[ WP ] Choose any happy and/or cheery children 's show , movie , or story and make it as dark and gritty as possible

*They fished and they fished* 
 
 *Way down in the sea* 
 
 *Down in the sea a mile. * 
 
 
 The ironically named *Minnow* pushed its huge bulk roughly through the thick black waves. Despite the late hour of the night and the heavy rains of the storm, the deck bustled with crew not unlike an ant mound being prodded with a stick. It was busy, dangerous work to be fishing in those conditions. But the Southern waters were hot and the crew was seasoned, so it was a calculated risk, not a reckless endeavor. 
 
 
 *They fished among all the fish in the sea* 
 
 *For the fish with the deep sea smile. * 
 
 
 Kang squinted out of the cabin, his face momentarily lit orange as he sucked on another cigarette. As the Captain, he knew it was his responsibility to make sure his crew was well compensated for the risk involved. That is why he was hunting for the Smiley-Faced fish. It got its name not only from its characteristic huge mouth, but also for the smile it put on any fisherman's face so lucky as to catch one. The fish was rare and delectable, commanding an absolutely astonishing price at market. Kang was still smiling at the prospect when his first mate and chief engineer Thomas nudged him. 
 
 `` Capt. Roo, line 4 has something,'' he said, and pointed down to the deck. 
 The line crew was excitedly shouting and pointing to the heavy duty rod tip, now bent nearly even to the deck rail. Briars, nicknamed'Rabbit,' was excitedly operating the winch controls and stamping his feet. 
 
 `` Looks like a big one,'' Kang mumbled out of the side of his mouth, his cigarette bobbing. 
 
 *One fish came up from the deep of the sea, * 
 
 *From down in the sea a mile. * 
 
 *It had blue green eyes* 
 
 *And whiskers three* 
 
 *But never a deep sea smile* 
 
 `` DROP IT BACK!'' Kang roared over the intercom, even though he knew the crew were already moving to do so. `` What a waste of effort,'' he grouched to his first mate. Thomas had been with Capt. Roo for both of their entire careers. Even though he was built like a tank, he found the cramped confines of the cabin, and the even narrower engine compartment, to be more comfortable than open air. He knew the *Minnow's* engine better than a lover's curves. 
 
 The pair watched the departure of the whiskered junk fish in sullen silence. 
 Out on the deck, line five began playing out against the drag, whining into the storm. 
 
 Kang's cigarette drooped as his mouth fell open. `` Got another'n already, or my middle name ai n't Awesome,'' he laughed. 
 
 `` Your middle name is Allen.'' 
 
 `` Shut it,'' he smiled at Thomas then blared the intercom, `` Fish on 5!'' 
 They watched as Rabbit crossed the deck and started the winch. 
 
 *One fish came up from the deep of the sea, * 
 
 *From down in the sea a mile. * 
 
 *With electric lights up and down his tail* 
 
 *But never a deep sea smile. * 
 
 `` CUT IT LOOSE, DAMMIT!'' Kang yelled. Brighttails were illegal to catch and a fine was the last thing he needed. 
 
 `` Dawn should be breaking soon.'' Thomas tried to cheer his captain up. `` Maybe we'll catch some rays through the rain clouds. Cheer everybody up.'' 
 
 Kang just glared out into the storm. 
 ____ 
 *They fished and they fished* 
 
 *Way down in the sea* 
 
 *Down in the sea a mile. * 
 
 *They fished among all the fish in the sea* 
 
 *For the fish with the deep sea smile. * 
 
 Morning broke, according to the clock, but as far as the *Minnow* crew was concerned it was just a slight brightening of the ambient light. The rain was still falling and the clouds were still thick and heavy in the air and on their hearts. They had caught four more fish over the course of the night, with disastrous results. 
 
 One of the fish had terrible teeth and managed to snap the line just as it broke the surface. The released tension had sent the line flying into a deckhand's face, slashing his eye. He would almost certainly lose it. Another fish had a long strong jaw and managed to bite the rod as they brought it on board, mangling it irreparably. 
 
 They also brought up a strange fish with stalked eyes at the same time they caught a fish with claw-like appendages. While the crew was distracted looking at the stalk-eyed curiosity, Rabbit had dutifully winched in the clawed fish on his own. In trying to land it single-handedly, he swung the fish on board too quickly, causing it to slide across the deck and stop at his feet. His scream of pain brought everyone scrambling. The fish had closed its claws tight on Rabbit's thigh, severing his femoral artery. He was dead in minutes. 
 
 After the crew had held a memorial for Briars, they had voted to head home, defeated. Capt. Roo had obliged, but requested they run the lines while they headed in. 
 
 *They fished all through the oceans deep* 
 
 *For many and many a mile* 
 
 *And they caught a fish with a laughing eye* 
 
 *But none with a deep sea smile* 
 
 Kang had been drinking heavily on the return home. He had never lost crew before. He had never had a failed trip, either. Now they were a day out from port and nearly out of depth to catch a Smiley-Faced fish. He was not looking forward to meeting Briars' parents without even the consolation of a large payout to help with the funeral expenses. He punched the control panel. 
 
 Just then, Thomas appeared at the cabin door and pounded the window. `` Line 3! Line 3!'' He pointed excitedly to the deck. 
 Kang turned back and looked out. Line 3's rod was bending deeper and deeper. A feeling of calm washed over Kang. He just knew this one was it. He opened the cabin door and saw the same look on Thomas' face. With a nod to each other, they climbed down to the deck. 
 
 *And then one day they got a pull* 
 
 *From down in the sea a mile. * 
 
 *And when they pulled that fish into the boat* 
 
 *He smiled a deep sea smile* 
 
 The Smiley-Faced fish hung heavily from line 3, its eyes rolling and wide. The crew of the *Minnow* stood around their leader and cheered. Captain Kang A. Roo smiled wide and motioned for Thomas to winch the fish on board. 
 
 Motors whined and strained. The fish rolled its eyes and swung its tail exhaustedly. Kang looked on with the grim satisfaction of a hard man leading a hard life. This was it. This was his big payday. He sucked in on his cigarette deeply and slowly exhaled, letting the smoke roll out like a heavy fog. 
 
 A pinging sound sailed through the air, snapping everyone's gaze to Thomas. He froze at the controls, slowly turning his head to look at the fish. Swinging from the sudden halt, the fish locked eyes with the Captain and flexed its jaws in a smile. 
 
 `` NO!'' shouted Kang. 
 
 *And as he smiled, the hook got free* 
 
 *And then, what a deep sea smile! * 
 
 *He flapped his tail and swam away* 
 
 *Down in the sea a mile. * 
 
 ___ 
 [ Things I've written ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/cbeckw/ ) 
 **Edit: a couple of typos that really bothered me**
