The Bottled Message
Arun, a 10-year-old boy living in the country of Vietnam. He often helped his Dad fish. They would push their wooden longboat out into the ocean.
Once they got to the right spot, they would throw the large net and pull it in after a bit.
Arun helped his father throw out the fishing net
They would then return to shore and sell the fish at the bustling market.
The fish market
As they waited for the fish to come into the net, Arun closed his eyes. He loved the feel of the early-morning sun on his face. The air felt loaded with water, smelling of salt and hope for a good catch.
Arun felt the early morning sun on his face
That morning, as Arun sat with his eyes closed, the net suddenly tensed. It was time.
It was time to pull in the fish
Arun and his Dad began the heavy task of pulling in the net. It was filled with shimmering fish and — wait, what was that? Something caught the light, tucked deep in the net.
A bottle was caught in the net
It was a very old bottle. Arun’s Dad laughed. “What have you got there, son? A piece of ocean junk?”
“There’s something inside!” Arun said excitedly.
Arun pulled the bottle from the net
Arun dried the bottle, then tried to remove the cork. It was in there pretty tightly. After a few minutes, there was a “POP!” and the cork came out.
Arun remove the cork
The first thing Arun noticed was the smell. Although he was sitting in a boat filled with fish, the smell from the bottle was different. It smelled of old damp paper, the paper that was inside the bottle.
Dad leaned in and teased, “Maybe it’s a treasure map.” His eyes twinkled with curiosity.
Arun carefully eased the paper from the bottle. It was soft and felt like cloth in his hands.
He unfolded it slowly, his heart thumping in his chest. It wasn’t a map to treasure at all. It was a drawing of a beautiful bird!
A bird was on the paper from inside the bottle
Below the bird, words were written in a language Arun didn’t understand.
“That’s English, son,” said Dad. “It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I’m pretty sure it says, ‘I love you.’”
Arun and his Dad looked at the paper
“Who would send a message like that?” said Arun. “They don’t know me. Why would they love me?”
He looked at the bird. He had never seen one like that where he lived. The drawing was beautiful, though. He could imagine putting it on the wall of his bedroom; it would make a nice addition.
Arun pictured the drawing on his bedroom wall
“You don’t have to know someone to love them, my love,” said Dad quietly. “You can have love for people you’ve never even met. For instance, you’ve said you loved cake, every flavor. Have you tried them all?”
Arun loved cake
“No,” said Arun.
“Some cakes are chocolatey, some are fruity, some are plain, but you would love them all because they’re all cake, right?” asked Dad.
“Yes,” Arun drawled. He wasn’t sure where Dad was going with this.
“It’s the same with people, Dad said, looking at the horizon. “They all come in different flavors and colors, but they’re all part of our big human family. And you can have love for them all, just like the person who drew this bird.”
The world has many types of people
Arun looked at Dad. “Can I send my own drawing and put it in the same bottle? Maybe I can send some love to someone else!”
“Absolutely! That’s a great idea,” said Dad, hugging Arun. “Let’s do it after we unload the fish.”
Arun had forgotten about the fish, even though they were jumping all over the bottom of the boat.
Arun forgot about the fish
Later that day, Arun sat at the desk in his room, drawing.
Arun drew his own message
He knew he wouldn’t ever find who picked up his bottle, but he would send it anyway. You can never give too much love.
© 2026 Laurie Leiker
Grandma Laurie
