The Story of the Three Fish
Here is an aquatic tale that Rumi borrowed from an existing story collection he was familiar with called Kalila and Dimnah. Rumi put his own spin on the account and drew out several spiritual lessons.
This is the story, O stubborn one, of a lake in which there were three huge fish. You've already seen it in Kalila, though that book only had the outer shell of this tale, while here you'll find the hidden meaning.
Three fishermen once passed by the edge of this lake; they saw that there was much prey contained within. Therefore, they hurried to bring their nets to bear.
The fish saw what the men were doing, and they knew what the men intended. The smartest fish decided to migrate, even though it would be a difficult and arduous journey.
"For sure," he said, "I'm not going to ask for advice from the others, for I'm certain that they'll try to weaken my resolve. They love their home too much, and their lethargy and ignorance might affect me, too."
This cautious fish then swam away on his belly, for he was leaving the home of danger and heading toward the sea of light. Thus, that fish departed and found his way into the sea. For him, he chose distance and a broad destination as his final goal.
Now when the second fish realized he was no longer under the protection of the smartest fish, and when he saw his hour of trial drawing near, he said, "He's gone to the sea and is now freed from his worries; my good friend has left me. But I won't dwell on that, for now I have to look after myself. I know—I'll pretend that I'm dead. I'll float belly-up on the surface of the water and act as if I had died. I'll make myself one with this water. To feign death before being made to die is to be safe from harm."
Therefore, the second fish feigned death in that way, and turned belly-up. The water then carried him on its current, sometimes bobbing on the surface, sometimes swirling below. When the fishermen saw this, they were distressed and cried out, "Oh no! The best fish is dead!"
Wisdom of the Ages _
In the story of the three fish, the first fish is a metaphor for the Sufi who abandons love of this life and withdraws from its concerns.
The fish heard what they said and was elated. He thought to himself, "My trick worked, so now I'm safe from the knife." Then, one of the deserving fishermen took hold of him, spit on him in disgust, and threw him on the shore. (When the man turned his attention away,) this somewhat intelligent fish rolled over continuously until it finally slipped quietly back in the water and got away.
Meanwhile, the thoughtless third fish kept darting all around in apprehension and worry. That fool fish was jumping out of the water, leaping to the left and to the right, trying to save itself from the net by its own efforts. When the fishermen cast their nets, he was caught up in them. His own foolishness had secured a place for him in the fire of doom.
Soon there he was above a fire, lying flat in a frying pan. He had become the very companion of foolishness. While he was roasting in the flames, the voice of reason called out to him, saying, "Didn't any warning ever come to you?" Then, from the rack of torture and torment, he answered back, as the souls of the faithless (in Hell) will say, "Yes, indeed! Warning did come, and I remained heedless."
Mathnawi IV, condensed from lines 2202-2285
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