The Fish and Fans
Pack was very keen on fishing. He had a big collection of different kinds of rods and hooks and flies, and whenever he had some spare time, he went down to the river to fish.
"Don't you sometimes think it's stupid," his mother used to say, "standing beside that dirty old river in all weathers, and often not catching anything?"
"Oh, no, Mom'" he always answered earnestly. "Whenever I'm there beside the water, with the trees round me and the birds singing, I'm thoroughly content. Everything's so peaceful. "
"Then why do you take your fishing rod with you?" his father asked. "I imagine it must interrupt your peace when you catch something -which isn't often, I admit. "
They all laughed, but Jack continued to fish every weekend and every summer evening.
Then he married Kate. Having been his neighbour since they were children, she knew all about Jack's love of fishing. He even had to go out and catch a fish on the day of their wedding!
Kate did not know how to fish, but having married Jack, she soon found herself alone for some time every weekend, so she decided to try. "If you can't beat them, join them,"1 she said to her parents.
Jack gave her some lessons in how to throw the fly, how to hold the rod and so on, but having been taught to do these things, whenever she tried to make use of her knowledge, she never caught anything, and she found it damp and cold standing still for hours beside the river. Discouraged by this, she did not often go with Jack on his fishing trips.
Then there was going to be a big fishing competition in a fortnight's time, organized by the fishing club that Jack belonged to. There would be fishermen from other parts of the country as well as local ones, and Jack was one- of the people organizing the event. "It'll be wonderful," he said to Kate happily. "There's a prize of £100 for the biggest fish caught that weekend, and other smaller prizes too for those who catch the largest total weight of fish. "
"Can I join in?" said Kate.
Jack was doubtful, but having looked at the rules, he discovered that she would be allowed to take part in the competition provided that" she joined the fishing club at once.
The great day came- and the fishermen drew lots' for positions on the river banks in preparation. Some positions were better than others, and Jack was very familiar with all the good ones. Having drawn one of the very best, he was very pleased, and pitied Kate when hers was by far the worst.
"Never mind," he said, "it'll be good experience for you anyhow, and meanwhile you'll be able to see how the best fishermen in the country do it. " Jack having lent her one of his older rods.
But things turned out very differently from what Jack had expected. A few minutes before the end of the competition, and flanked4 by the best fishermen in the country, Kale caught the biggest fish that had been seen in that river, she took it along to Jack at once, and as she approached him she saw that he had only succeeded in catching four or five very small fish. She was expecting him to admire greatly the fish that she had caught, but all he said after a long pause was, "You only caught one, did you?"
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