The Magic Fishing Pole
By John French
2012 All Rights Reserved
The Magic Fishing Pole
There is a story I know of a young boy named Jack. Jack lived in a cabin with his parents deep in the mountains. They owned a few milking cows, some pigs, and a couple dozen hens. They worked hard every summer tending to the animals, growing crops, and preparing for the winter.
In the evenings Jack would explore the mountains. He would also visit his favorite fishing hole in a nearby pond just a hop, skip, and a jump from his house. He always enjoyed fishing after a hard day on the farm, but it was also a way to help provide more food for his family. So it was too bad that Jack came back empty handed more times than he’d like to say.
One night in the late summer, a terrible storm blew over the mountains. It rained harder than Jack had ever seen, and the lightning strikes were bright and loud. Jack watched out his window as the storm passed overhead. He could see the lightning striking one hill close to his house multiple times. He decided that he would go and inspect that hillside in the morning after chores to look at the damage.
The next morning Jack packed a light lunch, and set out for that nearby hillside. The woods were full of life that morning. Jack saw many deer walking about and the occasional fox. The trees were filled with birds singing and squirrels chattering. By noon he had reached the top of the hill. He could see his cabin from the top, and could even see the cows eating in the field.
At the very top of the hill there was only one tree that had been growing, a small maple sapling that had been struck by lightning. A bolt of lightning had cut the small tree clean off at the base. Jack decided to take the tree home and make a new fishing pole with it.
That night Jack and his father carefully worked on his new fishing pole. They shaved off the bark, smoothed the wood, and his mother decorated it with red and blue thread. Jack tied some line to it, and his fishing pole was ready.
The next day Jack could only think about going fishing with his new pole while he worked on the farm. When chores were done he had dinner, then it was time to go fishing! Jack grabbed his new fishing pole with a smile on his face, and down the trail he ran to the pond.
Jack sat down at his favorite fishing hole, and cast out his line. He watched the fish feeding all around him for a long time, but still no bites. What Jack didn’t know was that when the lightning struck the sapling that was now his fishing pole, it gave it magic powers. Jack could catch as many fish as he wanted. He just needed to say what he wanted to catch.
It was starting to get dark, and Jack knew he had to go home. As he sat looking at the fish feeding he said, “I wish I could catch one of those fish.” All of a sudden his fishing pole bent over, and he had a fish! He cast his line back out and said, “I wish I could catch one more.” In an instance Jack brought in another fish. He took his pole and two fish, and Jack went running home laughing all the way.
The next evening Jack returned to his fishing hole. He sat a long time waiting for a fish to bite until he said, “I wish I could catch one of those fish again tonight.” Once again Jack reeled in a fish right away. After that day Jack knew that his fishing pole was special. He also knew how it worked.
Jack enjoyed many days fishing with his magic fishing pole, and he always had a fish or two to bring home for dinner. But Jack wasn’t the only one who noticed his fishing pole’s powers. There was an old grumpy bear that lived by the pond, and he had been watching Jack for a long time. By watching and listening, the bear learned of the fishing pole’s magic and how it worked.
The next day while Jack was fishing, the bear was hiding on the other side of the pond. His tummy growled with hunger as he watched Jack catching fish. “I’m going to take that magic fishing pole. Then I can eat all the fish I want.” The bear started to make a plan to get Jack’s fishing pole. There was a beaver nearby who had been listening to the bear, and he knew he had to do something. If the bear got his paws on the magic fishing pole, he would eat all the fish in the pond!
The beaver swam over to Jack and told him about the bear, and how he was planning to take Jack’s magic fishing pole. They couldn’t let the bear eat all the fish. So Jack and the beaver made a plan of their own. They knew the bear wouldn’t listen to them, so they were going to have to trick him. Together they found a way to stop the bear’s greed. It was a simple plan, but it had to work. It just had to.
That next morning after chores, Jack gathered his things for a day of fishing. As he left the house he took his old fishing pole, leaving the magical one behind. It didn’t take long before he was sitting by his fishing hole again. He cast out his line and waited. Nothing happened. He sat a while then said, “I wish I could catch one of those fish feeding around my line.” Soon his pole bent straight over, and Jack brought in a fish. Jack smiled as he cast out his line again.
Jack could see the bear now hiding in the bushes nearby. Jack pretended not to notice and again wished for another fish. “I wish I could catch one more fish for dinner.” The bear watched Jack carefully, but he didn’t see the beaver swimming under the water. The beaver was catching fish and hooking them onto Jack’s line. Once again Jack’s pole bent over, and he caught his biggest fish ever.
Having enough now for dinner, Jack packed his things and headed home. He hadn’t walked far down the trail when he heard a growl. He slowly turned and saw the bear standing right behind him! “Give me that pole boy”, the bear growled showing his teeth. “It’s mine now. I’ll take those fish too, and make it quick before I decide to eat you!” Jack threw everything on the ground, and ran home as fast as he could. The bear ate the fish, then snatched up the pole and went back to the pond.
The bear laughed as he cast out the line. “Now give me a fish!”, he growled at the pole. But nothing happened. He thought about the words the boy had used. “I wish I could catch one of those fish”. Still nothing happened. Soon he heard laughing coming from just off the beach. It was the beaver. “What are you laughing at!”, the bear snarled. The beaver swam slowly over, but was careful not to get too close.
“Don’t you know?” The beaver said with a chuckle, “The magic only works for the boy.” The beaver could see that the bear was growing angry, but the beaver only laughed as he swam in circles. “Why don’t you bring the pole back to the boy and apologize. Maybe he’ll feel sorry for you and help you catch some fish.” The bear looked down at the pole and realized he had been wrong. So he took the pole and began walking towards the cabin where the boy lived.
Jack was sitting at the table laughing to himself over the joke he and the beaver had played on the bear, when a loud knock shook the cabin door. “Who is it?” Jack asked. He heard a low mumbling noise on the other side and new instantly that it was the bear. Jack opened the door, and there on the ground was his fishing pole with the bear standing behind it. “I’m sorry.”, the bear said just barely enough for Jack to hear. Jack could see that the bear was indeed sorry and that he was sad.
Jack felt sorry for the bear. “Wait here.”, Jack said picking up his pole and going back into the cabin. He quickly switched poles so the bear wouldn’t see, and grabbed a jar of worms he had. “Come on then, follow me”. Jack walked passed the bear and straight to the pond. The bear was not sure what Jack was doing, but he followed him anyway.
Jack sat by his favorite fishing hole and looked at the bear. “If you catch all the fish”, Jack started to say, “there won’t be any left. That means you will never be able to have one again. So for now on, when I come here to get my dinner I will also catch a few for you.” The bear’s eyes brightened with surprise and excitement. “But only a few.” Jack added. “That way there will always be fish for everyone. Deal?”
“Deal!”, the bear yelled happily without any growls or snarling.
The beaver swam over to join them, and they spent the rest of the evening fishing and laughing. And they spent every night thereafter happily fishing together.
THE END