Charlemagne to the Rescue
2007 Copyright © Diana Wilkoc Patton

Swish! The net moved fast. Charlemagne quickly swam behind a plant to hide. He knew that another friend was gone forever and it made him sad.

“Poor Swimmy! We won’t be able to play tag with him ever again!” said Charlemagne.

“I’ll miss the big fellow,” said Carlo.

“Oh, my!” said Susie Q. “The net is the fastest thing in the water! I think it can catch any of us!”

The net hung near the aquarium. It was big enough to catch a fish. The fish did not like the net but they were curious about the people. So curious in fact that they often forgot the net and swam close to the glass. Big mistake! Those fish were the ones THE NET caught. Once a fish was in the net, Charlemagne would NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN.

All of Charlemagne’s friends got their names from their buddies in the Pet Shop. Charlemagne got his name when a child left a history book on the counter next to the aquarium. The book was about Charlemagne, a king with golden-orange hair. Because he was also golden-orange colored, his friends started calling him Charlemagne.

When the boy came back for his book, Charlemagne heard him tell his mom that King Charlemagne was a good and brave king who helped others. “I am named after a brave king!” Charlemagne thought proudly.

But Charlemagne didn’t feel brave when the net was around. Even though he was curious about the people who came to the pet shop, every time someone came up to his tank, Charlemagne hid.

He wished he were brave and didn’t hide from the people. He wished he could live up to his kingly name.

“The only fish more afraid than I am is my good friend Susie Q. Goldfish. Susie Q. is shy and cautious,” Charlemagne told his friend Carlo.

Carlo was one of the goldfish who always swam up to see the people. “Susie Q. is a scaredy cat, but she is pretty,” said Carlo.

One day a boy came to the pet shop and put his face really close to their aquarium glass.

“I like the boy’s hair and his bright blue eyes. I’m going to swim up and do tricks for him!” Carlo told Charlemagne.

“Carlo, you’d better not get too close to the glass,” Charlemagne warned, peering out from behind an arrow plant.

Too late! Carlo was caught!

Suddenly Charlemagne forgot he was afraid of the net. “Carlo, I’ll save you!” he shouted. He swam over and bit the net hard.

This did not help at all. The next thing Charlemagne knew, another net had grabbed him!

“Ouch!” exclaimed Charlemagne. “This net is scratchy and it’s hard to breathe out of the water.” (note to Rita—fish can breathe out of the water—for a few minutes until their gills dry—it’s actually possible to resuscitate them by pushing water through their gills with something like a baster! My book is really based on fact and if it comes to publishing, I have a study guide and a goldfish care sheet!)

Charlemagne could see Susie Q. She looked scared. He saw her start to swim to her favorite hiding place.

Another net was going towards poor Susie Q. Charlemagne shouted to her, “Hide, Susie Q., hide!”

Suddenly she turned. “Charlemagne, I want to be with you and Carlo. I don’t want to be here without you, so I’m coming, too.” Susie Q. said, and she jumped right into the net.

“Hi, Susie Q.” said Charlemagne. “We are in a strange aquarium. It is rather wiggly.”

“I do not like this small wiggly aquarium,” said Carlo. “It moves when

I move.”

“If we three stay close together, and we stay still, it doesn’t move,” said

Charlemagne.

The next thing the scared fish knew, the boy was carrying them out the front door of the pet shop and into a strange thing they would later find out was a car.

“It’s kind of blurry out there,” said Susie Q.

“We’re moving so fast, I’m not sure what I see,” said Carlo. “It’s scary!”

“Don’t worry,” said Charlemagne. “I’ll protect you. We’re together and we’ll be alright. We can help each other. Look out the window! We’ve never been outside the pet shop before! There are lots of interesting shapes and moving things. The colors are pretty!”

They were so curious about their new world no one realized what was happening until suddenly one by one Charlemagne, Susie Q. and Carlo were poured into…….

A NEW AQUARIUM!!!

“I’m scared!” said Carlo.

“I’m very scared!” said Susie Q. “What is that big thing?”

(the illustration shows one of those decorative aquarium objects—a diver in this case, which scares Carlo and Susie Q. Charlemagne bumps the diver, knocking him over, which reassures Carlo and Susie Q.)

Charlemagne charged the big thing and it toppled over. “I think it’s a decoration, like the plastic shells and pretend plants back at the Pet Shop. Nothing to worry about.”

Charlemagne continued. “This place is big! It is much bigger than our aquarium in the pet shop. We are the only fish here. There are lots of clean water and lots of plants, even real ones! We don’t have to rush after the food flakes. All the flakes are for us! Best of all, we are all together. How great is this!” Charlemagne turned to Susie Q. and Carlo, and smiled as only a goldfish can smile.

“There ARE lots of air bubbles, and the water does feel good” Carlo said. He jumped up into the air.

“There is more room for us here, Carlo”, said Charlemagne.

“Yes,” said Carlo. “I have lots of room to do tricks!”

“There are pretty plants around us,” said Susie Q. “and there is lots of good gravel beneath us. This is a lovely aquarium. And you are both with me.”

“We’re here together! Susie Q.! Carlo! This is a new home for us. It is a different home. But it looks like a good home for us,” said Charlemagne.

“Oh, Charlemagne, I think you are right! Maybe ‘new’ can be better. You are so smart and brave!” said Susie Q. And she smiled at Charlemagne, as only a goldfish can smile.

“Wow, Charlemagne!” said Carlo. “This home is nice. And you are making me feel good! Thank you!”

Charlemagne thought, “This is what it’s like to be a leader, a brave king. A GOOD KING! I’m helping my friends, and my friends are happy.” Charlemagne smiled as only a goldfish can smile.