Once there lived a fisherman in a town near the Arabian Sea. He was a wise old fisherman. Here is a story about him.

The fisherman had a daughter. She was seventeen years old. That was the age of marriage for girls in those days. So the fisherman was looking for a good bridegroom for his daughter. He found several young men, but he did not have enough money to get his daughter married to one of them. Some of his friends advised him to see the Raja who ruled the town and ask him for help. He was ready to take their advice, but he did not wish to go to the Raja without any gifts. He wished to take with him a gift that was good enough for the Raja.

What gift could a fisherman give except fish! But this fisherman was too old to go far out into the sea. Every day he saw several big fish in the sea and tried to catch one, but he failed. Then one day he was lucky. A very big fish fell into his net and he immediately set off for the Raja’s palace with great joy. But, at the palace gate, the gatekeeper stopped him.