When fishing where there are no fish.

 

                 Little Joe Otter¹.

 

Farmer Brown’s boy hadn’t had one bite, not one teeny, weeny nibble², and he really didn’t know what to make of it. Many times had he fished in the Laughing Brook³ but never before with quite such bad luck as this.

 

“Fishy⁴, fishy, here’s a worm!

 

Watch how he will twist and squirm!

 

Bite him first before you look

 

To see if he is on a hook.”

 

Farmer Brown’s boy said this over twice as he tossed his bait into the second little pool. Then he waited. He waited and waited and waited! All good fishermen wait and wait and wait. To catch fish patience is as necessary as bait. So Farmer Brown’s boy waited. Nothing happened; nothing at all.

 

“I wonder if some one has been here before me and caught all the trout⁵,” thought he. “I didn’t get a nibble at the first pool and I haven’t had a nibble at this pool. Guess I’ll have to move on.”

 

So he moved on towards the third pool a little farther down the Laughing Brook. He had almost reached it when he heard a splash and then another splash. He put down his rod and crept forward very, very carefully, so as to make no sound. When he could see the little pool clearly he caught his breath. Other fishermen were ahead of him. In fact, a family fishing party was right in that very pool and having better luck, much better luck, than he had had. The members of that party were catching⁶ fish, the very trout he had been so sure of catching when he started out. These were the ones who had spoiled his fishing. Have you guessed who they were? They were Little Joe Otter, Mrs. Joe and the little

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