SAVE THE GOLDFISH
Joe Jenkins worked in a small office in a small town. The sign on the window outside said PARKER, ESTATE AGENTS. Mrs Parker was the boss. Picture of houses filled the window.
Joe sat in front of the office computer most of the time. On the computer he kept information about all the houses that were for sale.
Mrs Parker’s secretary, Linda, thought he was wasting his time. - What’s wrong with a typewriter? - She used to say.
Joe just smiled when Linda said this. - You don’t understand computers, - he told her. - They’re wonderful when you know them.
Joe was really interested in the computer and enjoyed using it. Really, he wasn’t very interested in anything else. He was a quiet, shy, young man. He had always worked in the same office and lived in the same small flat in the poor part of the town.
- You should be more ambitious, Joe, - Linda used to say.
-You’ll never become an estate agent if you sit in front of that computer all the time.
It was true. Joe was not very ambitious. Sometimes he took customers out to look at houses, but he rarely sold one. When the customers said, ‘This house is too large‘ or ‘The traffic is too noisy’ , he usually agreed with customers when he was very busy. He usually visited the houses and put the information about them on the computer.
Joe couldn’t understand why so many people wanted to change their houses, anyway. - Why don’t they just stay where they are? - He wondered. He couldn’t understand why his wife, Isabel, wanted a house. The flat he and Isabel lived in was small, but it was big enough for two people. They were both out at work most of the time. Isabel worked for a lawyer and often came home late.
When Isabel was late, Joe played computer games. He played them after work when Linda and Mrs Parker had gone home. He knew that Isabel was still working, so he amused himself for hours at the computer. If he went home, he just used to sit and watch the television.
One morning Joe said to Linda, - Shall I show you my new computer game? We can play it during our lunch hour. It’s called SAVE THE GOLDFISH. You have to get the goldfish out of the pond and into the goldfish bowl. I haven’t done it yet. You have to be quick. It’s a really good game.
- Oh, no! - groaned Linda. - Not a computer game! Must I? - But she agreed to play the game with him in their lunch hour.
When Mrs Parker returned to the office after lunch, Joe and Linda had been playing SAVE THE GOLDFISH for half an hour.
- I don’t think it can be done, - Linda told her. - The goldfish has so many enemies. You can’t possibly save it! It’s not only the blue fish and the green fish and the red fish with white spots. There’s also a big black cat and a bird with long legs. Even Joe can’t do it. And he thinks he’s so clever at computer games!
- It’s the most difficult game I’ve ever played, - said Joe. - They told me at the shop that it wouldn’t be easy.
- Let me try, - said Mrs Parker. But, before she could catch the goldfish in the net, it was swallowed by the red fish with white spots. The next time the big black cat caught it. She tried again and again, but she couldn’t do it.
- That’s enough, she said. - What a terrible game! Let’s not waste any more time. We have to do some work!
At five o’clock Linda put on her coat. ‘Will you lock the office door and turn off the lights? - She asked. Linda asked the same question almost every evening. She never stayed a minute in the office after five o’clock. She put on her coat at exactly that time. Her boyfriend was always waiting for her at the corner of the street.
- Yes, all right. Leave it to me, - said Joe.
Usually he asked her why she was in hurry, or made a joke about her boyfriend, but today he just smiled at her. He was glad that she was going. Mrs Parker had gone out with a customer and was not coming back. Joe wanted to be alone. He really wanted to play the goldfish game again. He was not in hurry. He knew that Isabel was working late.
He played SAVE THE GOLDFISH again and again, without success. After several hours he turned off the computer. The blue fish, the green fish and red fish with white spots had all caught the little goldfish. The big black cat and the bird with long legs had caught it, too. Joe was very quick, but he could not save the goldfish.
- What a terrible game! - He groaned. He had played many computer games that were difficult, but this one was impossible! Or maybe he wasn’t clever enough!
Joe got up from his desk. He checked that the windows were shut. Then he turned off the lights, went out, and locked the door behind him.
*** *** *** ***
Every evening that week Joe stayed in the office after the two women had gone home, but he still couldn’t save the goldfish. He couldn’t stop playing the game until he won, and he hadn’t won it once. Joe was annoyed. He had never found a game that was too hard for him.
On Friday Joe stayed in the office during his lunch hour to play the game. But he still couldn’t save the goldfish. He was sitting with his head in his hands when Linda got back from lunch.
- Are you still playing that silly game? - She asked. - You must be crazy, Joe! You’re just wasting your time, you know. You’ll never win!
At four o’clock Mrs Parker sent him out. She wanted some information about a house that was for sale. When he got back to work, it was a quarter past five and the office was empty.
- I’ll just play the game a few times before I go home, - he said to himself. - Isabel won’t get home until seven.
He turned on the computer and began to play. He lost the goldfish once, twice, ten times, thirty times, fifty times...Then, suddenly, he caught the goldfish in the net, lifted it out of the pond and dropped in into the goldfish bowl.
The goldfish swam round and round the goldfish bowl, safe at last. Then it swan towards Joe. It grew larger and larger on the screen, and its mouth was opening and shutting. The words on the screen said:
YOU HAVE SAVED THE GOLDFISH!
Joe couldn’t believe his eyes. He stood up and shouted, - I’ve done it. I’ve done it at last! - He threw his arms in the air and danced round the room. - That’s amazing... fantastic...wonderful, - he cried. - I’ve saved the goldfish.
He was very excited. He forgot that the goldfish was still looking at him. It was still opening and shutting its mouth. When he looked back at the screen, there was another message:
YOU HAVE SAVED MY LIFE
YOU HAVE WON A PRIZE
WHAT DOYOU WANT?
Joe laughed. This game was very different from any other computer game that he had played. Usually they said, TRY AGAIN, or told how to make the game more difficult. - Dear goldfish, - he said. He was still laughing. - I am glad you’re safe at last. That’s my reward.
But the message remained on the screen. Joe tried to think of something. What could he ask for? He stared down at the floor, and he noticed that his shoes were very old. He typed in the words, I NEED SOME NEW SHOES.
The goldfish was still opening and shutting its mouth. Now the words on the screen said:
MESSAGE NOT UNDERSTOOD
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Joe breathed deeply. Then he typed in the message, I WANT A PAIR OF SIZE 10 SHOES. He whispered to himself, - If you ask a crazy question, you’ll get a crazy answer. Nobody has ever asked a computer for shoes! - But the message on the screen had changed again:
MESSAGE UNDERSTOOD
GOODBYE
Joe was sure the goldfish was smiling. He smiled back.
*** *** *** ***
When Joe reached home, he was still smiling. He sang to himself as he got some food out of the freezer for dinner.
- You sound happy, - said Isabel, when she came in. - Have you sold a lot of houses? Did you have a good day?
- Yes, - Joe laughed. - I didn’t sell any houses, but I did save a goldfish. It’s safe in the goldfish bowl.
- What? What are you talking about?
- I saved the goldfish, - Joe laughed again. He was pleased with himself. - I’ve just won the most difficult computer game I’ve ever played. It’s called SAVE THE GOLDFISH. You have to catch the goldfish in a net before its enemies can catch it.
Joe was rushing around the kitchen. He was preparing the dinner while he was talking. Isabel followed him.
- Oh, really, Joe! I’ve never heard anything so silly in my life! You’re crazy! If you spend your time in the office like that, I’m not surprised that Mrs Parker doesn’t pay you much! - She looked in the pans. - What are you cooking? I’m hungry. Is dinner almost ready? -
- No, I’m afraid it isn’t. I got home late. - Joe was annoyed with Isabel, but he knew it was his own fault. - I couldn’t stop playing the game until I won. And then a funny thing happened. When I caught the goldfish and put it in the bowl, it offered me a prize.
Isabel was hanging up her coat in the hall. - What do you mean? - She asked. She came back into the kitchen. Isabel liked prizes. She often filled in the forms in newspapers that offered you something for nothing. She always entered competitions.
Joe waited for a moment before he answered. - It said, YOU HAVE SAVED MY LIFE. YOU HAVE WON A PRIZE. WHAT DOYOU WANT?
- It didn’t, did it? Did the goldfish really speak to you? - Isabel sounded more interested. - What did you ask for?
- Oh, I don’t know...- Joe wasn’t brave enough to tell her. No intelligent person asks a computer for anything. If she laughed at him, he would feel like a fool. - What could I ask for? I don’t need anything. Anyway could a computer give me?
Isabel looked at him carefully. - I don’t know. If you ask, you’ll find out.
Joe didn’t answer. He thought he had found out already. He looked down at his shoes. They were the same comfortable old shoes he’d put on that morning. He had been wearing them nearly every day for the last year.
Isabel was silent during dinner. She picked up her spoon and finished her soup without a word. She stared at her plate as she ate her spaghetti.
- Well, did you enjoy that? - Joe asked her.
- Yes. - She smiled at him. I was hungry.
She waited until they were drinking their coffee. Then she said, - Joe, I’ve been thinking. Why don’t you play that game again and ask the goldfish for a nice little house? You know how much I want one.
At first, Joe just stared at her. Then he said, - You’re not serious, are you, Isabel? - It wasn’t like Isabel. She didn’t belive in magic.
- Of course I’m serious. Look at this flat. It’s too small for us. We can’t turn round in it! Look at the furniture. It’s all old. You say you don’t need anything. I think we need a lot of things. Next time, when you win the game, say you want a house. - She certainly sounded serious.
Joe was surprised. He looked at his wife. - Now who’s crazy? - He asked. - What could a computer give you, except another game, perhaps?
Isabel looked straight back at him. - Promise me, - she said. - Promise me, Joe. On Monday, when you go into the office, you’ll play the goldfish game again. When you win, it’ll ask you what you want. Tell the goldfish that you want a nice little house.
Joe didn’t say anything for a moment, but he knew when he was beaten. He nodded. - OK, Isabel. I promise. But the whole idea is crazy. It’s only a game.
Isabel smiled. - I know it’s only a game, but what can we lose? Oh, and Joe...
She got up and went into the hall. When she returned a moment later, she was carrying a paper bag. - I forgot to tell you. My brother brought these into the office just before I came home. He bought them a few months ago and has never worn them. They’re too small for him. He thinks they may be your size.
Joe took the bag and opened it. Inside, he found a pair of size ten shoes.
*** *** *** ***
On Monday Linda went out early lunch. Joe was still working at the computer when Mrs Parker went out, too.
When she had gone, he took out the computer game. He felt like a fool but he knew he had to do it. He had promised Isabel. He had to play the game and win. Then he had to ask for his reward.
He could not believe his eyes when the goldfish swam straight into the net. The blue fish, the green fish and the red fish with white spots did not get near it. The cat and the bird were left at the pond.
He lifted the goldfish out of the pond and dropped it into the goldfish bowl. The goldfish swam round and round the bowl.
Then it swam towards Joe. It was opening and shutting its mouth. The message on the screen said:
YOU HAVE SAVED MY LIFE
YOU HAVE WON A PRIZE
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Joe scratched his head. - Dear goldfish, - he said, - I have become quite fond of you. Please, don’t be angry with me. I’m afraid I’m going to ask for a really big prize this time.
He breathed deeply and then slowly typed the message, I WANT A NICE LITTLE HOUSE. To himself he added, - I hope the neighbours will be friendly. - It was all so strange. He had to make a joke of it. A moment later he saw that his message had been accepted:
MESSAGE UNDERSTOOD
GOODBYE
When Joe reached home that evening, there were a lot of boxes and bags in the hall of the flat. Isabel was in the bedroom, but she rushed out when she heard him.
- Joe, you clever, clever man! How did you do it? Isn’t it wonderful! - She gave him a big hug and kiss. - I’ve been to see the house and we’re moving immediately. We can sleep there tonight. I’ve never been so excited in all my life!
Joe kissed her again, for luck. He was glad that she was happy. - What happened? - He asked. He couldn’t think of anything else to say, but Isabel didn’t notice.
- I came home early this afternoon, - she continued, - and I found a card in the door. It was a business card and it said, ‘You have won a nice little house’. It gave the address. It’s where they’re building all those new Hacket Homes. So I went there right away. It’s lovely! It’s wonderful! Call a taxi, will you, Joe? We’re going there now. I’ve put a lot of things in bags and boxes, and we can get the other things tomorrow.
- What about the furniture? - asked Joe. - We can’t sleep there without furniture.
- It’s already furnished! - cried Isabel. - You must know that. It’s one of the show houses. Everything in it is new. And it has a wonderful, modern kitchen, just like the ones in magazines. I just love it, Joe!
- That’s great! - said Joe.
- You thought you could fool me, didn’t you? That story about a goldfish? A computer game! You knew all the time that we had won the competition in The Daily News. I’d forgotten about it myself. I filled in the form in the newspaper months ago.
Joe looked serious. - That wasn’t a story about the goldfish, - he said. - It was true.
Isabel stared at him and he stared back. For a moment they both felt frightened. Then Isabel frowned and said, - I don’t belive it. We’ve had good luck, that’s all. Call the taxi, Joe.
For a few months, Isabel was happy. - Of course, the house is very small, - she said. - The rooms aren’t much larger than the ones in the flat, and the furniture’s cheap. But you can’t have everything. The neighbours are friendly.
Joe had a difficult time in the office. Mrs Parker and Linda did not believe that they had won their new Hacket home and all the furniture in a newspaper competition. - What competition? - they asked.
- Isabel thinks you probably helped us, Mrs Parker, - Joe told his boss. - You know a lot of people in the Hacket Homes Company.
Mrs Parker looked shocked. - That’s not true, Joe. I didn’t know anything about the competition, and I didn’t know Isabel had filled in from.
- You said the wrong thing that time, Joe, - Linda said later. - She’s really angry. You’re very lucky, Joe. Maybe you don’t need a job any more! - She stood up and said, - Anyway, I wouldn’t want to win a house, if I couldn’t win it honestly.
*** *** *** ***
- You know, Joe, I’ve been thinking, - said Isabel one evening. - This house is very small, and the furniture is cheap and nasty. We still own the flat. Let’s sell this house and the flat, and buy a bigger house.
- No, - said Joe.
- Then, - Isabel went on, - if we have any money left, we can buy some new furniture. Could you find us a house?
- Certainly not! - said Joe. - I like this house. It’s our home now, and the neighbours are friendly. I won’t sell the flat and I don’t want a bigger house. This one is big enough. It’s beautiful. Everything in it is new.
Isabel gave him a hug and kiss. - Dear Joe, you never change. You’ve never been ambitious and you never will be. I want a bigger, better house. If you won’t sell the flat, - she laughed, - you’ll have to ask the goldfish.
Joe groaned. He didn’t play the goldfish game any more. He felt frightened when he thought about it. He never joked about it. - I don’t want to do that, - he said, - I don’t want to ask the goldfish for anything more.
- No, but you will, - said Isabel. - You would be silly if you didn’t. Think about it.
*** *** *** ***
Joe thought about it for a long time. When he didn’t think about it, Isabel talked about it. She didn’t let him forget the idea.
At last, one evening in the summer, he pulled the computer game out of the drawer of his desk. He hadn’t forgotten how to play it. Soon the fish was in the bowl and he was invited to ask for his reward.
- Poor little goldfish, - said Joe. - I know you’ve done a lot for us already, but we need something more.
He typed in the words. - I WANT A BIGGER HOUSE AND BETTER FUNITURE - He felt guilty. He and Isabel were becoming really greedy. But the fish didn’t look surprised. It just opened and shut its mouth. Then the words - MESSAGE UNDERSTOOD - appeared on the screen.
*** *** *** ***
The new house had a lot of large rooms and bathrooms. It was another show house and it was like the house of a film star. It was full of useless and expensive objects and flowers that were not real. There was a television in every room. There were two garages, but Joe and Isabel didn’t own a car. There was a large garden, with fruit trees and plenty of flowers. Joe walked around it like a visitor in film studio. He was astonished. He could not belive it was real.
- There! You see? - said Isabel. - Isn’t fantastic? I said you were a clever man, didn’t I? Now we have a really beatiful home, and we still have money in the bank. - She gave him a small kiss.
Joe smiled. He was beginning to agree with Isabel. He was clever. Very clever. He had done it all. He had won a very difficult computer game and received his reward. He felt excited. He had a lot of power.
Isabel put her hand on his arm. I knew you only had had to ask the goldfish. - She laughed. - It will be easier next time.
- There won’t be next time, - said Joe.
- Oh yes, there will, - said Isabel.
- Aren’t you satisfied? - He asked her. - What do you want? You’ve got everything.
- Oh, Joe, don’t you see? Our life is different now. We can’t ride on buses. We’ll need two cars, one for you and one for me. And who’s going to clean all those rooms and bathrooms? We’ll need servants. And who will cut the grass and water the flowers? You won’t want to do it. We’ll need a gardener.
- I see, - said Joe. It was true. Their life had changed.
- But we don’t have to ask the goldfish right now, - said Isabel. - We can wait. We may think of more things we want.
*** *** *** ***
Mrs Parker and Linda joked about Joe and his wonderful house. They called him „Mr Money Bags”. Joe knew they were laughing at him and he didn’t like it. He began to go into the office late and leave early. He forgot appointments. It wasn’t a very good job, anyway. It was only a small estate agent’s office.
Isabel was busy. She was making plans. - You won’t need a job, Joe, - she announced one day. - We’re not going to ask for anything small this time. We’ll ask for a beautiful big house in the country, an old castle, perhaps. We’ll become landowners. We’ll have farms and lots of workers. We won’t need to work.
Joe didn’t argue with her. He wasn’t happy in the office. He didn’t like the house, either. The neighbours weren’t friendly. Neither of them wanted to stay in that house and they could go anywhere they wanted. He promised to speak to the goldfish.
*** *** *** ***
It was a Sunday evening and Isabel went with him. He unlocked the office door with his key and started to play the game.
He saved the goldfish easily. He could not lose the game now. When the goldfish asked what he wanted for his prize, Isabel told Joe what to say. He began to type list, and it got longer and longer. The goldfish’s mouth opened and shut.
It was getting late. - Have you finished? - Joe asked Isabel. - Have you asked for everything you want?
- Yes. Just say that you want to keep it all forever, - she replied. The computer was beginning to make strange crackling noises, but Joe typed those words in, too.
The crackling got louder and louder. Red and white lights flashed. Lines and circles chased each other round the screen. The goldfish seemed frightened. It swam away and disappeared. In its place there was a message?
WARNING! OVERLOAD
MESSAGE NOT ACCEPTED
GO BACK TO YOUR FLAT
Joe got angry. - What does that mean? - He shouted. - I typed it in correctly, what’s wrong with the thing? Find my computer book, Isabel. There’s a fault somewhere.
But the crackling got louder and the lights flashed more wildly. Flames appeared along the electric wires. A pile of papers began to burn.
Isabel screamed. - Fire! Run, Joe! Run! - She was terrified.
- There’s going to be an explosion. - Smoke was pouring from the computer. The desk was on fire.
When the explosion happened, it made the loudest, most terrifying noise either of them had ever heard. Through a shower of metal and broken glass, they were black with smoke. They ran till they reached the corner.
But as they ran, Joe could hear a very small voice. It was whispering, „Clever...clever...’, or something like that. He didn’t tell Isabel. She didn’t seem to hear it. He knew it was the voice of the goldfish.
THE END
