One of them said, "Let us hurry home and get our nets. Those fish
are too fine to lose." So they hurried away.

The three fish were very much frightened. The first one thought a
moment, then swam through the outlet of the pond into the river.

When the men came back with their nets, there were only two fish
to be seen. They found the outlet of the pond and made a dam
across it.

The second fish now began to think; he came to the top of the
water and floated on his back. One of the men picked him up in his
net, but he seemed dead, so he threw him back into the water.

The fish that never thought sank to the bottom of the pond and was
easily caught. [Footnote: Adapted from "The Three Fish" in The
Tortoise and the Geese, published by Houghton, Mifflin Co]





THE WAGONER


"We must have coal," said the farmers to the wagoner.

"But the roads are very bad," replied the wagoner. "I never saw
them worse."