Fishtail: The Story of a Girl with a Summertime Braid

Each summer when you sit by the swimming pool, 

And you try to find a bit of shade to keep cool, 

Listen to the tales of fish in the open sea.

They might involve you, and they might involve me.

I like to braid my hair and tell stories aloud. 

I’m so good at spinning tales that my family is proud. 

The normal-type braid, I don’t ever do.

Fishtails are my favorite, let me braid one for you.

The fairytale will have a knight or a valiant king, 

And a princess that has a song to sing. 

An evil rotten witch is always a must,

But her plan in the end will need to go bust. 

The king saves the princess in the castle on a hill,

And love will win out, even if hope seems nil. 

Why don’t you braid a fishtail with your own hair?

I’ll listen to your story; it only seems fair. 

But a warning to tell you, fishtails have the charm. 

Other types of braids might bring you alarm. 

They have no story-magic or fancy at best.

Use your heart to practice fishtails; you will be blessed.

Divide the long hair in two larger sections, 

From which you take the outermost selections. 

Criss-cross the hair until you reach the end. 

By the end of the story, make a brand-new friend. 

You could braid three-strand or French braids all day, 

But none will bring you characters in a play. 

Three-strand braids use three sections to make one, 

And it stays together until you make it come undone. 

A French braid is classy but requires an accent,

So do Dutch braids which are having advent. 

Waterfall braids look good in long hair. 

Four-strand braids have a certain flair. 

The simple solution seems to be rope braids, 

Where two strands are twisted in double shades, 

But once again, none of these braids have tales. 

Only fishtails have stories that involve whales!

I’m listening to your fable as you make a braid,

Like fins in the sea, fishtails are handmade!

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters