The Fisherman and the Jinni

Long ago, on a quiet shore where the palm trees swayed in the evening breeze, there lived an old and poor fisherman. He had a wife and three children, and he owned little more than his net, his small boat, and his worn cloak. Every morning he went down to the sea, and every morning he cast his net four times, never more. That was his rule, and that was his prayer. For he believed that the sea would give him exactly what his family needed for the day.

One morning, just as the sun had begun to tint the sky pink, the fisherman walked down to the shore as he always did. He whispered his quiet prayer, rolled up his sleeves, and cast his net far out into the waves. He waited a while, then drew it in. But the net was so heavy he could barely lift it. 'Today I must have caught something big!' he thought happily. But when he pulled the net onto the sand, he saw only a dead donkey, tangled and heavy with seaweed. The fisherman sighed deeply and cleaned his net. 'That was the first cast,' he said to himself. 'Three to go.'

He walked a few steps further along, turned to the sea, and cast his net a second time. Once again it grew heavy, and once again he dragged it groaning onto the shore. His heart beat faster. Maybe this time it was fish. But when the net came up, it was full of broken pottery, old ropes, and a large leather pouch full of wet sand. Not a single fish. The fisherman shook his head and said calmly, 'Second cast. Two to go.' Then he rinsed the net carefully, for he knew that patience is the fisherman's best tool.

For the third time the fisherman cast his net. He stood perfectly still on the sand and watched the net glitter in the sun as it sank. When he drew it in this time, it was heavier than ever. 'May this be enough,' he whispered hopefully. But alas, when the net came up, it was full of stones, seashells, brown seaweed, and mud. Not a single scale, not a single tail. The fisherman sat down a moment on a friendly rock, wiped his forehead, and looked out over the blue sea. 'One cast left,' he said. 'One cast between me and empty hands.' He said a prayer and stood up again.