The sun was just peeking over the big blue ocean, painting the sky all sorts of pretty colors. Out on his little boat, a fisherman named Gus was yawning. He'd been up since before the seagulls! Gus cast his net into the sparkly water, hoping to catch a big, tasty fish for his dinner.

He waited, and waited, humming a little tune. Suddenly, his net felt heavy! "Aha!" he cried, pulling it up with all his might. But when he looked inside, there wasn't a giant fish. There was just one very, very small tuna, about the size of his littlest finger.

The tiny tuna wiggled its fins and looked up at Gus with wide, watery eyes. "Oh, Mr. Fisherman, sir!" it chirped in a tiny voice. "Please, please let me go! I'm so small, I'm hardly a mouthful. If you put me back in the sea, I'll eat lots of yummy seaweed and tiny shrimps. I'll grow bigger and fatter! Then, next year, you can catch me again, and I'll be a proper feast for you and your whole family!"

Gus looked at the little tuna. It was true, it was very small. He thought for a moment. "Hmm," he said, scratching his beard. "A big fish next year sounds good. But... what if I don't catch you next year? What if a shark eats you before then? Or what if you swim so far away I never find you?"

He looked at the tiny tuna again. "You know, little fish," Gus said gently, "a small fish in my boat today is much better than dreaming about a big fish I might catch... or might not catch... next year. A little dinner is better than no dinner at all."

And so, Gus decided that having something small for sure was wiser than waiting for something bigger that might never come.

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