The Fisherman and His Nets

Out went the net. It spread wide in the air, dropped to the water and sank out of sight.

The fisherman waited. He knew how to wait. Then the rope went tight in his hands, and he smiled, for only a great catch could pull as hard as that. "Come on, then," he said.

Hand over hand, he hauled. Hand over hand, he drew the heavy net towards the shore. He knew his work. He turned the net this way and that, and not one big fish got away. Big fish thumped against the ropes. Big fish rolled over and over, and he held them all.

But a net is mostly holes, and the little fish found them. "Oh no, you don't," he said, and he gathered the net up tighter. It made no difference.

Through the holes they went, one after another, quick and silver. They dropped back into the sea, plip, plip, plip, and they were gone.