They had a good night's rest in the small town.
For instance, they watched the sunset from the hotel's rooftop.
Afterward, they were supposed to finish breakfast early and head to the capital of Clothes Country.
However, Gwof still wanted to wait a few days.
It wasn't for those ten chests of gold. After all, Ben had a piece of gold every day, and Gwof himself could summon gold at any time.
Rather, it was because of... this town, and these rats.
Gwof suspected it was another fairy tale.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin—
A town plagued by rats, residents promising a heavy reward to someone to exterminate them, only to go back on their word once the deed was done, resulting in the Piper taking away all the children.
An interesting fairy tale was naturally something to be experienced.
So, they had to wait.
Of course, it wasn't a wait for nothing; at Gwof's suggestion, they prepared to go fishing in the river next to the town.
Fishing was indeed something that warmed the heart.
Ben had gone to the town's general store early to gather the gear—four smoothly polished bamboo fishing rods and lines made of cotton soaked in tung oil, strong enough to pull in a mid-sized grass carp.
The hooks were "crooked-mouth" hooks forged at the blacksmith's shop, said to be the easiest to catch a fish's lip.
There was also a small tin box containing freshly dug red earthworms, plump and glistening under the sunlight.
The group walked toward the riverbank, stepping through the morning dew.
In Leah's arms, the Ugly Duckling poked its head out, curiously eyeing the roll of shimmering fishing line, pecking at it with its sharp beak from time to time until Leah laughingly held it down.
"Don't cause trouble, or we won't catch any fish."
The river was not far away; its surface was like a piece of polished jasper, so clear that the smooth pebbles at the bottom were visible, along with schools of small fry swimming past, their tails flicking rapidly.
Occasionally, a large silvery-gray fish would suddenly leap out of the water with a "splash," only to dive back in with a "plop," making the reeds along the bank rustle.
Ben chose a flat bluestone slab to sit on and skillfully threaded an earthworm onto the hook—pinching the worm's head with his fingertips and giving it a gentle stroke, its soft body wound around the hook twice, leaving only a tiny tip exposed.
His casting motion was even more agile; with a light flick of his wrist, the fishing line flew out in an arc. The lead sinker hit the water with a "thud," and the float stood steadily there like a small white flower.
"Watch closely,"
Ben winked at Gwof. "You need patience for fishing. Fish are even craftier than cats."
No sooner had he spoken than the float suddenly dipped and was then violently dragged underwater.
With a flick of his wrist, Ben's rod instantly bent into a beautiful arc.
"Heh, here it comes!"
He exerted force with his arm, the bamboo rod letting out a faint "creak." A heavy pull came from beneath the surface; it was clearly a sizable fish.
Leah and Little Bottle both crowded around, their eyes wide and round.
They watched as Ben slowly reeled in the line following the fish's pull, sometimes loosening and sometimes tightening.
After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, a grass carp over two feet long was finally pulled from the water. Its silvery scales shimmered so brightly in the sun that it was hard to look at, and its tail was still thrashing wildly, splashing water all over Ben's trouser leg.
"Impressive!"
Little Bottle clapped and cheered, hurrying to put the fish into the bucket. The fish was still flopping inside, making a "slap-slap" sound against the sides.
On the other hand, Gwof and Leah weren't having such a smooth time.
Gwof had chosen a spot under the shade of a tree. He rested his rod on a rock and leaned against the tree himself, his eyes half-squinted as if he were sunbathing or perhaps pondering something else.
The float moved several times, but he was either a beat too slow to react or too hasty in lifting the rod. Only half an earthworm would be left on the hook, the fish having long since slipped away.
Leah was even more flustered.
She had been so scared that she closed her eyes while threading the earthworm. Once she finally managed it, her cast sent the fishing line into a patch of reeds, taking her quite a while to untangle.
When she finally got the hook into the water, the moment the float moved, she let out a "Yikes!" and jerked the rod up, only to find the hook empty, save for a piece of waterweed.
"Don't rush,"
When Ben caught his second fish and saw Leah pouting, he gave her some advice with a smile.
"When a fish bites, the float will bob twice first; that's just a test. Wait until it sinks sharply before lifting the rod."
Leah nodded and hooked another earthworm, acting a bit more composed this time.
But the fish seemed to be teasing her on purpose; the float swayed left and right but never truly took the bait.
Little Bottle was even more extreme. Impatient with waiting, he simply tossed his rod aside and crouched by the river to scoop fish with his hands. As a result, not only did he fail to catch any, but he also splashed mud all over his face, making Leah burst into laughter.
There were clearly plenty of fish in the river, and the shadows of schools swimming by could be seen from time to time. Yet, aside from the occasional cheer of "I've got one!" from Ben's side, Gwof and Leah had absolutely no harvest.
Leah stared at the motionless float on the water. The fine sweat seeping from the tip of her nose slid down her cheek to her chin, dripping onto the collar of her off-white shirt and leaving a small dark stain.
She puffed out her cheeks, her little face strained like a round pink bun. Suddenly, she set her fishing rod aside and clapped her hands at the Ugly Duckling in her arms.
"Ducky, go! Show them what you've got!"
The Ugly Duckling understood her words. It tilted its bald head, let out a "gu-ji" chirp, flapped its dusty gray wings, and hopped out of Leah's arms, running to the riverbank in a few steps.
It looked down at the schools of fish swimming back and forth, then up at Leah's expectant gaze. With a sudden kick, it jumped into the river with a "plop," the splash wetting the grass on the bank.
The little fellow splashed around quite happily in the water, its bald wings paddling like clumsy little oars. Its head would dive into the water and then jerk back up, spraying droplets everywhere.
Leah crouched on the bank and clapped. "Go for it! Catch the biggest one!"
Just then, a shimmering silver fish swam slowly past the Ugly Duckling. The fish was half a body length longer than the Ugly Duckling, and a flick of its tail created a current that nearly capsized the little fellow.
The Ugly Duckling had clearly never seen such a sight. Terrified, it let out a "ji" shriek, its gray feathers fluffing up as it scrambled back toward the shore, its splashing becoming erratic.
The big fish seemed to find teasing the little thing amusing, as it gave another gentle flick of its tail, splashing water all over the Ugly Duckling's face.
The little fellow didn't dare stay a moment longer. It scrambled onto the bank, shaking off the droplets. With its bald feathers plastered to its body, it looked just like a drowned rat. It ran to Leah's feet and curled into a ball, not daring to go near the river again.
Seeing its cowardly state, Leah burst into a giggle. She bent down to scoop it into her arms and used her sleeve to wipe the water from its head.
"Alright, alright, I don't blame you. That fish was too big; we won't mess with it."
The Ugly Duckling rubbed against her, letting out two aggrieved "gu-ji" chirps as if complaining about the big fish bullying it.
Ben caught a perch and laughed, teasing, "It seems this little duck is better suited as a spectator. When it comes to catching fish, you'll have to rely on me."
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, and the hook landed precisely where the big fish had appeared. No sooner had the float settled than it was violently dragged underwater.
Ben's eyes lit up. "Whoa, this pull is even stronger than the last one!"
Leah leaned in while holding the Ugly Duckling, her eyes wide and round, forgetting her earlier disappointment—it seemed they could catch a big fish even without the duckling's help.