Once upon a time, deep under the sparkling blue sea, the fish were having a terrible argument.
“I’m the fastest swimmer!” shouted the mackerel. “Nonsense, it’s me!” boasted the tuna. “You’re both wrong, it’s clearly me!” barked the swordfish.
The argument grew so loud that even the crabs scuttled away and the shrimps covered their ears. Finally, an old wise turtle swam into the crowd.
“Enough of this nonsense!” he declared. “If you want to know who is fastest, then we shall have a race, a proper one, around the big island. Whoever wins shall be crowned the swiftest fish in the sea.”
All the fish agreed at once.
Among the racers was the sole, a flat fish who thought very highly of himself. “This will be easy,” the sole sneered. “No silly little fish can beat me.”
At first, no one thought of the herring. He was small and plain, not flashy like the others. But quietly, the herring stepped forward.
“I would like to race too,” he said. “Not because I expect to win, but because I want to test myself. I want to see how fast I can really go.”
Some of the bigger fish laughed. “You? In this race? Don’t make us laugh!”
But the turtle simply nodded. “Anyone brave enough to enter shall race. The herring will join.”
So, at the starting line stood the tuna, the swordfish, the mackerel, the herring, and the sole.
“On your marks!” called the turtle. “Get set… go!”
Swoosh! Splash! Zoom!
The mackerel darted off in a zig-zag, the tuna charged forward with powerful strokes, and the swordfish sliced the water like a spear. In no time, they were far, far ahead. The herring and the sole were left behind, struggling to keep up.
The race was long, so long that it took almost two hours to circle the island. At first, the speedy fish seemed certain to win. But the island was bigger than they thought, and their energy began to fade. The mackerel’s quick bursts grew shorter, the swordfish slowed down, and even the mighty tuna began to tire.
Meanwhile, the herring kept swimming steadily. Swish, swish, swish. Not too fast, not too slow, just a determined rhythm. Little by little, the herring caught up, then passed the mackerel, then the tuna, and finally the swordfish.
“The winner is the herring!” announced the turtle.
The ocean cheered. Dolphins leapt, crabs clapped, and even the jellyfish pulsed happily.
But where was the sole?
He was nowhere near the finish line. Ashamed at being so slow, he had slipped down to the seabed during the race, hiding among the sand. His mouth curled in anger and jealousy.
“The herring? That plain, ordinary fish?” he grumbled.
And from that day on, the sole could never untwist his mouth. It stayed bent with jealousy, a reminder of the race he tried to forget. That is why, even today, the sole prefers to stay low on the seabed, sulking and hiding, while the herring shines in schools of silver near the surface.
Moral: pride and jealousy only weigh you down. But courage to test yourself, and steady determination, can carry you farther than speed and arrogance.