The Fisherman and the Little Fish
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A tiny fish begs a fisherman to toss it back into the sea, promising to return once it's grown big enough to be worth catching.
A Fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he drew it up again it contained nothing but a single Sprat that begged to be put back into the water. "I'm only a little fish now," it said, "but I shall grow big one day, and then if you come and catch me again I shall be of some use to you." But the Fisherman replied, "Oh, no, I shall keep you now I've got you: if I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not likely!"
Seorang Nelayan melemparkan jalanya ke laut, dan ketika ia menariknya kembali, jala itu tidak berisi apa-apa selain seekor ikan Sprat kecil yang memohon untuk dikembalikan ke air. "Aku hanya ikan kecil sekarang," katanya, "tetapi suatu hari aku akan tumbuh besar, dan jika kau datang menangkapku lagi nanti, aku akan berguna bagimu." Tetapi Nelayan itu menjawab, "Oh, tidak, aku akan menyimpanmu sekarang aku sudah mendapatkanmu: jika aku mengembalikanmu, apakah aku akan pernah melihatmu lagi? Tidak mungkin!"
