FISHY ETHICS 87 



of, is much stronger than himself. I naturally 

 attempt to regain this fly, unjustly withheld from 

 me. The fish gets tired and weak in his lawless 

 endeavours to deprive me of it. I take advantage 

 of his weakness, I own, and drag him, somewhat 

 loth, to the shore, where one rap at the back of 

 the head ends him in an instant. If he is a trout, 

 I find his stomach distended with flies. That 

 beautiful one called the May-fly, who is by nature 

 almost ephemeral, who rises up from the bottom 

 of the shallows, spreads its light wings, and flits in 

 the sunbeam in enjoyment of its new existence, 

 no sooner descends to the surface of the water to 

 deposit its eggs, than the unfeeling fish at one fell 

 spring numbers him prematurely with the dead. 

 You see, then, what a wretch a fish is ; no ogre is 

 more bloodthirsty, for he will devour his nephews, 

 nieces, and even his own children, when he can 

 catch them ; and I take some credit for having 

 shown him up. Talk of a wolf, indeed, a lion, or a 

 tiger ! Why these are all mild and saintly in com- 

 parison with a fish. When did any one hear of 

 Messrs. Wolf, Lion, and Co. eating up their grand- 

 children ? What a bitter fright must the smaller 

 fry live in ! They crowd to the shallows, lie hid 

 among the weeds, and dare not say the river is 

 their own. I relieve them of their apprehensions, 

 and thus become popular with the small shoals. 



When we see a fish quivering upon dry land, he 

 looks so helpless without arms or legs, and so 

 demure in expression, adding hypocrisy to his other 

 sins, that we naturally pity him ; then kill and eat 

 him Avith Harvey sauce, perhaps. Our pity is mis- 



