The Fisherman and The Little Fish

A poor fisherman catches a tiny fish that pleads for its life, but he refuses and takes it home.

Once upon a time, in a small village by the sea, there lived a fisherman who didn't have much money. Every day, he would go to the sea and throw his net into the water to catch fish. One day, when he was pulling his net back, he saw a very tiny fish caught in it. This fish was really small, almost like a baby fish, and the fisherman felt a bit sad looking at it.

The tiny fish was scared and started to speak to the fisherman, "Please, kind fisherman, let me go back into the sea! I am too small now, but I promise if you let me go, I will grow big and strong. Then, you can catch me again, and I will be worth a lot more to you."

The fisherman looked at the small fish in his hand and thought about what it said. But then, he shook his head and said, "No, little fish. I have you right now, and I can't let you go. It's better to have something small now than to wait for something bigger that might not happen."

So, the fisherman put the tiny fish in his basket and took it home.

A fisherman holding a tiny fish that pleads to be thrown back into the sea
Text Version
Levels A1B1C1

Audio available for B1 version

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Word Finder
  1. Village

    A small group of houses in the countryside.
  2. Fisherman

    A person who catches fish for a living.
  3. Net

    A device made of threads to catch fish.
  4. Tiny

    Very small in size.
  5. Caught

    Trapped or captured by something.
  6. Promise

    To say you will do something in the future.
  7. Strong

    Having power or being physically powerful.
  8. Worth

    Having value or being important.
  9. Thought

    Considered or reflected in the mind.
  10. Basket

    A container used to carry or hold things.
Understanding Questions
  1. Where did the fisherman live?
  2. What did the fisherman do every day to make a living?
  3. How did the fisherman feel when he saw the tiny fish in his net?
  4. What did the tiny fish promise to the fisherman if he let it go?
  5. Why did the fisherman decide not to let the tiny fish go?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the fisherman decided not to let the little fish go?
  2. How do you imagine the little fish felt when the fisherman didn't accept its offer?
  3. Can you think of a time when you had something small, but you didn't want to wait for it to grow or get better?
  4. What does this story teach us about the importance of contentment and the risks of being too hopeful?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our lives, especially when we're tempted to always want more than we have now?
Fable Quotes

Adapt or miss the chance, for in the sea of change, opportunities swim away.

A small gain is worth more than a large promise.

Contentment is appreciating what you have now, rather than longing for what may never come.

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