Went Out to See the World 21 
streams dried up, it will bury itself in 
the sand, and fall into a kind of stupor 
until the rainy season comes around and 
brings it back to life. 
“ Aunt Sheen,” so called from the 
beauty of her skin, used to tell Sammy 
another story about this famous fish. 
It seems that the Hassar builds a nest 
just like a bird, only hers is under 
water along the reeds and rushes of some 
shore. The nest is made of vegetable 
fibres, and is shaped like a hollow ball, 
flat at the top. From a hole in this ball 
the mother can pass in and out, and she 
watches over her nest with the most ten¬ 
der care, until the young ones leave it. 
Fishermen catch the Hassar by hold¬ 
ing a basket in front of the nest and 
beating it with sticks. When the poor 
mother comes out to defend her family, 
she falls into the basket and is captured. 
