How Axolotls Got Their Gills

By Elise Grade 4

Illustrated by

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One day, there was a little axolotl named Gary. His mother always told him: “Never, ever, go into the deep ocean.” Gary always wondered why she said that. Today he was going to find out. Gary sneakily swam right out of their mini underwater cave. Laine the lobster was crawling on the ocean floor and asked, “Gary?”
“Yes?” Gary replied.
“Want to swim with me?” Laine asked.
“Gotta go! Gotta go! No time!” Gary sang out loud.
 “Ok,” Laine said

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Gary carried on, wondering what it would be like in the deep ocean. 
“Hey!” someone said something out loud.
Gary whipped around in confusion.“Hm?” 
“Over here!” The voice continued. 
“What is it Becky?” Gary thought.
Becky is a beta that sometimes comes over to Gary’s cave. She is very talkative.
“Come swim with me!” Becky asked.
“No thanks.” Gary said.
“Ok! Where are you off to?” Becky was confused.
“Gotta go! Gotta go! No time!” Gary sang.
“Uhm… ok!” Becky was still confused.

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Gary whipped back around and started swimming as fast as he could, closing his eyes because of the pressure.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY CAVE!?!?!?!?” Gary had crashed into a shark named Scar.
“N-nothing?” Gary said in scared tone.
“THEN WHY ARE YOU IN HERE?” Scar yelled.
“Gotta go! Gotta go! No time-” Gary sang.
“OK! THEN GO!!!” Scar said at a high level.
Scar whipped his tail at Gary, pushing him into a forest of seaweed. He had gotten tangled up in seaweed!

A pod of dolphins picked up Gary! 
“Hey Gary!” Yelled Donna the dolphin.  
“What’re those pieces of seaweed stuck on your face?” The dolphins asked
“What seaweed?” Gary said, confused.
“That seaweed!” Donna the dolphin pointed to his little body.
Gary tugged and tugged at his face trying to get the seaweed off of him but it wouldn't budge! Donna launched Gary into his cave. Gary’s mother was waiting for him.

“Gary,” His mom said.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m-” Gary started to sing.
“Gary, I know where you were.” Mom told him.
“Where?” Gary was sure she had no idea.
“The deep ocean.” She said
“Well-” Gary was trying to think of something to say.
“It’s ok.” Mom said.
“I think I am breathing a lot better!” Gary explained to his Mom.

After that, all the other axolotls went into Scar’s cave and got whipped into the seaweed. 

You seem to be missing the explanation of how the seaweed was connected to growing gills.

It seems this creature is only found in the wild in one lake in Mexico. It probably wouldn't be encountering a shark in the lake in real life.