Three fish saw Fishermen coming. One swam away to the river. One played dead and survived. The third was not smart and was caught.
If you are clever you can often get yourself out of trouble.
JBR Collection
There was a certain pond, of which the water was very clear, and emptied itself into a river. It was at some distance from the high road, and in it were three Fish. One of these was prudent, the second had but little wit, and the third was a mere fool. One day by chance two Fishermen came up to the pond, and seeing three Fish in it which were large and fat, they went and fetched their nets. The Fish, suspecting their design, were sorely troubled. The prudent Fish immediately resolved what course to take. He hastened out of the pond through the little channel that opened into the river, and so made his escape. Presently the two Fishermen returned and stopped up the channel to prevent the Fish getting out. The half-witted Fish repented then that he had not followed his companion, but at length he bethought himself of a stratagem, and lay upon the surface of the water, belly upwards, feigning to be dead. The Fishermen, having taken him up, thought that he was really what he pretended to be, and threw him again into the water. The last, which was the foolish Fish, finding himself pressed by the Fishermen, sunk down to the bottom of the pond, and shifted backwards and forwards, from place to place, but could not avoid falling into their hands.
