A comic fantasy about a walking fish, an unexpected flight and the way home.
Akeno could explore every corner of his enchanted pond, but the birds had an entire garden. He watched them walking along the path one morning and wondered what they knew that he did not.
Being the curious koi that he was, Akeno decided to try it out for himself. He swam to the edge of the pond and slowly lifted himself out of the water, using his fins to balance on the ground. At first, he wobbled and stumbled, but eventually, he managed to take a few steps.
Excited by his new discovery, Akeno waddled around on the grass, enjoying his newfound ability. He even tried to jump, but quickly realized that he could not go far without the support of the water.
As he continued to walk, he began to attract attention from other animals in the garden. A group of frogs gathered around him, amazed at the sight of a fish walking on land. They croaked with laughter as Akeno tried to jump again, only to land awkwardly on his side.
Undeterred by his lack of success, Akeno continued to practice his walking skills every day. He even tried to teach the other koi in the pond how to walk, but they just looked at him strangely and went back to swimming.
One day, as Akeno was practicing his walking, a gust of wind blew through the garden, lifting him off the ground and carrying him over the fence. Akeno flew through the air, flapping his fins and trying to stay balanced.
He landed in a nearby field, surrounded by cows and horses. They looked at him with curiosity, wondering how a fish had ended up in their pasture.
The pasture was interesting, but Akeno had seen enough dry land for one day. He spotted a rain-filled ditch along the fence and followed it back toward the garden. A final awkward hop brought him over the pond’s edge and into familiar water.
His friends called him the walking koi long after he gave up the daily strolls. Akeno did not mind. He had discovered the garden, met some very puzzled cows and learned exactly how much he liked coming home.
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