Shizuko is a Japanese name. Itās actually a girlās name that means ācalm childā. However, in this fairy tale, Shizuko is neither a human nor a girl! Heās an underwater creature that adores the salty sea. He lives near the Ryukyu Islands in Japan, and is a tetraodon ā a four-toothed fish.
Shizukoās parents didnāt mind giving him a human name or a girlās name. The only thing his mum cared about is how it sounded. To Shizukoās mother, it was like a violin bow gliding over the strings, emitting a gentle, soothing sound. Shizukoās father also liked the name, but mostly because he found it funny that their baby was quite the opposite of calm.
āHe wonāt stay still even for a moment! Itās hilarious!ā
When little Shizuko hatched, he was all spotty, like his parents. At first he didnāt leave their side. He swam close to them because he was afraid of everything: sea crabs, the sunās reflections, and anemones. His parents gradually introduced him to the marvels of the sea, and soon Shizuko stopped being so scared. As time passed, he made many friends: small fish, seahorses and jellyfish. Day after day, they all flitted about together and laughed a lot.
As Shizuko grew up, he couldnāt imagine a world without his friends. Every day was full of things to do. They explored old shipwrecks, caves, and dark abysses. They pretended to be ancient sea kings and queens, held swimming contests, and played hide-and-seek. However, handball was their favourite game. Shizuko, like almost all four-toothed creatures, had a special ability ā he could inflate and make himself as round as a balloon. Shizuko let his friends throw him like a ball. To all of them, this was the mostā¦
