The Secret Goldfish

"Twenty five, fifty, seventy five, one dollar." Counted little Jimmy. He counted the four quarters and held them as prized possessions. They were actually, these four quarters. Jimmy had earned them delivering newspapers. It was summertime in New York. The days seemed long and the nights seemed short. He was just about to turn ten. As he sat on the sidewalk in front of his family's house, bike at side, Jimmy looked down at his earnings. He looked down and thought about all the possibilities he could do with these quarters. Jimmy's older brother Stuart stepped out of the house.
"Whatcha doing Jimmy? Those from your paper routes?" asked Stuart. "Yup, four quarters. I saved them for the past month." said Jimmy. "Well earned Jimmy boy." said Stuart. Then he took off to meet Julie. Stuart was well off into his teenage years, Jimmy hardly saw Stuart anymore. When they were little Stuart let Jimmy follow him everywhere.
When they were little that is. Stuart had no time for his younger brother anymore. Now he had his friends, baseball; girlfriend there wasn't much time to play with his kid brother anymore. Sixteen, no time for any kiddy games. Still, Jimmy and Stuart were very close. Jimmy always looked up to Stuart.
Jimmy still sat on the sidewalk looking in his palm at his quarters. No surprise that is. He had earned these by himself a whole four weeks worth of work. So many possibilities with four quarters. He pondered over this as he spun the wheel of his bike. The sun hit the back of his neck and warmed his skin. He decided to ride into town. He would surely find something in town to get his money's worth.
As he got on his bike, he thought of what he could do with his money. Why, there was a lot of options for little Jimmy; gum, baseball cards, new yo-yo. He had wanted a new yo-yo for a while now. So that’s what it would be, a new yo-yo.
Jimmy pedaled through the town looking at the shop windows. He rode passed them reading the different window signs. He came into town often and recognized many faces. The town's butcher, and he shouted a hello to the barber. Riding though town, he saw the pet shop. He saw three golden retriever puppies yapping in the window. Jimmy decided to take a look. He had a love for dogs, but his parents would never let them get one of their own.
Jimmy looked at the puppies in the window. Glaring though the glass a sign in bright green lettering said "Goldfish- 50 cents". Jimmy decided to take a step inside. "Hey there Jimmy boy!" welcomed Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson owned the town pet shop. "Hey there Mr. Anderson. How ya doing?" "Fine, thank you boy. How are you?" "Good Mr. Anderson, I'm fine. Saw the sign though the window about some goldfish?' said Jimmy. "Yes! Goldfish. Only fifty cents now Jimmy boy." said Mr. Anderson. "Fifty cents for a fish fifty cents for a new fishbowl. Looking for a pet goldfish there Jimmy?" "Well, I got these quarters from my paper route Mr. Anderson. Dollar in all. I was thinkin' 'bout buying a new yo-yo with it- but goldfish sure is a good deal." Said Jimmy. Jimmy thought about this. He didn't really have a pet before, and his parents sure wouldn't mind a pet goldfish. "I'll take one Mr. Anderson." "Sure thing Jimmy!" said Mr. Anderson. So Mr. Anderson walked over to the fish tank and scooped out one fish. Then he grabbed the rounded glass fishbowl and put it into a bag and handed it to Jimmy. "Thank you sir." said Jimmy. "Sure thing there Jimmy boy." said Mr. Anderson.
So little Jimmy walked out the door with his new pet goldfish and fishbowl and walked over to his bike. He hung the handles of the bag on his bike and started for home.
As he pedaled home, Jimmy thought of his new fish. He had never had a pet before and he was so excited to show his family. The sun was setting now and the calm Sunday afternoon was coming to an end. As he neared home, Jimmy thought he could here someone speaking. He didn't think much of it though, he continued home.
When he got home, he found a note on the kitchen table saying that his parents were gone and would return shortly from the market. So jimmy took the new shiny glass bowl, filled it with water, and dropped the new fish inside. As he opened the bag, the little goldfish jumped out into the bowl and screamed, "Where am I!" Jimmy was startled and stepped away from the bowl.
"Who said that!" shouted Jimmy. "Who else would say it!" said the little goldfish.
"You, you can talk!" said Jimmy. "Well that would make sense. I'm a magical goldfish." "What does that mean!" asked Jimmy. "Well kid, that means three wishes. I'll grant you three wishes. It'll only work for a day though, from now till tomorrow evening. The only thing is, only you can make wishes. Don't let anybody else see me. A talking goldfish might freak them out ya' know? So Whatcha gonna wish for kid?" Jimmy thought about this. There were so many possibilities!
Jimmy already knew what his first wish was going to be. He always wanted a puppy. So that’s what he wished for. "Goldfish, I want to wish for a puppy." "A puppy? Sure thing kid. What kinna puppy?" asked the goldfish. Jimmy remembered the golden retrievers he saw in the window before he bought his goldfish. "Could I get one of those golden retriever puppies that are at he pets shop? I've always wanted a puppy." "Sure thing kid" said the goldfish. Before he knew it, Jimmy's mother and father were coming though the front door with a little golden retriever in hand. "Hey Jimmy boy!" shouted his father. "We have something for you, come help us with these groceries will ya?" so Jimmy ran to the front door and eagerly greeted his new puppy. He happily and gratefully thanked his parents and went back into the kitchen with his new puppy to show the goldfish. "You really are magical Mr. Goldfish!" said Jimmy. "Thought I as kiddin' ya huh kid?" laughed the goldfish. 'Thanks a ton." Said Jimmy.
"Who ya talkin' to there Jimmy boy?" said Jimmy's father. Jimmy quickly covered the fishbowl with the plastic bag, grabbed it and went upstairs to his room. "Nobody dad, just my new pup." Said Jimmy.
He set the fishbowl down on his nightstand and shut his eyes. "You gotta make your two wishes tomorrow kid." said the goldfish. "You betcha." Jimmy thought about what his two wishes were going to be and drifted off to sleep.
The morning came and Jimmy eagerly woke up. "I know what my second wish is gonna be Mr. Goldfish." said Jimmy. "Let me hear it kid." replied the goldfish. "I wish that my brother Stuart would hang out with me again. He never has any time to hang out with me anymore cause he has a girlfriend now. We used at' hang out a lot before ya' know?" "Sure thing kid. You sure that’s what you want?" said the goldfish. "Yessir Mr. Goldfish. That’s what I want."
Ten minutes later old Stuart came walking through the door. "Hey there Jimmy. Date with Julie's cancelled she' got sick with the flu. Wanna do somethin' today? Play some checkers maybe?" asked Stuart. "Sure! Let me go get the board." said Jimmy. As Jimmy gathered his board and headed downstairs. "Thanks Mr. Goldfish" whispered Jimmy.
They day was growing old and Jimmy had to use his last wish. Jimmy sat on his bed and thought about the past days. A puppy, his brother, what else could he wish for? As Jimmy walked upstairs to talk to the goldfish, he saw his brother in his room. "Hey Jimmy boy, why you gotta fishbowl here?" asked Stuart. "No! you're not supposed to…" When Jimmy peered into the fishbowl he saw that it was empty. "He told me I wasn't supposed to show him to anyone!" said Jimmy to Stuart. "Show what Jimmy? There's nothin' in that fishbowl." said Stuart.
Jimmy never saw the goldfish again, never got to make a final wish. But he realized all the things that he did get. His new puppy and his brother to play with him again. He didn't need much. Jimmy was happy and by golly he was grateful of that goldfish. And his four prized possessions.




Analysis
In my story, it is about a little boy who buys a goldfish with the money that he earned selling papers. When he gets home, the little boy named Jimmy, finds that this is a magical goldfish that he bought and that it can speak. The goldfish tells Jimmy that he will grant him three wishes. My story relates to the book Catcher In The Rye because Holden states that it is his favorite book. While Holden is speaking of his brother D.B, Holden says that his brother has written is The Secret Goldfish, which is one of his favorite books. Holden says, "He wrote this terrific book of short stories, The Secret Goldfish, in case you never heard of him. The best one was 'The Secret Goldfish.' It was about this little kid who wouldn't let anybody look at his goldfish because he'd bought it with his own money."
This relates to my story because it follows the same story line. Holden states that this is his favorite of D.B.'s books. That would mean that Holden likes how the story was written and the message that the story gives. For example, Holden would like a story that relates to "child innocence." My story relates to child innocence because there is s sense of fantasy and imagination something that children believe in. Adults wouldn't believe in such things like goldfish speaking or wishes coming true. Also, Holden loves his younger brother Allie who died. Jimmy takes some of the same traits as Allie such as being young and innocent.
So, this would appeal to Holden because of what the story means and how it was written. I had to make the story from the point of D.B before he went to Hollywood so I had to make it simplistic. I feel that the story is simplistic because it speaks of a little boy who has four quarters, which he treats at prized possessions. I also made the setting a small city in the state of New York and it had a cozy small town feel to it.