Chapter Two The Fisherman

The Story teller,Elder Mike Okunsi gathered the children in his environment to tell them a story,which he called the story of The Fisherman.He started and said,there was a man called Kojo who lived in kamasi village in utonga.

One day,Kojo set out on a certain evening for business as usual.He sailed his little boat farther out into the river than he had ever done,because the dry season was setting in.The rivers were quickly losing water.So any fisherman who wanted to bring in a good catch of fish had better trust out deeper into the sea.Shallow water did not hold very many fishes,like every good fisherman should know.

Kojo was a good Fisherman,but he was a poor, struggling fisherman.Business had not been bouyant for some time.So on this day,Kojo prayed that the gods of the river should him favour .He sailed on till he got to the middle of the river .

" This should do",he thought , looking at the water around."it's far enough and deep enough".He paused tentatively before casting his net into the river.He watched the net sink gently into the depth,and watched the ripples spreading in all directions.He sat down in his boat and brought out a piece of roasted fish and bread that he brought along.He quickly devoured the small meal,helped himself to a drink of water from the keg in his boat.Then he waited quietly for a few minutes more.

He took the time to watch the thick,dark clouds drifting along in the sky noiselessly.He enjoyed the soothing breeze blowing across his face.He watched a flock of bats fluttering about above the distant trees to his right .He stretched and yawned, feeling sleepy.Then he tugged gently at his net to feel it's weight.It

was night,no catch yet.Kojo sighed and continued the anxious wait.After a few minutes,he checked the net again.No sign of catch still.

A bunch of seaweed floated by softly on the gentle current of the river,and Kojo watched the plant closely.At his third check,the net was still emptry he began to crack his knuckle anxiously.Then he checked the fourth time and his heart stopped.The net appeared stuck on something hard , some- thing that held back the net against his pull.Kojo paused as he felt his blood rushing with excitement.But not wanting to get his hopes up.

He thought to himself," Perhaps it's only a bunch of seaweed".He tried pulling up the net again,but it was very hard.No, definitely not seaweed.This must be quite a catch,he thought.It had been a long time since he made any reasonable catch.But now,it would appear that his net had enclosed a great deal of fish .This was a miracle! He pulled some more .The Lord must have heard his prayers ,after all ! He pulled hard and the net came to the surface.

There was only fish in the net! But not a great big fish like he would think,no it was very small fish ! Kojo looked shocked and his jaws dropped.

" Huh?!"

It was indeed unbelievable that this tiny fish could have so much weight.Kojo took the fish in his hand and looked at it, surprised and now very disappointed.

" What kind of a fish are you,little fellow?" he thought quietly.Then he began to laugh,And in laughing,he cast the little fish Bak into the river.

"Go home,strange little ,he said ," I doubt you'd be sufficient to fill stomach.Maybe I'll catch you again someday,when you grow up."

There was no other catch that night.And hour later,tired and Hungary.Kojo the fisherman turned his boat around.

That night,Kojohad a very strange dream.

He was standing by the bank of the river,staring at the distant horizon.The cloud was heavy,and there was a rumbling of th

thunder overheard." it looks like the rain is coming".thought Kojo.His boat was anchored on the bank.not too far from where he was standing.He wanted to go fishing but he was worried about the weather.His boat did not have a shelter,and it would be a shame if it started raining whilst he was fishing.

He had stood there at the river bank for a while when he suddenly realized that there was a woman standing beside him.He did not know who she was or when she got there .He could have sworn he was alone at the banks only a moment ago.Kojo turned and looked at the woman .She was very beautiful and light-skinned.Her dress was fine silk,and she wore a pair of golden slippers and purple pearls the like of which the fisherman had not seen before .

"it was my daughter whose life you spared yesterday,fisherman," she said to Kojo." She is my only daughter whom I love dearly. She had wandered into your net for curiosity sakes.I feared she was gone for good when I could not find her.But alas,you set her free.You are kind-hearted fisherman.Your kindness shall be rewarded.

Kojo wanted to speak,but he could find no words .The strange woman looked closely at him and smiled warmly and she said," " From this day,dear fisherman,your boat will only bring in princely treasures.But be warned,fisherman; you must never speak about me to anyone ever." Then before Kojo's eyes ,she was gone as though she was never there before.

Kojo woke up,startled ." Who was that woman ?" he thought to himself," what was she talking about?" He went back to sleep afterwards,and when he woke up in the morning,he quickly forgot about the woman in his dream.He kept wondering what kind of fallacy that statement could be,he believed it though,but that dream kept lingering on his mind.