QotD: Well, maybe they don't need them, but don't you think that some fish might like a bicycle?

Once upon a time, in a lovely little cottage at the eddy of the stream, there lived a Papa Fish, a Mama Fish, and a Baby Fish. Because she was their only child, they spoiled her, and the nearby backwater was littered with toys she’d outgrown. Baby Fish didn’t know exactly why she was without siblings, but sometimes she heard Mama Fish crying while Papa Fish tried to comfort her. Mama Fish said things like it was just too hard to forgive friends who’d do such a thing. He’d pat her and murmur that Nature sometimes overcame even good fish. Though she hinted and then begged, they refused to explain to Baby Fish, so it remained a mystery.

One day a handsome young fish rode by the eddy on a silver bicycle that had a little bell on the handlebars. Baby Fish swam out for a closer look, and the handsome young fish braked for a closer look at her. “Hi there,” he said, and Baby Fish’s insides went all funny. “Do you want to ride it?”

Of course she did, and soon she was balanced on the seat, her fins firm upon the handlebars. Half a second later, she’d fallen off. So much harder than it looked. He encouraged her to try again, and she promptly fell off again. By dinnertime, Baby Fish was close to tears. She was a terrible bicyclist, and the handsome young fish must think she was a real loser. She hardly ate any dinner, and she cried herself to sleep that night.

To her surprise, the handsome young fish came by the next morning, on a different sort of bicycle. “It’s a bicycle built for two,” he said. “This is what we needed all along. Hop on, Baby Fish.” She did, and wonder of wonders, she never came close to falling off. The handsome young fish did all the steering, and together they balanced just fine.

They rode up and down the stream every day, and one time he even took her far enough to see the great river. Just looking at the thundering water made her shiver, but he turned around to comfort her, and ended up kissing her right on the mouth. “Oh!” she said, and kissed him right back.

It wasn’t long before he took her to see his home, a comfortable two-story town house tucked behind a great rock. Things got fishy, naturally, and pretty soon they were doing more than kissing. In the end, Baby Fish surprised herself by laying four rows of eggs in his den. “It’ll be the nursery,” he whispered tenderly, and sprayed a lovely film all over the eggs.

The wedding was a tremendous affair, with fish coming from as far as twelve miles away to celebrate with the happy couple. They received so many presents that Baby Fish didn’t think they’d ever be able to open them all. She spied several fish hugging Mama Fish, tearfully hoping for eventual forgiveness, but she never overheard what exactly the fish had done.

It wasn’t long before the eggs in the nursery began to hatch. Baby Fish fell in love with every one of her little fishlings, and the handsome young fish was so proud he began to sing, which is very difficult for a fish. He whirled Baby Fish around in a happy dance and said they must throw a party, the biggest party ever so they could show off their tiny offspring.

A terrible suspicion suddenly entered Baby Fish’s head. She watched her tiny babies swimming merrily about the nursery, poking their tiny noses into everything, and the suspicion grew. “Nope,” she said firmly. She looked into the handsome young fish’s disappointed face and realized he couldn’t kiss or cuddle her out of this particular decision. “No party, no announcement, no nothing. Not until they’re a whole lot bigger. I mean it!” The handsome young fish saw how serious she was, and agreed.

That was the day Baby Fish changed her name. From now on, she was Mommy Fish, and the handsome young fish, if he wanted to stick around, would have to be Daddy Fish. She wriggled her tail just so as she delivered this ultimatum. He grinned and swam close for a delicious kiss. “Anything you say, Mommy.”