Short Fiction · Chapter
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Jeremy Fisher, a frog, sets out to catch minnows for his dinner, but after a series of mishaps including catching a stickleback and being swallowed and spat out by a trout, he abandons fishing and hosts a dinner for his friends with an alternative meal.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt presents the story's dramatic climax because it reveals the fundamental contradiction at the hear…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Nature and Danger
Mr. Jeremy Fisher's fishing expedition turns perilous when he is attacked by a stickleback and swallowed by a trout, highlighting the dangers lurking in the natural world.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The protagonist frog who goes fishing and narrowly escapes being eaten by a trout.
- Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise
A friend invited to dinner who brings a salad.
- Sir Isaac Newton
A friend invited to dinner who wears a black and gold waistcoat.
Key passages
“I will get some worms and go fishing and catch a dish of minnows for my dinner”
Mr. Jeremy Fisher decides to go fishing for minnows to eat.
Sets the plot in motion.
“Instead of a smooth fat minnow, Mr. Jeremy landed little Jack Sharp the stickleback, covered with spines!”
Mr. Jeremy Fisher catches a spiny stickleback instead of a minnow.
First mishap during fishing.
“A great big enormous trout came up... and it seized Mr. Jeremy with a snap”
A large trout grabs Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
Climactic dangerous event.
“the only thing it swallowed was Mr. Jeremy's goloshes”
The trout only swallows Mr. Jeremy's rubber boots.
Mr. Jeremy escapes due to his macintosh.
“instead of a nice dish of minnows—they had a roasted grasshopper with ladybird sauce”
For dinner, they ate a roasted grasshopper with ladybird sauce instead of fish.
Resolution of the dinner plan.
