In a certain large lake there once lived three big fish. They were named Far-sighted, Quick-witted, and Inevitable. One day as he was swimming in the water, Far-sighted heard a conversation between some fishermen who were passing nearby: “This lake has a lot of fish. Let us do some fishing here tomorrow.”

When he heard this, Far-sighted thought to himself: “They are sure to come back. So, I will get hold of Quick-witted and Inevitable and go with them to another lake with open channels.” He called his two friends and asked them to come along. Quick-witted replied: “If in fact the fisher folk come back here, I will save myself by some strategy that fits the circumstances.” Inevitable, whose end was near, paid no heed to Far-sighted’s plea and remained idle by making no preparation for the journey. Seeing that the two were determined to remain there, Far-sighted made his way into a stream of the river and proceeded to another lake.

The day after he left, the fishermen together with their helpers blocked off the outlet, spread a dragnet, and caught every single fish. When this happened, Quick-witted lay in the net and made himself appear as if he were already dead. The fishermen, thinking, “This big fish has died on his own,” drew him out of the net and threw him near the water. He then jumped in and fled quickly to another lake. Inevitable darted here and there, totally at a loss and not knowing what to do. The fishermen bound him with the net and beat him to death with clubs.

From The Pancatantra: The Book of India’s Folk Wisdom, Translated by Patrick Olivelle, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 52-53.