The Lotus Monster Book

The Good Little Fish
Once, there was a tiny fish (sakana) who wanted to make
the world better for everyone. His fish friends laughed at
him, saying Man (otoko) would surely catch and eat him one
day. And indeed, one day the little fish was caught.
The fisherman who caught him was so hungry that he
was going to pop the little fish into his mouth that very moment,
but the fish cried out, “Please, before you eat me,
could you tell me what I could have done to make the world
better?”
The fisherman had never heard such a question before,
so he thought about it, and then said, “I have heard that if
a fish were to swim up the great river that feeds this sea,
magic might help the world. But that’s just a story, and I am
hungry now.”
“I would swim the river (kawa) if I had the chance,” said
the little fish.
At that, the fisherman lowered the fish gently back into
the water (mizu). “If you are that brave, go and seek goodness…
for all our sakes.”