Story of the Three Fishes
Once upon a time, three fish named Anagatavidhata, Pratyutpannamati and Yadbhavishya lived in a beautiful pond surrounded by green reeds and blooming lotus flowers.
Anagatavidhata was a wise fish who always planned ahead. Pratyutpannamati was clever and could think quickly in difficult situations. Yadbhavishya, however, was lazy and believed that luck would take care of everything.
One fine day, the fish were swimming in the pond.
Swishhh! They raced through the water.
“Catch me if you can!” Pratyutpannamati laughed.
Splash! “You’re too fast!” said Yadbhavishya.
Anagatavidhata smiled. “Speed is good, but it’s better to be careful.”
Yadbhavishya rolled his eyes. “Oh, you worry too much!”
…splash… splash… swish… swish… they swam in the pond as the sun set in the distance.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps.
A few fishermen had spotted the pond. “Look at all those fish!” said one of them.
“It’s too late to fish now. We’ll come back tomorrow and catch plenty of them.”
Hearing the fishermen’s conversation, Anagatavidhata became alarmed.
He turned to his friends and said, “Did you hear what they said? We must leave this pond today before the fishermen return!”
Pratyutpannamati nodded. “Yes. Trouble is coming.”
Yadbhavishya laughed “Pfft! Fishermen say all kinds of things. Why should we leave our home because of that? We have lived here for a long time, and nothing bad has happened. Nothing will happen now either.”
Anagatavidhata replied, “No, this is serious. A wise fish avoids danger before it arrives. I am leaving tonight.”
Pratyutpannamati thought for a moment. “Hmm… I don’t want to leave my home. I’ll stay. If danger comes, I’ll think of something.”
Yadbhavishya yawned, “ I am staying too. Nothing will happen.”
That night, Anagatavidhata swam through a narrow stream connected to the pond. Along with his family and some friends, he disappeared into a nearby lake.
The next morning, Tweet! Tweet! Chirp! Chirp! the birds sang as the sun rose.
The fish saw the fishermen approaching the pond.
Pratyutpannamati was quick and alert. He has seen the how his friend has escaped last night. He had prepared himself. He quickly gathered his family and escaped through the narrow stream.
Yadbhavishya was shocked to see them. But he was not prepared and did not have an escape plan.
The fishermen threw their nets in the pond.
He started swimming frantically. “Oh no! Oh no! What do I do?”
Splash! Thrash! Flip! Flop! He swam left. He swam right. He swam in circles.
“Help! Help!”
But it was too late – there was no way to escape anymore.
Yadbhavishya got trapped in the fishermen’s net before he could learn an important lesson.
It is wise to avoid danger. Being prepared and thinking quickly can also help us at times. But, being lazy and depending only on luck will always bring harm. Don’t ignore warnings, always listen to wise advice and act on time.
— Moral of the story —
Luck is not enough; smart actions are important. Planning ahead and being prepared can protect us from danger.
Take a look at the engaging Panchatantra storybooks listed below, if you want to buy a physical book for your kid.
