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In a pond, there lived three fishes, named as - Anagatavidhat, Pratyutpannamati and Yadbhavishya. One day, some fishermen were passing by. They saw this saw this pond and said to each other, “We have never done our work in this pond. We will come here tomorrow.”
The fishermen left the place.
Anagatavidhat heard this, he was dumbfounded, after a while. He called all the fishes together and said to them, “Did you hear what the fishermen said just now? Let’s leave immediately for some other pond - it is said that when a weak man meets a stronger opponent, the best thing he can do is run, or else make for a hideout, there’s no other way out.’ or “I think the fishermen will return tomorrow morning,” and then they all will start killing us. So it’s not wise to stay here for a moment - it is said “Those who, in time of calamity, can without difficulty goes elsewhere, avoid seeing the destruction, of their families and land.”
Partyutpannamati heard this, he said, “You’re right! Let us go somewhere else!”
But Yadhhavishya laughed loudly and said, “Oh, I don’t agree with you! Would it be right to give up this pond, that belonged to our forefathers, just because of the talk of fishermen! And in case, it’s time for us to die, death will certainly not spare us, wherever we are-it is said that ‘A man whom fortune smiles on. Though unprotected, eludes destruction, but the man with luck against him, is done for even though he is well protected. “So, I won’t come with you.”
When Anagatavidhat heard his decision, he left the lake immediately with his family.
‘Early next morning, Pratyutpannamati saw the fishermen coming in the distance and he too left the lake with all his family.
The Fishermen arrived at the lake and, threw their nets caught all the fishes, including Yadhhavishya and they all died.
The female tittibha said, ‘That’s why I said, “He who puts his mind to a problem before it presents itself, and he who puts his mind to it, when it actually arrives. Both these categories will escape, but those who depend on luck, will be destroyed, as Yadbhavishya was, made dead by the fishermen.”
‘My dear,’ said the male ‘do you think I’m as stupid as Yadbhavishya! You’ll see how brilliant I am when I dry up the Sea!”
‘How you can retorted the female tittibha, awfully, it is true that. "When a weakling gets angry, he hurts only himself.” “He who attacks an enemy without knowing his strength, will be destroyed like the moth in fire.”
‘But my dear,’ said the male tittibha, ‘don’t talk like that! Even though you are small, if you are zealous, you can overcome the strongest enemy. As it is said, “An elephant can be brought under control by a goad. Is a goad as big as an elephant? When a lamp is lighted, the darkness disappears, is the lamp big as the darkness? When a thunderbolt strikes it, the mountain crumbles. Is a thunderbolt as big as the mountain? So the man with zeal is the man who is strong. ‘I shall dry up the whole Sea, by sucking it up in my beak.’
‘My dear,’ said his wife, ‘How could you suck up the Sea.’
My beak is as solid as iron. Why can’t I suck up the Sea, if I work day and night at it? And until a man puts some effort into what he is doing, he does not succeed.’
‘If you really want to quarrel with the Sea, then send a message to some of the other birds and do this with their help because “Small insignificant things united, become unconquerable; Thin blades of grass, woven into a thick rope can tie up an elephant. In the same way, working together, a sparrow, a woodpecker, a fly and a frog killed an elephant.”
‘How was that? asked the male tittibha. And his wife again told him this story. THE ELEPHANT AND THE SPARROW