The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister | A Story of Humility, Friendship, Sharing and True Happiness

[Music] my bedtime studies a long way out in the deep blue sea there lived a fish not just an ordinary fish but the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean [Music] his scales were every shade of blue and green and purple with sparkling silver skulls among them the other fish were amazed at his beauty they called him rainbow fish come on rainbow fish they would call come and play with us but the rainbow fish would just glide past proud and silent letting his scale shimmer the rainbow fish was the most beautiful fish in the sea

but he never played with the other fish i'm too beautiful to play with them he thought one day a little blue fish followed after him rainbow fish wait for me please give me one of your shiny scales they are so wonderful and you have so many what you want me to give you one of my special skills who do you think you are cried the rainbow fish i will never give you any of my special skills get away from me shocked the little blue fish swam away he was so sad and he told all his

friends what had happened from then on no one would ask the rainbow fish to play anymore they would turn away whenever he swam by and they stopped admiring how beautiful his scales are the rainbow fish noticed that he was being avoided and he felt that he's no longer admired by the others what good were the dazzling shimmering skills with no one to admire them now he's the loneliest fish in the entire ocean one day he poured out his troubles to the starfish i really am beautiful why doesn't anybody like me i'm sorry rainbow fish but

i can't answer that for you said the starfish but beyond the coral reef is the deep cave there you will find a wise octopus maybe she can tell you the rainbow fish then went to go find a deep cave the rainbow fish finally found the deep cave and it was very dark inside and he couldn't see anything then suddenly two eyes caught him in their glare and the octopus emerged from the darkness i have been waiting for you said the octopus with a deep voice the waves have told me your story you are unhappy because

no one would want to play with you you feel that the others have wronged you but it is you has been wrong this is my advice give a glittering scale to each of the other fish you will no longer be the most beautiful fish in the sea but you will discover how to be happy i can't the rainbow fish said but the octopus had already disappeared into a dark cloud of ink give away my scales my beautiful shining skills never how could i ever be happy without them suddenly he felt the light touch of a

fin the little blue fish was back rainbow fish please don't be angry i just want one little scale the rainbow fish wavered only one very very small shimmery scale he thought well maybe i wouldn't miss just one carefully the rainbow fish pulled out the smallest scale and gave it to the little fish [Music] thank you thank you rainbow fish thank you very much the little blue fish bubbled playfully as he tucked the shiny scale in among his blue ones a rather peculiar feeling came over the rainbow fish for a long time he watched the little

blue fish swim back and forth with his new scale glittering in the water the little blue fish whizzed through the ocean with his scale flashing so it didn't take long before the rainbow fish was surrounded by the other fish everyone wanted a glittering scale me too rainbow fish can have one too said the other fish the rainbow fish shared his scales left and right and the more he gave away the more delighted he became when the water around him filled with glimmering scales he at last felt at home among the other fish in the end

the rainbow fish had only one shining scale left his most prized possessions had been given away yet he was very happy come on rainbow fish come and play with us here i come said the rainbow fish and happy as a splash he swam off to join his friends what are the lessons that we could learn from this story first be humble the rainbow fish didn't want to play with the other fish because he thought that he's too beautiful to mingle with them never look down on anybody treat everyone with dignity and respect you may be

successful and beautiful but that doesn't put you above everybody else remember we all have our unique gifts talents strengths and weaknesses be humble enough to know that you are far from perfect but confident enough to know that you can do anything you set your mind to second sharing sharing comes in many forms it could be us sharing our time efforts or whatever we have with other people we can help others even in our own simplest way third genuine happiness just like the rainbow fish you could be the most beautiful and the most successful yet still

be the loneliest as cliche as it may sound but happiness really lies within us sure we will be happy when we have all the best material things in the world but that happiness is temporary aim for that long lasting and genuine happiness remember happiness is an inside job