Fin was very curious about this process and asked his mother to explain more.

His mother told Fin that when flukes reach a certain age, they would start to develop a hard layer of keratin on their backs. This layer would protect them from predators and help them survive in the wild. Fin was excited to learn about this, and he couldn't wait for the day when he would have his own keratin layer.

Years passed, and Fin grew bigger and bigger. Finally, the day came when he started to feel the keratin layer growing on his back. He was amazed at how strong and protective it was, and he knew that he would be able to survive in the wild now.

Fin was so proud of his keratin layer that he would swim around the coral reef showing it off to all of his friends. He was also happy that he had his pectoral fins to help him swim gracefully through the water. Fin was now a strong, confident fluke, ready to take on the world.

The end.

Reflections

1. How does Fin feel about his pectoral fins?
2. What is the purpose of the keratin layer that Fin grows?
3. How does Fin feel about his new keratin layer?
4. How does Fin's mother describe the process of "gestation" to Fin?