Dahulu kala di sebuah desa nelayan yang sangat miskin. Seorang anak nelayan, Nero, bersahabat dengan Mohi, seekor ikan jenis black swallower. Kedua sahabat karib ini sering bertemu dan bertukar cerita di tengah laut samudra. Keakraban dua sahabat ini tidak ada yang tahu. (Once upon a time in a very poor fishermen’s village, a fisherman kid, Nero, befriend a black swallower fish, Mohi. The two best friends often meet and exchange stories in the middle of the ocean. No one knows about the friendship between the two.)
Suatu hari, Nero dituduh mencuri ikan yang ada di keramba apung di tengah laut, milik saudagar ikan yang sangat pelit. Nero ditangkap dan dipenjara di penjara desa. Ada saksi yang melihat kalau Nero sering naik perahu ke tengah laut. (One day, Nero is accused to have stolen the fish inside a floating cage in the middle of the sea, which belongs to a penny-pinching fishmonger. Nero is arrested and being hold in the village jail. An eyewitness saw Nero often board a boat to the middle of the sea.)
Suatu malam dalam tidurnya, Nero berkomunikasi dengan Mohi melalui telepati. “Nero, ke mana saja kau sampai tidak lagi menemuiku di tengah laut?” tanya Mohi heran pada sahabatnya. “Aku dipenjara karena dituduh mengambil ikan milik saudagar yang ada di keramba tengah laut,” jelas Nero. “Kenapa kau tidak membela diri?” tanya Mohi kembali. “Tidak mungkin aku jelaskan kepada mereka kalau aku ke tengah laut untuk menemui sahabatku,” ucap Nero. (One night in his sleep, Nero communicates with Mohi through telepathy. “Nero, where have you been that you haven’t met me in the middle of the sea?” asks Mohi, curious about his friend. “I am in jail for being accused of taking the fishmonger’s fish in the cage in the middle of the sea,” Nero explains. “Why didn’t you defend yourself?” Mohi asks. “I couldn’t say to them that I was going to the sea to meet my best friend,” Nero replies.)
Mohi pun memutar otak bagaimana caranya agar ia bisa membebaskan sahabatnya. Mohi lalu pergi ke keramba tengah laut. “Hai, Penjaga! Akulah yang telah mencuri ikan di keramba ini, bukan Nero!” ujar Mohi lantang. “Mana mungkin? Ikan-ikan ini lebih besar dari mu!” ujar penjaga. “Kalau tidak percaya, bedah saja perutku. Tapi, Saudagarmu harus melepaskan Nero yang tidak bersalah itu!” seru Mohi. ( Mohi then thinks hard how he can free his best friend. Mohi then goes to the cage in the middle of the sea. “Hey, guard! I am the one who stole the fish inside this cage, not Nero!” says Mohi out loud. “How can you? These fishes are bigger than you!” replies the guard. “If you don’t believe me, cut into my stomach. But, your fishmonger must let the innocent Nero go!” exclaims Mohi.)
Saudagar ikan menyetujui permintaan Mohi. “Ayo, bedahlah perutku untuk membuktikan kalau yang memakan ikan di dalam keramba itu adalah aku, bukan Nero!” ujar Mohi. “Jangan Mohi, kau akan mati!” ucap Nero menangis tersedu. (The fishmonger agrees to Mohi’s demand. “Go on, cut my stomach to prove that I was the one who ate the fish inside the cage, not Nero!” exclaims Mohi. “No Mohi, you’ll die!” says Nero in tears.)
Sang saudagar pun menyuruh penjaga keramba membedah perut Mohi. Di dalam perut Mohi didapati ikan seperti yang ada di keramba. Ikan tersebut dimakan Mohi malam sebelumnya untuk menolong Nero. Nero pun dibebaskan. Ia sempat berbicara pada Mohi sesaat sebelum mati kehabisan darah. “Kau tidak perlu berkorban seperti ini, Mohi,” ucap Nero sedih. Mohi pun mati dengan tersenyum. (The fishmonger then asks the cage guard to cut Mohi’s stomach. Inside of Mohi’s stomach, there are the fish just like the ones inside the cage. The fish was eaten by Mohi the night before to help Nero. Nero is set free. He has the chance to talk to Mohi moments before it bleeds to death. “You didn’t have to sacrifice yourself, Mohi,” says the sad Nero. Mohi then dies with a smile.)
Tiba-tiba, angin berhembus kencang dan tercium wangi di sekitar laut. Mohi terbawa angin dan menghilang. “Selamat jalan sahabat sejatiku,” ucap Nero dari hati terdalamnya. (Suddenly, the wind gusts strongly and a fragrant scent arose around the sea. Mohi is then blown by the wind and disappears. “Farewell my true friend,” says Nero from the bottom of his heart.) (Teks: Just For Kids/ Ilustrasi: Just For Kids/ Translator: Yos)
