THE THREE FISH

Three large fish lived very happily in a pond which few people ever passed.

One of these fish was always wise, the second was wise sometimes, but the third was never wise.

One day two men who were passing by the pond saw the fish.

One of them said, "Let us hurry home and get our nets. Those fish are too fine to lose." So they hurried away.

The three fish were very much frightened. The first one thought a moment, then swam through the outlet of the pond into the river.

When the men came back with their nets, there were only two fish to be seen. They found the outlet of the pond and made a dam across it.

The second fish now began to think; he came to the top of the water and floated on his back. One of the men picked him up in his net, but he seemed dead, so he threw him back into the water.

The fish that never thought sank to the bottom of the pond and was easily caught.

[Footnote: Adapted from "The Three Fish" in The Tortoise and the Geese, published by Houghton, Mifflin Co]