Here are the words to the story, which have been posted on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Youtube also has a poignant video of children reading the book, which can be accessed by typing in his name in the Youtube search box or going to the June 23, 2008 section of archived articles on the Librarians for Fairness website.
"When the Shark and the Fish First Met" A small and gentle fish was swimming in the middle of a peaceful ocean. All of a sudden, the fish saw a shark that wanted to devour him. He then began to swim very quickly, but so did the shark. Suddenly the fish stopped and called to the shark: "Why do you want to devour me? We can play together!" The shark thought and thought and said: "Okay- fine: Let's play hide and seek." The shark and fish played all day long, until the sun went down. In the evening, the shark returned to his home. His mother asked: "How was your day, my dear shark? How many animals did you devour today?" The shark answered: "Today I didn't devour any animals, but I played with an animal called FISH". "That fish is an animal we eat. Don't play with it!" said the shark's mother. At the home of the fish, the same thing happened. "How are you, little fish? How was it today in the sea?" asked the fish's mother. The fish answered: "Today I played with an animal called SHARK." "That shark is the animal that devoured your father and your brother. Don't play with that animal," answered the mother. The next day in the middle of the ocean, neither the shark nor the fish were there. They didn't meet for many days, weeks and even months. Then, one day they met. Each one immediately ran back to his mother and once again they didn't meet for days, weeks and months. After a whole year passed, the shark went out for a nice swim and so did the fish. For a third time, they met and then the shark said: "You are my enemy, but maybe we can make peace?" The little fish said: "Okay." They played secretly for days, weeks and months, until one day the shark and fish went to the fish's mother and spoke together with her. Then they did the same thing with the shark's mother; and from that same day the sharks and the fish live in peace. THE END Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org