A Fable: The Wrasse and the Grouper

The Wrasse and the Grouper

'Neath towering ocean's briny swell
Lay a coral reef where myriad creatures dwell.
Of them all, two draw our attention under the sea;
Listen close! Their tale I shall relate to thee:

The grouper, that humongous leviathan, mouth open wide
In which many a gnawing parasite does hide,
And the Wrasse, that diminutive blue-streaked fish,
Whose appetite for those parasites it could never vanquish.

The grouper, ever suffering from the bite of the aquatic bug
Would open up it's cavernous mouth, inviting the wrasse in for a friendly hug!
Thus the Wrasse obtains its daily meal
And the Grouper receives a spotless mouth for its end of the deal.

For many a year this mutually beneficial deal went along
Til one foolish grouper made it all go wrong:
His orange belly stretching so impossibly wide,
Its ceaseless groaning echoing powerfully through the tide!

He swam down to the cleaning station and left his maw agape,
Curling his plump lips into a most inviting shape.
A dozen Wrasse paddled in his massive dinner bowl,
And in a terrible instant they were all swallowed whole.

Off he swam, and far away,
Leaving the surviving Wrasse in most awful dismay–
As his great and terrible jaws gnashed,
Their happy social order was instantaneously smashed.

Many a grouper came to be cleaned and all were denied
For it took but one selfish act and all trust thus died;
On all large fish the parasites feasted–
And for what? A single gluttonous soul who selfishly cheated.