Chapter 3: The barter is born
It wasn’t long until the tangler had formed a deep bond with his new friends and the two fish became his constant companions. With the swarm, they had cleaned up the Octopus Garden and assigned a designated place for each item.
Relaxed and happy with their work, the group of friends settled down on a slight slope at the edge of the garden and enjoyed the view of their day’s work. Only now did they notice the tanglers who were standing at the edge of the garden in amazement and had watched the lively hustle and bustle. Their pouches were still filled to the brim with the things they wanted to barter with our tangler. The young tangler looked at the two fish and without a word, they understood what to do. Full of curiosity for the beautiful things the tanglers hid in their pouches, the fish swarmed to the entrance to Octopus Garden to welcome the customers.
Unfortunately, the fish weren’t able to communicate with the waiting tanglers, which was why they kept impatiently swimming over to our young tangler, who had to translate their wishes. The conversations with the fish took place on a level that was a whole new experience for the tangler, but still it felt very familiar to him right from the start. It was as if he had constant access to the collective consciousness of the swarm. Like a constant exchange of mutual confirmations that gave him the feeling of pure and unwavering trust, so that he never questioned the decisions they made together.
The bountiful garden and its extraordinary helpers attracted more and more curious traders and onlookers, which the young tangler promptly took as an opportunity to set up his very first barter shop. With joined forces, they built a small shop at the entrance of the garden and set up a big display board, onto which they wrote the latest pairs to be bartered and their corresponding rates.
Without any difficulty, the tanglers could now point out which item they wanted to swap for the treasures they had brought with them. After placing their items on the shop’s counter, the fish scurried off. They gathered the desired items and at the same time, they sorted the tangler’s traded goods in the garden. All of this happened so fast that the customers stood there with their mouths open and could hardly find the right words to express their delight. The small fee that the fish charged for their services was happily paid by them all, if only to see the lively creatures whizzing around.
The news about the new barter business at Octopus Garden spread like wildfire and new customers kept arriving to barter at the gates of Octopus Garden, some even came from outside the colony. No wonder that our young tangler had soon gained good reputation with his flourishing barter shop and over time, the colony residents only ever called him Mr. Tangle.
