Tobal

ake

Alongtimeago,li
vedayoungmannamedToba.Hehadt woexcell
entabi
li
ti
esinter
msof
f
ishi
ngandf ar
ming.Whenfishi
ng,Tobawasv er
yast
uteanddidnotrequi
realongti
met
oget
t
hef i
sh.Justt
hrownthehookintother
iver
,andhegotthebi
gfish.

Oneaf
ter
noon,hewentfi
shi
ngt
oari
verthatwaswideenough.Wit
hinsecondsaf
terhethr
ew
t
hehookint
otheri
ver
,thefi
shi
mmedi
atelygr
abbedthebaitandhegotabigfi
shfordi
nner.

Heimmedi at
elywenthomeandal ongthewayhecont i
nuedpleasedbecauseofhav i
ngenough
fi
shforadinner.Heimmedi at
elymovedthefi
shfrom t
hecreeltothetubfi
ll
edwi thwater.He
wantedthefishstayfr
eshwhencookedsot hetastewasremarkablygood.Afterput
ti
ngf ish
i
nsidethetubs,heprepar
edseasoningandfir
ewoodwhi chneededintheprocessofripening.
Unfort
unat
ely,fi
rewoodinthehousewasoutandhei mmedi at
elyl
ookedforfir
ewoodi nthe
for
est.

Sever
alhour
slater
,hewenthomeandcar r
yingfi
rewoodpr
ettymuchtocookthefi
sh.However
,
whenhegothome, hewassurpr
isedbecausethefi
shwaslost.Heev
enfoundpiecesofgol
d,
andabeauti
fulgi
rlwhowassit
ti
nginhisroom.

Hiswifeandhi
m gotareblessedaboynamedSamosi r
.Hischi
ldwasv er
yagile,
int
ell
igent,
but
spoi
led.Whenhischi
l
dr eachedanage,t
herearetaskwhi
chshouldbeperformedeveryday ,
namelydeli
ver
ingt
hefoodi nt
ohisri
cefi
elds.Oneti
me,hi
schil
dfeltv
erylazytodel
iverfoodto
thef
ieldandmadehiswi f
escolded.

Final
ly
,hischi
ldfor
cedushert
hesefoodsi nt
othefiel
d.Becausesoupset
,hi
schil
dat
emostof
thefoodatthetr
ip,t
henbri
ngitt
othefieldwithj
ustalit
tl
efood.Whenfoodgiv
entot
heToba,
ofcoursehesurpri
sedandaskedaboutittohisson.

Furt
hermore,thebeaut
if
ulgir
ltol
dtoTobat hatshewasthefishwhicharrestedbyhi
m, and
pi
ecesofgoldwast hepartofconsti
tutesf
ish.Hethenaskedthatpret
tygirl
tomarryhim.The
beauti
ful
girl
agreedtohisrequest
,butheshouldnotbri
ngupt hepastofthatbeauti
ful
girl
.
Tobaapproveditandtheyweremar r
ied.

Tobawasfuri
oust
olear
nthathi
ssonhadeatent
hef
ood.Hesai
dthathi
ssonwasachi
ldf
ish
andhischi
l
dcamehomewhi l
ecryi
ng.Hi
ssoncompl
ainedt
ohi
swifeandmakeshi
swif
eso
fur
ious.

Hiswifewassoangr yandassumedt hatTobahadbeenv i

olat
edt
hecovenant
.Alt
houghToba
hadbeggedsomuch, buthiswifewoul
dnotforgavehi
m andwentwi
thhissontotheri
ver.The
wifeandhissonturnedint
oaf ishagai
n.I
nstant
ly,
therai
ncameinaver
yheav yandfl
ushed
Tobatosink.HeavyrainsformedalakeknownasTobaLake.