Short Stories

A creative fantasy about a fish learning to paint from her own point of view.

Emiko watched the painters arrange their easels beside the garden pond. They painted the water, the trees and sometimes Emiko herself. She wondered what would happen if the view came from the fish instead.

Mesmerized by the artists' creations, Emiko found herself drawn to the world of art. She longed to express her own unique perspective, to capture the essence of the garden and share it with others. Determined, Emiko embarked on a quest to learn the art of painting.

A magical fable about three trapped companions finding a route toward the light.

Sakura could see a circle of daylight far above the well. It was small, bright and out of reach. Her scales caught the little light that reached the bottom, but the koi wanted more than a glimpse of the world beyond.

An original mountain-climbing fantasy, rather than a historical koi legend.

From his pond at the mountain’s foot, Ryu could see everything except the summit. Clouds hid it every morning. The golden koi began to wonder whether the clouds were concealing a view worth the journey.

A medieval fantasy set in the invented village of Stonebrook; its festival is part of the story.

Kasumi lived in the brook beside Stonebrook’s market square. In this imagined medieval village, carts rolled over cobblestones and smoke rose from the baker’s chimney. Beneath the bridge, an orange-and-white fish moved through water most people passed without a glance.

An imaginative animal fable about learning with a patient mentor.

Kiko’s friends made swimming look easy. He made it look like a series of unexpected turns. When they crossed the pond together, he often arrived late, facing the wrong direction and trying very hard not to be discouraged.

A fictional racing fable about mentorship, practice and recovering from a setback.

Tsubasa knew the Great Pond Race by heart: the turns, the cheering, the moment the winner crossed the finish line. Watching was no longer enough. They wanted to enter, even though every practice race seemed to leave them at the back.

Knowing the course as a spectator was different from swimming it. The other competitors handled turns and currents that left Tsubasa struggling behind. Entering the race would mean learning more than the names of its winners.

A fantasy journey through a forest river and over an enchanted waterfall.

Kai could have drawn his pond from memory: every rock, every plant, every place where the afternoon light reached the bottom. Beyond it lay a forest river. He had listened to stories about that river for years. One evening, he decided he wanted a story of his own.

He waited until the other fish had settled, then found the narrow, enchanted channel hidden behind the pond’s reeds. The current carried him into the forest river, and the familiar garden disappeared behind him.

An imaginative fable about a koi who wants a garden of her own.

Kichi watched the garden above her pond change with the seasons. Flowers opened, leaves unfurled and visitors paused beside new growth. She wanted to make something worth pausing beside, too—something her fellow koi could explore.

An original magical rescue story; its extraordinary koi belongs to a fantasy world.

For years, the town’s koi pond had been a place to stop and watch the colors move beneath the water. Nobody expected one of its residents to become a rescuer. Then a storm filled the streets and carried the pond beyond its edges.

A fantasy about a koi performance contest, fame and the appeal of home.

Hikaru’s red, white and black scales were admired throughout the pond. It was not enough. He wanted a crowd, a newspaper photograph and, if possible, a very large trophy.

He practiced jumps and flips in the pond’s enchanted water. One day, the resident turtle mentioned an imaginary performance contest in Tokyo. This was not an ordinary koi show: its judges wanted spectacle. Hikaru immediately decided that spectacle was his specialty.