Library / Fantastic Fables

The Man and the Fish-horn

A fable by Ambrose Bierce

Satire for older readers

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The Man and the Fish-horn

A Truthful Man, while walking along the road, discovered a musical instrument and inquired about its name. He was informed that it was called a fish-horn.

Eager to test this newfound tool, the next time he went fishing, he set his nets and spent the entire day blowing the fish-horn, hoping to charm fish into his nets. However, as night fell, he found that not only were there no fish in his nets, but there were none to be seen along that stretch of coast.

On his way home, he encountered a friend who asked him about his luck that day. The Truthful Man replied, "Well, the weather is not right for fishing, but it's a red-letter day for music."

In that moment, he embraced the joy of music, even if his fishing endeavor was unsuccessful.

The moral
Honesty and a positive perspective can prevail even in the face of failure.

Discussion questions

  1. What does the Truthful Man's reaction to his fishing failure reveal about his character?
  2. How does the story illustrate the value of maintaining a positive perspective?
  3. In what ways can honesty impact our relationships and experiences?

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Good night.

Tomorrow night: The Fox and the Crane