A Fish of Many Colors
Long ago, in the warm blue waters around the islands of Samoa, there lived a fish unlike any other. Her scales were bright and shimmering, each one a different color—red, gold, green, purple, and blue. When she swam, the sea sparkled with her light.
All the other fish admired her beauty. They called her The Rainbow Fish. But though she was admired, she was also lonely. For Rainbow Fish kept her colours all to herself.
One day, a little reef fish swam up shyly. “Rainbow Fish,” he said, “may I have one of your bright scales, just one, so I may shine too?” Rainbow Fish flicked her tail. “No,” she said. “My scales are mine. If I gave them away, I wouldn’t be special anymore.” The little fish swam away sadly, and word spread through the reef. Soon, the other fish stopped swimming with Rainbow Fish. They darted and played together, but left her drifting alone in her brilliance.
The Lonely Rainbow Fish
At last, Rainbow Fish swam to the wise old Sea Turtle who lived in a coral cave. “Why won’t the other fish play with me?” she asked. “I am the most beautiful in the sea.”
The turtle’s eyes twinkled. “True beauty,” he said, “is not in how brightly you shine, but in how you share your light. Give a piece of yourself to others, and you will see.” Rainbow Fish swished her fins. The thought frightened her. Her scales were her pride. But the sea felt empty without friends.
The next day, the same little reef fish swam timidly by. “Rainbow Fish,” he whispered, “will you play with us?” Rainbow Fish hesitated. Then she remembered the turtle’s words.
Friendship in the Reef
“Wait,” she said. She plucked one small purple scale from her side. It shimmered in her fin. “Here. Take this.” The little fish gasped. “For me?” He slipped the scale onto his own side, and suddenly he sparkled too. His joy lit up the water. “Thank you, Rainbow Fish! Thank you!”
Soon, the other fish gathered. One by one, Rainbow Fish gave each of them a shining scale. A golden one to the parrotfish. A blue one to the butterflyfish. A green one to the tiny damselfish.
With every scale she gave, her heart grew lighter. The sea around her glittered like a rainbow garden as fish of every shape and size sparkled together.
At last, Rainbow Fish had only a few bright scales left. She was no longer the most dazzling fish alone—but everywhere she looked, colour shimmered. And for the first time, she was surrounded by laughter and friendship.
From that day on, the reef was never the same. Schools of colourful fish darted through the corals, flashing every colour of the rainbow. And in the evenings, when the sun dipped low and painted the ocean gold, the fish of Samoa would gather to tell the tale of how one lonely fish discovered that sharing her beauty made the whole sea brighter. And Rainbow Fish swam happily among them, no longer alone, but shining as part of something greater than herself.
The End.
Curious about Samoa? Discover more with National Geographic Kids. And when it’s time for dreams, our Ultimate Sleep Guide can help your child settle into sleep.
