A Look at Planning…
(A fishy story)
First recorded in Sanskrit 1500 years ago, but originating from a far earlier oral tradition, the Pancatantra is ascribed, by legend, to the celebrated, half-mythical teacher Vishnu Sharma. He was asked by a powerful king to awaken the dulled intelligence of his three idle sons. The stories are first thought to have left India before 570 AD, and have influenced a vast number of works, including the Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights and the Fables of La Fontaine. And the story of the Three Fishes begins…
Once upon a time in a certain lake lived three very large fish, whose names were Forethought, Readywit and Whatwill-be-will-be. One morning Forethought heard some fishermen who were walking along the edge of the lake and talking among themselves frequently.
‘See this lake is abundantly stocked with fish; let us go fishing tomorrow.’
Hearing that, Forethought began to reflect. ‘Hey! This is not a good prospect to contemplate, I’m afraid. Tomorrow or the day after, these people are sure to come here. I had better take Readywit and What-will-be-will-be and go to some other lake where the waters will be trouble-free.’
So Forethought called out to the other two fish and put the suggestion to them. Whereupon Readywit replied, ‘Having lived for such a long time in this lake I am loath to abandon it all of a sudden. If the fishermen all assemble here, then, I shall somehow or other look after myself by means of a suitable plan which I am sure I can think up on the spur of the moment.’
What-will-be-will-be, whose death was definitely on the cards, now spoke. ‘There are so many other large lakes elsewhere too; who knows if the fishermen will come to fish here or not. It is not fitting that a fish should abandon his native lake on mere hearsay. For as the proverb says: “Aims undertaken by serpents and knaves, and those who live by exploiting chinks in others armour, never succeed: and so the world turns.” Therefore my decision is not to go.’
So, recognising that his two friends had their minds firmly made up, Forethought went off to another large pool. The very next day after Forethought had gone, the fishermen came, accompanied by servants. They stationed themselves in the middle of the lake, cast their nets wide, and caught all the fish without even leaving one behind! In this predicament Readywit feigned death as he lay within the net; and then the men, thinking, ‘Oh, this fish seems to be already dead,’ drew him out and placed him on the bank.
Whereupon, in a trice, Readywit wriggled his way back into the water. As for our poor What-will-be-will-be, he stuck his nose into the meshes of the net, and as he struggled and thrashed around trying to escape, the men pounded him repeatedly with their clubs, tearing his body to pieces until he gave up the ghost. Forethought and Readywit continued to live happily!
Source: Sharma, V, The Pancatantras, translation by Chandra Rajan, Penguin, 1996, UK.
—JMc
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