A long time ago, in a country far, far more smart...


nd it came to pass, that a man took his boat out to sea hoping to catch many fish. He sailed a great distance to a spot where no land could be seen, and he was alone on the open waters.

The man cast his net again and again. Each time he pulled it back in he saw that it held many fish, and he thanked the Lord for the fish that he had caught, and for the strong net that held them and for the sturdy boat whose deck he stood upon, and for the calm sea around him which teamed with many fish, and for the blue sky he saw above him.

After a time the man's boat became very heavy, for it was much laden by all the fish he had stowed in its holds and on its deck; and the boat floated lower in the water, but it did not sink. For this the man also thanked the Lord as well as for his bounty and for the boat's hull and deck which were sturdy enough to contain it along with his net and all the things he had taken out with him to sea.

Then a cloud darkened the sky and unleashed a wind that blew over the sea; and the waves on the sea rose and began to wash over the sides of the man's boat and across its deck, for it was floating very low in the water because it was much laden. And the man became sore afraid.

Soon the man saw a huge ship sailing towards him, and he waved at it and beckoned for it to come near. And the ship came up alongside his boat; and the crew of that ship saw he was in distress and offered him their help. But the captain of the ship forbad them, and told the man on the boat that he should gather up all the fish he had caught and toss them all back into the sea so that his boat would no longer be laden, but would float high in water where no wave could again come up and wash over its deck.

The man on the boat answered that he would not toss his fish back into the sea, for the Lord had given him this bounty and he would not waste it. So the ship sailed off and left the man alone again on the open waters. The waves rose higher and their waters began to collect in the boat's hull, making it more heavy. And the man became sore afraid.

Then the man saw another huge ship sailing towards him, and he waved and beckoned for it to come up alongside his boat. And the crew of the second ship also saw that the man was in distress, and they offered him their help. But the captain of that ship forbad them; and he told the man that the crew would come aboard his boat and would wrap a thick skirt around the edges of its deck to block out the waves, but only if the man would first agree to accept just one tiny cup with which to bail out a small amount of the water in the boat's hull, as well as agree to keep the rest of the water there for a time, and allow in some other water there too. The captain then told the man that he should gather up a large portion of the fish he had caught and toss that portion back into the sea so that his boat would not be much laden in the meantime.

The man on the boat answered that he would toss no such portion of his fish back into the sea, for the Lord had given him such bounty and he would not waste it. So the second ship sailed off and left the man once more alone on the open waters. Again the waves rose higher until their waters filled up the boat's hull, and it did sink.

And the Lord sent a whirlwind after the two huge ships, and capsized them; and the captains of those ships fell into the sea and were devoured by sharks. But He forbad them to harm any of the crews. And they all clung to the wreckage of their ships, and thanked the Lord for showing them mercy. Now it came to pass, that each one was soon rescued by a man who had taken his boat out to sea hoping to catch many fish.

	6:30 AM

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