One crisp, Thursday, morning off from school in Denver, Bartholomew Hill was going to the local October Fest.  The October Fest was a fun filled event with rides, games, and food.  Bartholomew had been practicing all month for the chance to win the big stuffed bear at the baseball throw.  All Bartholomew had to do was throw a baseball at the milk bottles and knock them all down.  Bartholomew took the baseball in his hands and winded up a pitch.  But the ball slipped out of his sweaty hands and only hit two of the three bottles.  Bartholomew was really disappointed that he didn’t win the bear and sulked away from the stand.  The man at the game saw how disappointed Bartholomew was and decided to give him a consolation prize. 

He said, “I want you to have this.”  Bartholomew looked up and was handed a bag of water with a little orange fish in it.  “I thought you might like it.”

Bartholomew asked, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

The man said, “Love it and take care of it.”

Then Bartholomew replied, “Why?  What will a tiny goldfish ever do for me?”  He then grabbed the bag out of the man’s hands and ran off in tears.  When he got home he threw the bag on his desk, quickly did his homework, and then plopped on his bed.  The goldfish loved Bartholomew, but Bartholomew hated the goldfish.  But there was something Bartholomew didn’t know about this fish.  This fish was incredibly smart.

The next day Bartholomew had to wake up early to go to school.  He had set his alarm clock for 6:30 but somehow it got changed to 7:00.  Bartholomew rushed around trying to get ready.  He grabbed a bowl of Fruit Loops, combed half of his hair, slipped on his sneakers, and packed his backpack.  Or at least he thought he had, because on his desk laid his math homework. 

The goldfish had just woken up and had noticed Bartholomew wasn’t there.  He also noticed that the sheet of paper that Bartholomew was working on the last night was still on his desk.  The goldfish rolled his bag over towards the sheet of paper and pushed it towards the end of the desk where a window was open.  He pushed the paper out through the window, but the paper wasn’t the only thing to go out the window, the goldfish did too.  The paper and goldfish fell right into Bartholomew’s hands. 

Bartholomew thought that the paper had just blown out of the window and that the goldfish had just fallen.  Little did he know that the goldfish was trying to help him.  

When Bartholomew came home from school later that day he looked back at that moment before school and thought, “Wow, if I wouldn’t have brought my homework, I would’ve had detention.” 

That night Bartholomew was packing for a family vacation to a cabin in the mountains.  He was getting excited and ready to go.  Then, all of a sudden, Bartholomew’s younger sister, Shirley, came into Bartholomew’s room.  This scared the goldfish and he wiggled into Bartholomew’s suitcase.  Shirley said, “Have you named that goldfish you got at the October Fest. 

Bartholomew replied, “No, why would I do that.  It’s just a dumb little fish!”

Shirley said, “I think we should name him Mr. Wigglesworth, because he likes to wiggle.”

“Ok whatever, I don’t care,” replied Bartholomew. 

It was Saturday, and snow was coming down.  The Hills had just reached the mountain that their cabin was on. 

Mr. Hill told Bartholomew, “Watch after your little sister and make sure she doesn’t get left behind.”

Bartholomew said, “Ok whatever Dad.”

They hiked for what seemed like ages and then the Hill family finally made it to the top of the mountain.  Mr. Hill looked around for everyone, but Shirley was missing.  Everyone looked everywhere and they couldn’t find her.  Bartholomew sat down on a stump and set Mr. Wigglesworth down on the ground.  Then, all of a sudden, a squirrel with a nut scampered over to Mr. Wigglesworth.  Mr. Wigglesworth got scared and wiggled around in his bag.  This scared the squirrel, and caused him to drop his nut.  The nut rolled down the hill and started to form a snow ball the size of a car.  The snow ball rolled all the way down the hill and hit a man.  But this man, was no ordinary man, he was a kidnapper.  He was trying to kidnap poor, innocent Shirley and then Mr. Wigglesworth saved the day with his big chain reaction. 

At the end of the day everyone was happy and the loved Mr. Wigglesworth, even Bartholomew.  They loved him so much that they gave him a bowl to swim in. 

The next day was the last day of the October Fest, and the event of the evening was a circus.  There was a bear that was the main attraction.  He juggled and rode a unicycle.  But the bear escaped from his cage early Sunday morning.  The bear was lose and terrorizing everyone.  He eventually found the woods and climbed up the steep mountains.

While this was happening, Bartholomew was just waking up and he and Mr. Wigglesworth (who is now the loved, family pet) were going out to get firewood.  Then all of a sudden, Mr. Wigglesworth wiggled in his water bowl.  This made Bartholomew turn around to look and when he turned he was staring right into the yellow eyes of a ferocious, man eating, grizzly bear.  The bear was coming closer and closer, but Bartholomew couldn’t even scream he was so scared.  It pushed Bartholomew into a corner and kept inching forward.  Then right at that moment, Mr. Wigglesworth jumped into the air sacrificing his life for his friend’s.  The bear lunged forward and snatched the goldfish out of the air.  It licked its lips and walked away.  Bartholomew was devastated and ran away into the woods crying.  Eventually his family came and found him.  He told the story of how his friend had laid down his life for his own. 

That evening the Hills had a depressing drive home.  When Bartholomew and his family were almost home he remembered what he had said to the man at the October Fest, “What will a tiny goldfish ever do for me?”  Bartholomew said to himself, “He did so much for my family and I.  I don’t know how I could ever repay him.”

A few months later it was Christmas and Bartholomew and his family were opening up gifts.  Bartholomew was opening up a big box with green and red wrapping paper on it.  He tore open the box flaps and out popped a puppy.  Bartholomew had never been so happy in his entire life. 

Bartholomew forgot all about Mr. Wigglesworth and had great adventures with his puppy.  But Mr. Wigglesworth would never forget the boy whose life he saved.  His love for Bartholomew was immeasurable.