Imagine That: Tell Uncle Bernie

"Can't."

"Let's have a look. Oh, I see. Its quite large isn't it. How did it get there?"

"I don't know. I was just swimming along when 'pop' it was there."

"Well I don't know anything about objects that appear inside mouths. It's never happened to any of my spawn, and I've never heard of it in all of fishtory!"

"What do you think I should do?"

"Try your uncle. He might know what to do."

"OK Dad."

The little fish swam about the lake until he found his uncle.

"Uncle Bemie, I've got a problem.'"

"Don't mumble boy. I'm hard of hearing as it is."

"I said, I've got a problem."

"What?"

"A problem!"

"A hobgoblin?"

"No, I'm having trouble with my mouth!"

"What's wrong with that? We all have bubbles sometimes. Its part of being a fish."

"No, I said I have a problem!"

"Take that stupid thing out of your mouth and talk properly. I don't know what it is with this generation! Now they stick things in their mouths!"

"Oh never mind."

And the fish with the strange object in its mouth swam away.

---

Peter reached the lake and walked along the wet stones until he got to his boat. It was a small, wooden craft, with a single mast. His net was hanging across two sticks further up the beach. He glanced about, to make sure he wasn't being watched, and untied the mooring line. Good. The coast was clear.