A Fishy Tale

My Uncle George has left for Europe on a three-week holiday and I have been given the task of feeding his fish for him. He is the proud owner of eight Discus, five in brilliant orange and three in silvery white.

I did some homework and Discus, I understand, are fresh water fish native to the Amazon River basin. They are very shy fish and tend to hide if exposed to a noisy environment. They are so called because of the shape of their bodies.

Uncle's aquarium is large and has two compartments - one is occupied by two large white Discus and the other by five orange ones and one white one. I am to feed them once a week - one spoonful of fish food (in small pellets) for the two white ones and two spoonfuls for the other six (thank goodness I don't have to go digging for worms!).

The first time I dropped the pellets in, they swam right up to the front of the tank and stared at me suspiciously. I thought they looked quite sad. They must be missing my uncle. The second time around they seemed to recognise me and didn't pay much attention. After that I was a familiar face, someone who provided them with their meals.

I must say they are stunning up close but my pictures are not so clear because I took them through the glass of the aquarium.

My duty will end in a week's time. The little creatures must be eagerly awaiting my uncle's return. By the way, I received today a postcard from my uncle when he was in Madeira. He'll be back soon, so don't fret, my dears!