Woman Who Killed the Fish

"That woman who killed the fish unfortunately is me," begins the title story, but "if it were my fault, I`d own up to you, since I don`t lie to boys and girls. I only lie sometimes to a certain type of grownup because there`s no other way." Enumerating all the animals she`s loved--cats, dogs, lizards, chickens, monkeys--Clarice finally asks: "Do you forgive me?" "The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit" is a detective story which explains that bunnies think with their noses: for a single idea a bunny might "scrunch up his nose fifteen thousand times" (he may not be too bright, but "he`s not foolish at all when it comes to making babies"). The third tale, "Almost True," is a shaggy dog yarn narrated by a pooch who is very worried about a wicked witch: "I am a dog named Ulisses and my owner is Clarice." The wonderful last story, "Laura`s Intimate Life" stars "the nicest hen I`ve ever seen." Laura is "quite dumb," but she has her "little thoughts and feelings. Not a lot, but she`s definitely got them. Just knowing she`s not completely dumb makes her feel all chatty and giddy. She thinks that she thinks." A one-eyed visitor from Jupiter arrives and vows Laura will never be eaten: she`s been worrying, because "humans are a weird sort of person" who can love hens and eat them, too. Such throwaway wisdom abounds: "Don`t even get me started." These delightful, high-hearted stories, written for her own boys, have charm to burn--and are a treat for every Lispector reader.