Once upon a time, there was a group of fish who lived in the ocean. They loved to play pranks on each other and have a good time.

One day, Mullet, Flounder, Herring, Haddock, Cobbler, Halibut, Cod, Marlin, Grouper, and Eel decided to play a trick on each other by pretending to be different types of fish.

Mullet decided to pretend to be a Mackerel and started swimming really fast in circles. The others couldn't keep up and started to get dizzy just watching him!

Next, Flounder decided to act like a Halibut and lay flat on the ocean floor, trying to blend in with the sand. The others swam right over him and didn't even realize he was there!

Herring decided to be a Cod and tried to hide in the seaweed. But, every time the others came close, he would jump out and scare them!

Haddock, Cobbler, Halibut, Cod, Marlin, Grouper, and Eel all decided to join in on the fun and each pretended to be a different type of fish. They swam and swam, playing their silly game and having a blast.

But then, they realized that no matter what type of fish they pretended to be, they were all just happy to be themselves and have each other as friends.

So, they all swam back to their homes, happy and laughing, ready for their next adventure in the ocean.

Reflections

1. Who were the main characters in the story?
2. What was the fishy pretend game?
3. Who pretended to be a mackerel in the story?
4. What happened at the end of the story?
5. Why was it important for the fish to be themselves?
6. Can you think of a time when you pretended to be someone or something else?
7. How did the fish feel when they were playing the fishy pretend game?
8. What lesson did the fish learn from playing the game?
9. What do you think would happen if the fish continued to play pretend games?
10. Do you think it's more fun to be yourself or pretend to be someone else? Why?