The Talking Conch

Once, in a small village by the sea, there lived a fisherman who spent his days casting nets and telling grand tales of mythical creatures from the deep. One evening, as he wandered the beach after a long day, he came across an old, weathered conch shell lying in the sand. Out of curiosity, he held it to his ear, and to his amazement, the shell whispered, “Speak carefully, for words have weight.” Startled, the fisherman ran back to the village and proclaimed to everyone that the shell could talk. Word spread quickly, and soon the village chief heard the tale. “Nonsense!” the chief scoffed. But the fisherman insisted, and so the chief agreed to follow him to the beach the next day. “But,” the chief warned, “if this shell does not speak as you say, you will pay for your lies with your life.” The next morning, they gathered by the shore. The fisherman picked up the conch and held it to his ear. "Speak!" he commanded. But the shell was silent. He shook it and demanded again, “Speak!” Yet no sound came from the conch. All day, he tried, but the shell remained mute. Frustrated and humiliated, the chief ordered his men to seize the fisherman. Without further delay, they cast him into the sea, where the currents swiftly claimed him. As the fisherman sank beneath the waves, the conch, still lying on the shore, whispered softly, “I told you… words have weight.” The fisherman’s echoing voice from the depths replied, “I should have listened.”