In a large pond at the edge of a village there lived three fish.
They had lived there all their lives. The pond was deep and cool and full of food. They knew every corner of it - the shallow end where the reeds grew, the dark centre where the water was coldest, the narrow channel that connected to the stream beyond the rocks.
The three fish were different in one important way.
The first fish paid attention to things. When the water level dropped in summer he noticed. When fishermen came to the bank he moved away before they cast their nets. He trusted what he observed.
The second fish was sensible but slow to act. He believed in thinking things through. He had good judgment but liked to wait and see before doing anything.
The third fish believed that whatever happened, happened. The pond had always been safe. There was no reason to imagine it would stop being safe.
One evening the first fish heard two fishermen talking on the bank.
"Good spot," one of them said. "We'll come back tomorrow with the nets."
The first fish did not wait. That same night he found the narrow channel behind the rocks and made his way through to the stream. It was a long uncomfortable journey through shallow water but by morning he was safe.
He tried to tell the others before he left. The second fish said he would think about it. The third fish said the pond had always been fine.
The fishermen came back the next morning with their nets.
The second fish heard the nets hit the water and understood immediately. He was clever enough to play dead - floating still on the surface until the fishermen tossed him aside thinking he was gone. He slipped away into the reeds and eventually found his way to the channel.
The third fish was caught. He was genuinely surprised.
When danger is coming, thinking about it is better than ignoring it. Acting on it is better than thinking about it. But leaving before it arrives is better than all of these.
