He’s Crooked As A Barrel Of Fish

(I’m 11 and new to fishing, so I haven’t caught anything all day. My family leaves to play soccer. There is a rule that if the fish is too small, it must be thrown back. As the sun sets, I feel a bite so I pull. To my delight, I catch a small fish! I put it in a bucket that has lake water and call for my family to see.)

Me: “Guys! I caught my first fish!”

(A man in a uniform comes up and gives me a friendly smile.)

Man: “Catch of the day, huh?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m just trying to find my family to show–”

(Smile becoming a smirk, he snatches my fish and throws it back into the lake, and disappears.)

Family: “Did you catch something? Who was that?”

(I was not a happy camper.)