Short Stories

A cartoon fantasy about an enchanted washing machine and a koi who loses his sparkle.

In a cartoon pond where laundry day could involve almost anything, Jacob was famous for his sparkling scales. Mrs. Finns was famous for her enormous enchanted washing machine. Unfortunately, those two reputations were about to collide.

Mrs. Finns had declared a pond-wide laundry day. Her magical machine churned, bubbled and swallowed scarves faster than anyone could collect them. Jacob came too close to investigate and found himself caught in the swirling current.

A comic fantasy about a fish becoming a chef; its dishes belong to the story world.

Finley could see a café television through the window beside the pond. On the screen, a chef transformed a handful of ingredients into dinner. Finley watched the knife, the pan and the final flourish. He wanted an apron.

Finley had always been fascinated by the delectable smells wafting from the nearby waterfront restaurants. His friends often teased him, saying he had more flavor than the algae they nibbled on, but Finley remained undeterred.

A fictional fashion-house story about design, craftsmanship and collaboration.

Madame Miyuki began each collection beside a koi pond, sketchbook balanced on her knee. A turn of a fish suggested a seam; a patch of red against white suggested a color. Back at her imagined fashion house, Koi Couture, those quick sketches became the start of a working day.

A fictional koi story. Takeshi and his itinerary are imagined; the venues and encounters are not a verified travel guide.

An Invitation to Travel

Takeshi had devoted his life to cultivating and nurturing koi fish, transforming his modest pond into a haven of beauty and tranquility.  Knowledge of Takeshi's devotion spread through the Koi world.

A reflective fictional story about a koi and the changing garden around her.

Sakura knew the garden by what appeared on the water: pale petals in spring, leaf shadows in summer and the first red reflection of autumn. Each season changed the view, even when she followed the same route through the pond.

A fictional story about an inherited shop, a grandmother’s legacy and starting again.

The sign still read “Aquatic Serenity,” though Sarah had to wipe away the dust to make out the letters. Her grandmother Agnes had kept the koi store for decades. Now the keys were Sarah’s, and the windows were dark.

A heroic fantasy about a silver koi, a turtle mentor and a threatening heron.

Albert’s silver scales looked like armor. The fish of Lotus Pond considered that an attractive coincidence. Albert considered it a sign that he ought to do something knightly.

Albert had always been a dreamer. He often found himself staring at the waterfall that cascaded down from the cliffs above, imagining grand tales of adventure and heroism. While the other fish swam around, content with their peaceful lives, Albert yearned for something more.

A fantasy about a walking koi, garden friendships and the pull of home.

Kasumi could hear the garden beyond his pond: leaves rustling, birds calling and visitors walking away to places he could not see. In this enchanted garden, even a fish could wonder what it would be like to follow.

One morning, as the sun cast its golden glow upon the water, Kasumi gazed at the garden beyond the pond's surface. The colorful flowers, the whispering trees, and the distant hills beckoned him. A tiny voice inside him urged him to explore, to see what lay beyond his familiar world.

An imagined story about a toy line and a movie; Koibie’s success here is fictional.

Emily filled her sketchbook with koi shapes and colors long before she knew what to make from them. One afternoon by Riverville’s river, she drew a small toy with a bright curved tail. Beneath it she wrote a name: Koibie.

For months, she refined the prototype, testing shapes and repainting details until the toy resembled the little fish she had imagined. At the local toy fair, a child picked it up and refused to put it down. Emily took that as an encouraging review.

A story of magical realism about an office worker, a neglected park and a community effort.

An overgrown path nearly hid the old park from the city around it. Beneath the trees, a koi pond remained. Alex knew nothing of it yet; their days had become a succession of paperwork, meetings and walks home along the same busy streets.

They had meant to take the familiar route home. Instead, Alex followed the path between the trees and stopped at the pond. The water moved gently beneath the branches, and the fish came into view one color at a time.