The Tale of the Big Catch: A Story About Telling Exaggerated, Untrue Stories

Rohan was known for being the most talkative kid in his class. He loved telling stories, especially about all the exciting things he claimed to do. One day at lunch, he told everyone an incredible tale that left his friends wide-eyed.

 

“Guys, you won’t believe what happened this weekend!” Rohan began, his voice full of excitement. His friends, including Nikhil, leaned in to listen.

 

“I went fishing with my uncle, and I caught the biggest fish anyone’s ever seen! It was, like, THIS big!” Rohan spread his arms wide, as if the fish was the size of a small car. “Everyone at the lake was shocked! They even took my picture for the newspaper!”

 

Nikhil raised an eyebrow, a little skeptical. “Really? A fish that big? And the newspaper took your picture?”

 

Rohan nodded eagerly. “Yep! You can ask my uncle!”

 

The story spread quickly through the school, and by the end of the day, everyone was talking about Rohan’s massive catch. But deep down, Nikhil had his doubts. He had been fishing with Rohan before, and they had never caught anything close to that size.

 

Question: Why do you think Nikhil is unsure about Rohan’s story?

 

A few days later, during gym class, their teacher, Mr. Mehta, overheard the kids talking about Rohan’s fishing adventure. Curious, he asked, “Rohan, do you really have a picture of this big fish? I’d love to see it!”

 

Rohan hesitated. He hadn’t expected anyone to ask for proof. “Uh… well… the picture didn’t come out that great,” he mumbled. “But it was definitely huge!”

 

Later, as they walked home from school, Nikhil asked Rohan, “Why did you make up that story? I’ve gone fishing with you, and we’ve never caught anything that big.”

 

Rohan shrugged uncomfortably. “I just wanted to sound cool. Everyone tells awesome stories, and I didn’t want to be the only one without something exciting to share.”

 

Nikhil smiled. “You don’t have to exaggerate to impress us. We like hanging out with you because you’re fun, not because of your stories.”

 

Question: How do you think Rohan felt when Nikhil called him out on his story?

 

The next day, during lunch, Rohan decided to come clean. “Hey guys, I need to tell you something. I didn’t really catch a fish that big. I just wanted to have a cool story to tell. I’m sorry for exaggerating.”

 

To his surprise, his friends didn’t get upset. “It’s okay, Rohan. You don’t have to make stuff up to impress us,” Nikhil said, patting him on the back.

 

Rohan felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He realized that he didn’t need to exaggerate or tell untrue stories to be liked. His friends valued him for who he was, not for the stories he told.

 

Moral: Telling exaggerated or untrue stories might seem fun at first, but honesty is what builds real friendships. People will like you for who you are, not for the stories you make up.