On a sunny afternoon, in a quiet countryside village surrounded by green rice fields and gently flowing streams, lived a playful little girl named Lala. With sparkling eyes and a wild mop of hair, Lala was known for her endless curiosity and cheeky mischief. No one in the village could predict what she might do next. And today was no different.
It all began when Lala’s grandmother asked her to fetch some water from the small stream behind their house. As she skipped along the dirt path with a bucket in hand, her eyes darted around, always searching for something new to explore.
When she reached the stream, she set down the bucket and looked into the water. The surface shimmered in the sunlight, and just below it, she spotted something wriggling. Curious as ever, Lala knelt down, peered closer, and saw a small, slippery creature darting around the rocks—it was a loach fish!
She had heard about loaches from her grandfather’s stories, but she had never actually seen one. They were small, fast, and known for their ability to wriggle into the tiniest spaces. Lala giggled with delight and thought, “I wonder if I can catch it!”
She rolled up her sleeves, dipped her hands into the cold stream, and tried to scoop up the loach. But it slipped right through her fingers! She tried again and again, splashing water everywhere, getting her face and shirt soaked. The fish darted between stones, almost as if it was playing a game with her.
“You’re a sneaky little guy!” she laughed, now more determined than ever.
Lala got an idea. She would build a little trap. She gathered some pebbles and arranged them into a small circle to keep the fish inside. Then she gently guided the loach toward her stone trap. For a moment, it worked—the fish wriggled in, paused, and looked like it would stay. But with a flick of its tail, it zoomed right out again!
“Hey! That’s cheating!” Lala shouted, laughing so hard she nearly fell into the water.
Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. “What are you doing, Lala?”
It was Thuy, her older cousin, who had come looking for her.
“I found a loach fish, and I want to play with it!” Lala said, showing her wet hands and the little splashy trap she’d made.
Thuy rolled her eyes. “You’re going to scare the fish away if you keep making such a mess.”
“I just want to touch it. It’s so funny and wiggly!”
Thuy smiled and said, “There’s a better way. Let me help.”
Together, the two girls sat quietly by the stream. Thuy taught Lala how to move slowly in the water, using a small net made from an old cloth tied to a stick. With patience, they finally caught the loach in the net and placed it gently in a large bowl filled with stream water.
Lala leaned over the bowl and watched the fish with fascination. It had a long, narrow body and tiny whiskers around its mouth. It was so full of energy, zipping from one side to the other. She poked her finger gently into the water and giggled as the loach darted away, tickling her skin.
“Let’s name him Wiggles!” Lala said with excitement.
“Wiggles?” Thuy raised an eyebrow.
“Yes! Because he wiggles all the time!”
The two girls spent the next hour playing by the stream, watching Wiggles swim, drawing pictures in the sand, and splashing each other with water. Lala even made a little loach dance by placing her finger just above the water and moving it slowly—Wiggles seemed to follow it like a curious cat.
Soon, some of the village kids came by and joined in the fun. Lala showed them Wiggles and told them how sneaky and slippery he was. The children took turns trying to catch their own loaches, laughing and screaming with joy each time one slipped through their fingers.
Then, Lala had another idea—one that was very Lala.
“I want to take Wiggles home and show Grandma!” she said.
Thuy hesitated. “Fish don’t like to be out of their home too long. He belongs in the stream.”
“I won’t keep him forever,” Lala said. “Just for a little while. I’ll make him a nice place in a bowl, with some water and pebbles.”
Thuy finally agreed, and they walked back to the house with the bowl, being careful not to spill it. Grandma was out on the porch, peeling vegetables. When she saw the girls, she smiled.
“What mischief are you two up to now?”
“Look what I caught!” Lala exclaimed, holding up the bowl.
Grandma leaned in and chuckled. “A loach! Well, I haven’t seen one of these in years. Your grandfather used to catch them when he was your age.”
Lala beamed with pride. “I’m going to keep him in a bowl for a bit. I named him Wiggles!”
Grandma nodded. “Just don’t forget—Wiggles needs the stream. It’s where he belongs.”
Lala promised. She set up a little fish corner on the porch, with water plants and small stones. She sat beside it, watching Wiggles swim in circles. But as the sun began to set and the sky turned orange and pink, she noticed Wiggles wasn’t moving as much.
“I think he misses the stream,” she said softly.
Thuy nodded. “He probably does.”
Without a second thought, Lala picked up the bowl. “Let’s take him back.”
They returned to the stream, and with a gentle tilt, Lala released Wiggles into the water. He wriggled happily, then disappeared under a rock.
“Goodbye, Wiggles,” Lala whispered. “Thanks for playing with me.”
As the girls walked back home, Lala felt warm inside—not just from the sun, but from the joy of having made a new friend, even if only for a little while. She realized that sometimes, the best way to love something is to let it go.
And from that day on, every time Lala passed the stream, she’d look for a little flicker beneath the surface, wondering if Wiggles was still there, wriggling around and playing in the water.
Because even the most curious and mischievous little girl knows—adventures are even more special when you share them with a friend.
