Achok goes Fishing

An Anuak story

Before you read the story

To "share" means to give some of what you have to another person. 

For example, "There is only one piece of cake, so we will cut it in half and share it."

• Are you a greedy person?
• Do you share your things with other people? Why?
• Do you know any greedy children? What do they do?
• How do you teach little children to share?

Now read the story

One day, Achok went to the river to fish. He caught many fish, and he took them back to his uncle's house. He took out the sharp spines that grew on the fishes' backs, and cooked them.

Achok's uncle was sleeping, so Achok woke him up.

"Uncle, come and eat!" he said. "Look, I've caught some fish. I've cooked them for you."

"Oh," said his uncle happily. "I like eating fish."

He sat down and began to eat.

"They're delicious!" he said. "How did you catch them? I'll go tomorrow and catch some too."

"Ahha," thought Achok. "I'll fool my uncle. I'll play a trick on him."

"Well, uncle," he said. "I took some beer from the bottom of the pot and I threw it into the river. All the fish came up to drink the beer. Then I jumped into the river, the fish swam to me and their spines ran into my body. I climbed out of the river and pulled the fish out of my body."

"Did it hurt you?" asked his uncle.

"Oh no!" laughed Achok. "Look at me, uncle! I'm fine!"

The next morning Achok's uncle took some beer from the bottom of the pot and went down to the river. He threw the beer into the river and all the fish came up to drink it. Then Achok's uncle jumped into the river. The fishes' spines ran into his back. He climbed out of the river, but he couldn't pull the fish out.

"Help me! Someone help me!" he shouted.

The olwaro bird heard him and ran to the river.

"Oh, please," said Achok's uncle. "Take the spines out of my back."

"Let me eat the biggest ones," said the olwaro bird. "Then I'll take them out."

"Oh no," said Achok's uncle. "I want to eat the biggest ones myself."

"Then I won't help you," said the olwaro bird, and he went away. 

"Help!" shouted Achok's uncle again. "Come and help me!"

The pelican heard him and ran to the river.

"Oh, please," said Achok's uncle. "Take the spines out of my back."

"Let me eat the biggest fish," said the pelican. "Then I'll take them out."

"Oh no," said Achok's uncle. "I want to eat the biggest ones myself."

"Then I won't help you," said the pelican, and he went away.

"Oh, please! Please! Help me!" Achok's uncle shouted, louder than before.

The marabou stork heard him and ran to the river to find him.

"Take the spines out of my back," said Achok's uncle. "But I'm telling you now, I won't give you the biggest fish."

"Then I'll take the smallest ones," said the marabou stork.

Carefully, he pulled all the big fish out of Achok's uncle's back and ate them.

"Are you eating the big fish?" said Achok's uncle.

"Oh no," said the marabou stork. 

He pulled out another big fish and ate it.

"Wasn't that a big one?" said Achok's uncle.

"No, it was the smallest," said the marabou.

At last, all the fish were out of Achok's uncle's back and the marabou stork flew away. All the big fish were gone.

Sadly, Achok's uncle picked up the little fish and went home.

"Oh, my back! My fish! My back!" he was crying.

"What's the matter, uncle?" Achok said to him. "What happened?"

"You said, 'Take beer to the river and throw it in,'" his uncle told him. "'Then jump in and you'll catch a lot of fish.' So I did. But the spines hurt! And I couldn't get them out of my back! Why did you tell me to catch fish this way?"

"Who? Me?" laughed Achok. "I never said that! I said, 'Go to the river and take the fish out carefully, with your hands.' That's what I said, uncle!"