The Zombie Goldfish and the Bull Who Couldn't Swim

Zippy was no ordinary goldfish. Every time he floated to the top of his bowl, belly-up and completely still, his owner Lily would gasp—and then Zippy would suddenly wiggle his fins and swim away again!

"You're like a little zombie goldfish!" Lily laughed, tapping the glass. "Always coming back to life!"

Zippy didn't mind being called a zombie. He was proud of his special trick.

One sunny afternoon, something magical happened. As Lily was running around the backyard with her friends, she accidentally knocked Zippy's bowl toward the swimming pool. *Splash!* Zippy tumbled into the cool blue water.

Everything was enormous now! And in the corner of the pool sat the grumpiest bull Zippy had ever seen.

"I'm Barnaby," the bull huffed. "And I hate water. I fell in while running from a bee. Now I'm stuck!"

Zippy swam closer. "I can help! But first, watch THIS…"

Zippy flipped onto his back, floated completely still, and waited. Barnaby's eyes widened.

"Is he…?"

*ZIP!* Zippy zoomed away, leaving bubbles behind.

Barnaby let out a snort that was almost a laugh. "That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

"I'll do it again if you swim to the shallow end with me," Zippy promised.

So the zombie goldfish and the bull who couldn't swim practiced together. Barnaby kicked his legs. Zippy showed off his tricks. By sunset, Barnaby could doggy-paddle!

"Thank you, Zippy," Barnaby said warmly. "You taught me that trying new things isn't so scary after all."

"And you taught me," Zippy bubbled, "that the best adventures happen when you're willing to make a splash—belly-up or not!"

That night, Lily found Zippy back in his bowl, wondering if it had all been a dream. But when she looked closely at his scales, there was something new: a tiny splash of blue, as if the pool itself had left him a magical reminder.

Some friendships, Zippy learned, are too strong to stay in just one place.