Long ago, in a city beside the wide Tigris River, there lived a king who loved fish more than anything else. His wife, Queen Sherem, often joined him in the royal gardens, where they could watch boats pass beneath a glittering bridge of wood and rope.
One morning, a fisherman paddled by with a shining silver fish in his basket. The king noticed it right away. The fisherman bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I know how much you enjoy fish. Please accept this one as a gift.”
The king was delighted. “Such kindness deserves a reward!” he said, and ordered his servant to give the fisherman a large bag of coins.
But Queen Sherem hesitated. “My king, I worry you may have been tricked. If people think you pay too much for one fish, they may start bringing you gifts just to take advantage. Shouldn’t we be sure the fisherman is truly clever and not simply lucky?”
The king frowned. “It would seem ungracious to take back a gift once I’ve given it.”
“Then test him,” the queen suggested. “Ask him something unusual about the fish. If he can answer wisely, it will prove he’s no ordinary man.”
The king agreed and called the fisherman back. “Tell me, fisherman,” he asked, “is this fish from the deep river or the shallow waters near the shore?”
The fisherman paused only a moment, then replied with a smile: “Your Majesty, this fish belongs to both. It swims in the deep for safety, and in the shallow waters for food. It knows how to live in two worlds.”
The king laughed in surprise. “What a clever answer!” Instead of taking the money away, he gave the fisherman even more coins.
The fisherman thanked him, tucked the coins into his leather bag, and slung it over his shoulder. As he turned to leave, a single coin slipped out and clinked onto the ground. Quickly, the fisherman set down his bag, picked up the coin, and placed it safely inside again.
“Look at that,” Queen Sherem whispered. “Perhaps he is cautious rather than clever. Why would a man with so many coins bother with a single one?”
The king called the fisherman back once more. “Tell me, why did you stop for such a small coin when you already had a bag full?”
The fisherman bowed and answered carefully. “Your Majesty, every coin has worth. A small coin may buy bread for someone in need, or it may remind me of the gift I was given today. I would not want to waste it.”
The king leaned back in his chair. “Perhaps you are wise or perhaps careful in a way that serves yourself. Either way, you have given me much to think about.”
He handed the fisherman yet another reward, though still wondering what kind of man he truly was. Queen Sherem smiled faintly. Maybe it didn’t matter—the fisherman had shown that even small things could hold great meaning.
“One Coin, Many Questions” by Nina D. Smith, published by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “The King and the Fisherman” from Persian Fairy Tales by Hartwell James, originally published in 1906.
“One Coin, Many Questions” is best suited for grades 3–5. The accessible language, playful dialogue, and gentle themes of wisdom and fairness make it engaging for independent readers while also perfect for classroom discussions.
Here are three discussion questions you could use with this story:
- Do you think the fisherman was being wise, careful, or selfish when he picked up the dropped coin? Why?
- How does Queen Sherem’s concern show she was thinking about more than just the king’s happiness?
- What do you think the story teaches about the value of small things, like a single coin—or a thoughtful answer?
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