He found a section of the bay just right
to keep boats away every day and every night.
With his new team of friends he got started right away.
He became a fish protector and is still one today.

There was one person left in our family of three.
Telling other people was left up to me.
I wrote on papers that I took door-to-door.
When I used all the papers, I went home and wrote more.

Our neighbors and friends were very nice to me
as I told them the plight of the fish in the sea.
They said, “My goodness,”and asked what they could do.
I said, “Funny you should ask, I was about to tell you.
My idea is simple, even childish,
but for five days a week say, ‘No fish in my dish!’
The fish will have time to have babies and then,
slowly the oceans will fill up again.”

They liked my idea, they liked it a lot.
Some said, “OK,”others gave it some thought.
After a while, my idea took hold
and week after week fewer fish were sold.

There was no longer a reason to catch millions of fish
because so many people said, “No fish in my dish.”
The giant steel boats with their nets and their lines
slowed down their fishing with the changing times.

And how ‘bout that fish in Daddy's cooler, alive?
She went to Daddy's zone where she swam and thrived.
She was the fish that had started it all.
She called out to our family and we heeded her call.

One night over dinner -with a no-fish dish-
Daddy said maybe there was something we missed.
“Our town heard us quickly and saved fish in our bay,
but what about all the good towns far away?
Let's take this story to those people, too,
so they know the problem and see what to do.”

Telling other people was still in my hands.
How to get the story to faraway lands?

“I'll just write it,” I thought, “in words that rhyme.
And I'll keep it short so it takes little time.
I'll put copies in bottles every single day,
tie the bottles to fish that swim far away.”
So that's what I did, it was all I could do,
to get this easy, great idea from me to you.

Here you go, friend. Here is my wish:
For five days a week, say,

“No fish in my dish!”