“The third fish also had heard the conversation of the two fishermen, but he thought, ‘Oh, it will not be as bad as all that! There will be time enough to find a solution.  Maybe if I stay on the bottom of my lagoon the danger will go away.’ But the fishermen knew their job.  They waded through the lagoon and found the fish at the bottom.  Which of those fish was the most intelligent?”

May the tradition continue

So the conversation between the king and his storyteller went on for many evenings.  The storyteller, old and full of wisdom, was educating his monarch without the latter suspecting it.  The young king learned how to select his advisers and how to distinguish flatterers and spongers from honest servants of his crown and real scholars.  Because nothing is eternal, one sad day the old storyteller died, but by that time the king had absorbed all his stories and become wise.  The young king reigned for many years, during which time no one was allowed to deceive his neighbor, for the king had learned to see through confidence men, tricksters, and all other dishonest characters.

As a result, the realm was peaceful, for there was no dispute. My friends, war and all other discord is the result of lying.  Honest people will always live in peace.

Jan Knappert is a folklorist and writer specializing in African and Asian languages and oral literature.  He has written extensively on tales and storytelling from diverse African and Asian cultures.  His newest book, Pacific Mythology, was published last September by HarperCollins of San Francisco.