_The only safety lies in doing as one is told by those who know
what is best._
Once upon a time there were three little goldfish who lived in a
cool pond. This little pond was divided from the lake by a lattice
work. Every day the master came to feed the goldfish and caution
them not to swim too near the bank and never go near the lattice
work, but to stay at the bottom of the pond until he came.
Now, when the master was gone the little goldfish at the bottom of
the pond talked together. They did not want to play down under the
water so long.
The first little goldfish said, “I like the sunshine, and I like
to hear the birds sing and I like to hear the winds blow. It looks
lovely to me to swim near the shore and see the pebbles and the
sand. I see no harm in it, and I am not going to stay down deep in
the water. The master does not know.”
The second little goldfish said, “I want to go to the other side of
the lattice. I see some fish over there. I wish to visit and talk,
too. They can tell me things I need to know. I do not like this
deep pond anyway. The master does not know.”
The third little goldfish said, “You should do as the master says,
and I advise you to stay here. I am not going to swim near the
bank, nor go beyond that lattice. The master knows.”
So the first little goldfish rose to the top and swam near the
bank, and then he jumped right out of the water on to the sand
where he lay until the sun parched him.
The second little goldfish floated down to the lattice work where
the current was so swift it carried him through into the lake where
a big fish swallowed him.
The third little goldfish remained under the water, and the next
morning when the master came there was only one little goldfish to
be fed.
“Where are the others?” asked the master.
“I do not know,” said the little goldfish. “One of them said he
was going to swim in the sunshine, and the other said he was going
to dart through the lattice.”
The master looked along the bank and found the body of the poor
little goldfish where he had dried up in the hot sun. He then
looked in the big lake and saw an old fish who looked as if he had
just eaten breakfast.
“I think I have lost two little goldfish because they would not do
as I told them to do,” said the master.
The other little goldfish ate his fish bread and went back to the
bottom of the pond to think over the results of the disobedience of
his companions.