Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Aesop’s Fables

A Fisherman and a Small Fish

(Aesop’s Fables)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

おりがみをつくろう ( おりがみくらぶ より) さかな　　　きんぎょ

Japanese ・ English ・ Chinese

Japanese & English ・Japanese & Chinese

　When a fisherman had cast a net into the sea, one small fish got caught.

　The small fish said to the fisherman,

“Please let me go for now as I am still this small.

　You can catch me again when I grow big.

　Isn’t that better for you, too?”

“No way,”

　said the fisherman.

“I’m not going to free the game I’ve already caught in exchange for something

　that I may or may not going to catch, no matter how big that might be. I’m not that dumb.”



　This story tells us that it’s not wise to let go of what you’ve obtained, however small it is,

　when there’s no guarantee that you would get something bigger.

The end

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