The Old Man with the Study Desk at a Local Bazaar
The old study desk has been in the bazaar for a long time. The old man is unconcerned that among all the goods, it remains unsold.
“I fish with a straight fishing hook. Don’t accuse me of cheating if they buy things which are not of their expectations,” he explains to his fellow street vendors. They are puzzled why he always insists the customers to test the drawer.
It is stuck.
No matter how many people have attempted, the stuck drawer prevails.
The old man with the study desk at a local bazaar even becomes a kind of attraction – customers who have tried would bring their friends along. The customers seem to have forgotten that the old man is running a business. Not that the old man minds.
He encourages – eggs on even – people and charges no money for their efforts. And everyone is having fun fooling around with the study desk.
After all, this is just a small local bazaar. Who would suspect such an old study desk is Pandora’s Box? And Devil himself is sitting in broad daylight waiting for the reincarnated Pandora to open the Box once more?
The old man grins.
(198 words)
Fishing with a straight fishing hook – this is a Chinese two part proverb, in which the first part is a story and the second part, often left unsaid, sums up the meaning. In this case, fishing with a straight fishing hook means you cannot really catch any fish and if you do catch a fish, it only means that the fish is willing to be caught instead of being cheated (line, hook and sinker much?). I just could not help but included this proverb into the story.
If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.
Flash Fiction for the Purposeful Practitioner is a weekly writing challenge designed for both the flash fiction newbie and the more experienced writer. It is the desire of this challenge to allow writers the opportunity to clear the cobwebs from a more tedious and involved project. Becoming a part of a new and growing writer’s community might be just what the doctor ordered to rejuvenate your writing juices.
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From the Window Seat 
I like this. Though I am glad you explained it. I’m thinking, no, fish hooks are bent, which is why fishing is called angling. But now it makes sense. Nice one. 🙂
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Haha, I know what you mean. I couldn’t understand it the first I came across it, until my language teacher patiently explained to me what it really means. That is when I realised that I cannot take it literally when I’m dealing with proverbs. 😅 Thank you for reading.
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It’s the same with most proverbs. My mother had one for every occasion, and most of them contradicted.
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Haha, how true! Like “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” and “Out of sight, out of mind”. Lol
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Too many cooks spoil the broth; many hands make light work
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