The Biggest Fish in the Lake

On Saturday, Olive and Yuri went fishing at the lake. They sat on the old wooden dock. They had two chairs and one big bucket. They did not want to eat fish. They only liked the quiet.

The sun came up slowly. The water was flat like glass. Olive put a worm on her hook. She dropped it in the water and waited. Yuri did the same.

They waited for one hour. Nothing happened. A bird sat on the dock and looked at them.

"This is a good day," said Yuri.

"Why?" asked Olive. "We have nothing."

"The sky is nice," he said. "And I have a sandwich."

They ate their sandwiches. Then Yuri's line jumped. He pulled it up fast. A fish flew out of the water. It was silver and shiny.

It was also very small. It was the size of his finger.

"It's a baby," said Olive.

"It's a fish," Yuri said proudly. He held it for a moment. Then he put it back in the water. It swam away fast.

They packed their bags. They walked to the little shop by the lake. A man sold worms and hooks there. "Any luck?" he asked.

"I caught a fish," Yuri said. "It was as long as my hand."

Olive looked at him. His hand was very big. The fish was not as long as his hand. But she said nothing.

That evening, they went to Olive's house for dinner. Her mother asked, "How was the lake?"

"Great," Yuri said. "I caught a fish as long as my arm."

Olive's mouth fell open. "Yuri!"

"What?" he said, with a smile.

At the dinner table, Olive's little brother wanted more. "Was it hard to catch?"

"Very hard," said Yuri. "It pulled me across the dock. I almost fell in the water. It was as big as a dog."

Everyone at the table stared at him. Olive's father put down his fork. "A dog?" he said. "In our lake?"

"A small dog," said Yuri. But he was not smiling now. He saw the little boy's eyes. They were big and round and full of hope.

The next morning, the boy ran to the lake. He carried a fishing line. His mother was far behind him. He sat on the dock. He waited and waited. A tiny fish took his worm. The boy pulled it up with all his strength.

It was the size of a finger.

Yuri and Olive stood behind him. The boy looked at the fish with wide eyes. "Is this the same fish?" he asked.

Yuri bent down. He took a deep breath.

"No," he said. "That fish was not as big as a dog. I made up that part. This one is real, and you caught it. That is the best part."

The boy thought about it. Then he held the small fish high in the air. He shouted across the lake. "I caught a fish as big as a dog!"

Olive looked at Yuri. Yuri covered his face with his hands.