hristmas ritters 

The Animals that Saved Christmas 

by Dahni Santa Bopa

© 2013 all rights reserved

ai the hristmas oi

(Part III continued)

   ome people may hang an ornament on their bonsai (bone-sigh) or little tree. Bonsai are pruned and trained little trees to grow in certain ways and never grow very large.

Bonsai (little tree) with a red ball

   n many places all over the world, there is a fish called, carp. Even a gold fish is a certain kind of carp. In Japan, they are called, Koi (coy). That's what Koi means in Japanese, carp. But in Japan, Koi are very special!  

   oi can be as small as a little goldfish or as large as a small dog. Some live to be very old. They are gentle, kind and peaceful critters.

   n Japanese, Koi is a homophone which is a word that is pronounced the same as another, but has a different meaning. Another word, Koi, means, "affection" or "love." In Japan, Koi are symbols of love and friendship. People place them in water gardens to show their beauty, peaceful and gentle natures and to show their loved ones and guests, this wonderful sign of love and affection.

   ishikigoi (neah-she-key-goy) is the full name of this fish and means, brocaded carp. They are so beautiful and each so different. They look like their many colors and designs have been woven into them with a needle and silk threads. Some are solid in color as all white, brown, tan, yellow and even a pale green. Others have as many as five different colors. Some have patterns and others look as if they have stains of black ink. Others are shiny like metals of silver and gold. Some have blue-net like patterns. Koi are often called swimming jewels or living art. As they swim around their pools, their art change as they never look exactly the same.

Koi in a water garden - "Swimming Jewels"

"Living Art" - Video 

   here are at least 23 different kinds of Koi patterns and types. Many of them change their colors and patterns throughout their lives. The story about these many changes are that each Koi is at a different stage of becoming, a flying dragon. Some of their patterns make some of them look like Japanese ink paintings of dragons. And besides these constant changes, most Koi love to jump up waterfalls which is another reason it is thought that they are all changing and will one day, become dragons.

   ai, our Christmas Critter is, a Koi and a certain kind. He is a Tancho – (tahn-choh). A Tancho is an all white Koi except for a red pattern on top of his head. It looks like he is wearing a hat or a cap or a "crown."

Kai is a Tancho (tahn-choh) Koi with a red "crown" 

   ancho are highly popular in Japan as they look very similar to the Grus japonensis (grus jah-pin-nen-sis), or Red-Crowned Crane. In Japan, this crane is known as the tanchōzuru (tahn-choh-zoo-roo).

Tanchohzuru (tahn-cho-zoo-roo) the Red Crowned Crane

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