A Fish Story

The children of the village learn what they desire to learn, which is often everything. Some of the youngest girls are endlessly entertained by the throwing of fishing nets off of high rocks into the sea, how they always come back full of plenty to eat or set free. Three such girls were so entertained by this idea that one day, while the adults in the village and the older children were back at the clearing eating lunch together, they snuck to the rocks and cast the nets repeatedly into the deep waters, pulling as many fish as they could from the ocean. They set the fish in hollowed rocks all around them, and soon all the rocks were full, and the girls laughed at how the other islanders would be so pleased that they would have enough to eat for the rest of time. However, the nets soon became lighter as they were pulled back. Fewer and fewer fish were caught in the fibers, and soon there were none at all. The girls desperately tossed the nets again and again and again into the waves, crying salty tears as the nets were always empty. Then, as the girls were becoming most upset, a large bird glided down from a nearby apple tree, shaking its head in disapproval to the girls. It explained that the ocean can only hold so many fish, and though there are a lot, they don’t last forever if you are greedy and take them all at once. The girls sobbed and pleaded to the bird to help them fill the ocean again. The bird opened its beak wide and they filled its jaws with smiling fish, watching them glisten like jewels as the sun reflected from the water below. The bird then flew over the ocean, dropping fish like raindrops back into the sea, and as they hit the surface, they waved good bye to the girls, who laughed in delight at the lesson they’d learned. They then tossed two small nets into the sea and pulled up enough fish for each villager to have half of one. When the adults returned from their lunch, they praised the girls on knowing just how many fish the world needs to survive.