Self Help Workshop
by grouperluna
A brand new camera lens fell from a dive boat and sank into the ocean. It came to rest twenty meters down by a coral reef. The octopus was the first creature to find the lens. With her superior intelligence, she saw a market opportunity. So she took the lens and left it at the entrance of her den, with a tentacle-written sign.
The reef animals had never seen anything like it before. By bending the light, the lens became a funhouse mirror exaggerating the reflected image of unsuspecting bystanders. The pufferfish looked too fat. The trumpetfish too skinny. The clownfish looked too colorful, the pigmy seahorse too small, the green moray eel too green. The fish were devastated believing a funhouse mirror reflected the truth.
The sign next to the lens said in big bold letters: SELF HELP WORKSHOP. One by one, the unhappy fish entered the den in search of help.
The octopus never went hungry again.
Octopus and lens. Watercolor and ink on paper. Credit: Sarah Frias-Torres
Ocean Bestiary 
How very clever; of the Octopus and You!
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Dr. Frias-Torres,
I love this concept! Your story is so meaningful. Is this blog open to submissions? I am currently a student of Florida Keys Community College in Key West with a primary interest in reef conservation. I have been meaning to re-kindle my love for painting and firmly believe that no reef story is complete without a relate-able visual and narrative. I would love to participate! Please let me know.
Your fellow coral list subscriber,
-Aaveh Green
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Yes Aaveh. You can submit a microfiction fable as a guest. Remember to keep it to 500 words or less and provide an illustration. You can contact me through my email at Coral-List. When I post your story, your name will appear as author of that story.
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