This story has been taken from his famous book "Three men in a Boat". The story throws light on the common human psychology that every one in society wants to look important.
Once the writer and his friend George went for a walk at the bank of a river, while coming back they entered into a little inn and sat in the tap-room to take rest. There they started talking with an old fisherman. The writer caught sight a huge glass cabinet that contained a big trout. The trout seemed to have been stuffed. The old man started to talk with the writer about the fish. He told that he had caught it from the river sixteen years ago. It weight was 18 pounds and 6 ounces. Then he went away.
After him the local carrier Jim Bates, came into the room. Seeing the two strangers surprised he said that he had caught the trout from the canal and its weight was 26 pounds. He went out of the room too. After him a third person, Joe Muhhles entered the room and disclosed that he had caught it with the help of a small fish. After his departure serious looking middle aged person Billy Maunders came into the room. George by the way of joke asked him how he had caught that trout. He replied that he had caught it a few years ago and he had broken his rod while catching it. At that time its weight was 34 pounds.
In the mean time the landlord of the inn came into the room. They told him all the stories which they had heard. Then he told them the real story. He said that he had himself caught the fish when he was a school boy.
The curiosity of the writer and his friend reached the highest pitch. So George got on a chair near the cabinet to look closely at the fish. Suddenly the chair slipped and to save himself he clutched the cabinet. But he with the trout cabinet fell down. They were astonished to see that the stuffed trout had broken into countless pieces. But then they found the reality. In fact the fish was not stuffed. It was an artificial fish made of the plaster of Paris.
Once the writer and his friend George went for a walk at the bank of a river, while coming back they entered into a little inn and sat in the tap-room to take rest. There they started talking with an old fisherman. The writer caught sight a huge glass cabinet that contained a big trout. The trout seemed to have been stuffed. The old man started to talk with the writer about the fish. He told that he had caught it from the river sixteen years ago. It weight was 18 pounds and 6 ounces. Then he went away.
After him the local carrier Jim Bates, came into the room. Seeing the two strangers surprised he said that he had caught the trout from the canal and its weight was 26 pounds. He went out of the room too. After him a third person, Joe Muhhles entered the room and disclosed that he had caught it with the help of a small fish. After his departure serious looking middle aged person Billy Maunders came into the room. George by the way of joke asked him how he had caught that trout. He replied that he had caught it a few years ago and he had broken his rod while catching it. At that time its weight was 34 pounds.
In the mean time the landlord of the inn came into the room. They told him all the stories which they had heard. Then he told them the real story. He said that he had himself caught the fish when he was a school boy.
The curiosity of the writer and his friend reached the highest pitch. So George got on a chair near the cabinet to look closely at the fish. Suddenly the chair slipped and to save himself he clutched the cabinet. But he with the trout cabinet fell down. They were astonished to see that the stuffed trout had broken into countless pieces. But then they found the reality. In fact the fish was not stuffed. It was an artificial fish made of the plaster of Paris.