In which the hero of today's story is--surprise!--a pufferfish

 The War of the Fishes (Nguna)

This was long ago, before the dark and the light, and I will tell, tell, tell the story. 

The world was full of water, and the water was full of fish. Some were brave.  Some were bold.  Some were beautiful.  But the fish were not kind.  They were not respectful.  They were not peaceful.

The fish wanted to elect a leader.  They said that the leader should be the biggest fish.

One fish said that it was biggest.  Then, another fish said that it was biggest.  And another, and another.  All the fish said, “I am biggest.”  Even the small fish said this.  They could not agree.

The fish decided to go to war.  They brought all their weapons. 

“We have spears!  We have clubs!  We have sharp! pointed! sticks!”

They went to the place where the war would happen.  But before they could start fighting, somebody else came to the place. 

It was the whale.  The whale said, “What are you doing, all you fish?”

“We have spears!  We have clubs!  We have sharp! pointed! sticks!  We will go to war, and the winner will be the biggest!”

But the whale laughed at them.  “You are not the biggest.  And you are not the biggest!  A war will not make you biggest! 

“I am the biggest, and I make the laws.  I say that there will not be a war.”

The fish looked at each other.  “But we have brought all our weapons!  What will we do with them?”

One fish spoke up.  This fish was not brave.  This fish was not bold.  This fish was not beautiful.

But this fish was respectful and kind and peaceful. 

This fish said, “I will take the weapons.  Give the weapons to me.  I will keep them safe and I will not make war.”

So they gave all the weapons to that fish.  They gave that fish the spears and the clubs and the sharp! pointed! sticks!

Everything they gave, that fish has kept safe. 

That fish took all those dangerous weapons and put them on his body and they are still there to this day. 

The name of the fish in Ngunese language is pakai. 

In English, he is “pufferfish.” 

He wears all those clubs and spears and sharp pointed sticks on his skin.  But he doesn’t make war. 

He reminds everyone to be respectful and kind, and peaceful.  That is the story.