The Fisherman and the Little Fish
- 2 minute read
- Ages 6-10
- Aesop's Fables
A fisherman worked all day and caught one fish, and it was a very small one.
He held it up and looked at it, and was about to drop it into his basket when it spoke.
The offer
"Please," said the fish. "Look at me. I am hardly a mouthful. There is nothing on me worth eating and you know it."
The fisherman turned it over.
"Put me back," said the fish, "and I will grow. Give me a year. I will be a proper fish then, big enough to be worth catching, and you can catch me again and it will be worth your while. You lose nothing and you gain a great deal."
It was, the fisherman thought, quite a good argument.
The answer
"It is a good argument," he said. "But I have been doing this a long time, and I will tell you what I have learned."
He dropped it into the basket.
"A small fish in my hand is worth more than a large one somewhere in the sea. I would be a fool to give up what I have got for what you say I might get, from a fish who has every reason to say it."
Moral of the story
Do not trade something certain for something promised, especially when the person promising has an obvious reason to promise it.
Questions and answers
- What did the fisherman catch after a whole day?
One very small fish.
- What did the fish ask him to do?
To put it back in the sea and let it grow for a year, after which it would be worth catching.
- Was the fish's argument reasonable?
It sounded reasonable, and the fisherman said so. A bigger fish later really would be worth more than a small one now.
- Why did the fisherman refuse?
Because the promise was uncertain and the fish had an obvious reason to make it, while the small fish in his hand was certain.
- What proverb does this fable match?
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Word meanings
- mouthful
- As much food as fits in your mouth at once.
- argument
- A set of reasons given to persuade someone.
- certain
- Sure to happen.
- basket
- A container made of woven material.
Questions about The Fisherman and the Little Fish
What is the moral of The Fisherman and the Little Fish?
The moral is that a certain small gain is better than an uncertain large one, particularly when the person making the promise benefits from you believing it.
Is the fish lying?
Not necessarily. It probably would grow. The fable's point is that the fisherman had no way to know and no way to collect.
What proverb comes from this idea?
'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush', which appears in many languages and expresses the same lesson.
Is this suitable for young children?
Yes, ages six and above. The fish is caught but nothing is described, and the argument itself is the interesting part.