Johnny-Fish and Evangeline

 My dad used to retell  this story every time he told it. It was his story, as far as I know.  He would add and add every time every time he told it. Of course, the dad and the girl  were us. And I've told it to my girls over the years. One of my favourite stories.

 JOHNNY-FISH and EVANGELINE:
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Evangeline.She liked to wear blue, and red bows in her pigtails. Every Saturday ,in the fall, when the leaves were falling  she and her dad  would go down to the rocky beach and throw rocks in the ocean. Trying to get the attention of Johnny-Fish.

 Her dad would build rock towers. Or if it was a mild day , they would dig in the wet sand and make a lopsided sandcastle, decorated with shells and gooey kelp. They were always visited by Evangeline's friend, Johnny-fish. He was a magic fish.

      Evangeline was sad when it rained. Cause then they couldn't go down to the beach. She would dream of mermaids, the ocean, and the fish who swam in the sea.

 One afternoon, after the rain left. Evangeline and her dad went down to their favourite spot . Johnny-fish would come up to the surface. They would talk for hours, about how many pebbles were in the ocean. Evangeline and Johnny-fish liked to have contests to see who could stay under the water longest. Evangeline's dad would sit on the rocks and drink coffee from his steel coloured thermos.

 One day Johnny Fish brought 11 of his brothers and sisters to the surface. Fish tag was their best game. They would take turns letting each other win. When they laughed their fish laughter sounded like " bloop, bloop, bloop."

 One  visit, on the last day in October, Johnny-fish asked Evangeline if she would would like to come to have a fishy tea at his parents castle. They were the king and queen of the ocean. Evangeline's dad said it would be all right. As long as she was back by five.

 So Johnny Fish blew an Evangeline-air-sized-bubble, so she could breathe.

 Johnny fish and his brothers and sisters dropped seaweed all around the air bubble to hold it together. They pulled her down through the water to the big castle of the Fishy King and Queen.

 The castle was made out of shells. They were all sorts of colours. The King and Queen were very nice to Evangeline. Inside the castle she did not need her air bubble, because it was magic!

 For tea they ate peanut butter sandwiches, apples, carrots, and mallow blasters. After tea  they took a ride on the castle roller coaster. Evangeline was ecstatic. Johnny fish took Evangeline to the underwater park to see the crystal flowers and the seaweed forest.

 When it was time for her to go home, she got back into her air bubble.

 Johnny-fish and his brothers and sisters tied the seaweed ropes to their tails and pulled her back up to the beach.

      Evangeline's dad was still sitting on the rocks on the beach. Drinking the last of the coffee in his thermos. He always smiled and asked her if she had a good time. Then say it was time to go home.

  The day was waning. Dusk was in full bloom. Leaves were falling on the rocks. The trees behind were dying slowly in the late autumn day.

 Evangeline and her dad waved goodbye to Johnny-fish and his family.

      Johnny-fish and his family dropped beneath the sea as the moon came out.

 As long as Evangeline was little, she came to see Johnny-Fish, on the saturdays that were mild and gentle of wind.

 As she grew older, Johnny-Fish did not appear like he used you. And when her father died, she did not go to the ocean for a long time.

 Until one day, many years later, Evangeline brought her child to the same ocean shore, and Johnny-Fish  once again rose to the surface. And they once more went down to the magic castle , in the seaweed air bubble and had tea with her friend of old. And remember those times of wonder.