A Fable: The Wrasse and the Grouper
The Wrasse and the Grouper
'Neath towering ocean's briny swell
Lay a coral reef where myriad creatures dwell.
Of them all, two draw our attention under the sea;
Listen close! Their tale I shall relate to thee:
The grouper, that humongous leviathan, mouth open wide
In which many a gnawing parasite does hide,
And the Wrasse, that diminutive blue-streaked fish,
Whose appetite for those parasites it could never vanquish.
The grouper, ever suffering from the bite of the aquatic bug
Would open up it's cavernous mouth, inviting the wrasse in for a friendly hug!
Thus the Wrasse obtains its daily meal
And the Grouper receives a spotless mouth for its end of the deal.
For many a year this mutually beneficial deal went along
Til one foolish grouper made it all go wrong:
His orange belly stretching so impossibly wide,
Its ceaseless groaning echoing powerfully through the tide!
He swam down to the cleaning station and left his maw agape,
Curling his plump lips into a most inviting shape.
A dozen Wrasse paddled in his massive dinner bowl,
And in a terrible instant they were all swallowed whole.
Off he swam, and far away,
Leaving the surviving Wrasse in most awful dismay–
As his great and terrible jaws gnashed,
Their happy social order was instantaneously smashed.
Many a grouper came to be cleaned and all were denied
For it took but one selfish act and all trust thus died;
On all large fish the parasites feasted–
And for what? A single gluttonous soul who selfishly cheated.
Enjoy the vote and reward!
I love this. especially the end rhyme. Keep up the good work
Congratulations @mendaciousmango! You have received a personal award!
1 Year on Steemit
Click on the badge to view your Board of Honor.
Do not miss the last post from @steemitboard!
Participate in the SteemitBoard World Cup Contest!
Collect World Cup badges and win free SBD
Support the Gold Sponsors of the contest: @good-karma and @lukestokes
Congratulations @mendaciousmango! You received a personal award!
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
Do not miss the last post from @steemitboard:
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!