Eggs, Eggs And More Eggs!

• Megan Donovan, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2010

Little Nemo had been hanging around the anemone a lot lately. At times he just lay in the anemone, but he was always alert, keeping watch for only he knew what. Sometimes he was even cleaning the area at the front of the anemone. Little Nemo was a four year old Eastern Clown Anemone Fish and lived in a saltwater tank at the Donovan’s house in Nhulunbuy. He shared the tank with another Eastern Clown Anemone Fish called Big Nemo because she was fourteen years old. Four beautiful purple and yellow fish called Flair, Ripple, Current and Little Blue and an exotic range of different coloured coral and sea anemones completed his home.

One day while Little Nemo was in the anemone keeping watch, Little Blue swam up for a visit. Little Nemo was surprised when little Blue came over. “Hi Little Blue!” he said cheerfully. “Hi,” Little Blue yawned. “Wow you look tired.”
“Yes I am tired. I suppose because I spent last night moving in down there,” she pointed a fin at a little crevice below Little Nemo’s anemone. “ And tonight I have to lay my eggs!” she said excitedly with a flick of her tail.
“Wow, that’s awesome!” said Little Nemo enthusiastically. “I also know someone else who’s going to lay their eggs soon.”
“Who, who?” Little Blue begged.
“ Big Nemo”
“Awesome!”
“I know it’s awesome and that’s why I’ve been cleaning around the anemone.”
That night Big Nemo came to check on Little Nemo.
“I am due to lay my eggs tomorrow. So I will go rest, OK”
“Sure Big Nemo,” Little Nemo replied.
“So I suppose I will see you in the morning.”
“Yes definitely!”
That night the tank began to darken. There had always been a slight spread of algae, but this time it was thickening. Over the night it expanded so the water was affected. In the morning Little Nemo woke to the sound of coughing. Big Nemo was heading towards him looking pale.
“I think we’ll have to delay the egg laying until this tank is cleaner. I’m feeling unwell.”
During the next few days the algae got really bad. So bad the coral began turning white. Even Little Nemo began to feel the effects.

Days after the algae outbreak Alex, the youngest of the Donovan family, noticed the clogged tank.
“Dad, the tank is so dirty I can’t see the Nemos. Can I clean the tank please?”
“Alright, you can do it. It’s about time I cleaned it, but you can do it for me Alex.”
That night Alex began to scrub and scrub and scrub and an hour later the tank was sparkling clean and the water began to freshen.

The next morning Big Nemo approached looking better and then said the awesome words, “I’m back and I’m better so lets start laying these eggs!” She laid the eggs happily. That was the beginning of a big family…