Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

Plutarch tells a very amusing story of Mark Anthony, who was a keen angler. One day while Cleopatra and he were indulging in this sport, he was unusually unsuccessful. Hurt at this disappointment in the presence of his mistress, he gave secret orders to some of the fishermen to dive under water, and to fasten, unseen, to his hook, some of the finest and largest fishes, still alive, and which they had lately taken in their nets. With nice execution they obeyed his orders. Every time he drew up his line he succeeded. The cunning Cleopatra, in rapturous language, extolled his art, his address and his fortune. Acquainted, however, with the artifice he was using, she had recourse to the ingenious countermine of desiring one of her own attendants to dive secretly, and attach to his hook a large dried Pontic fish. At last, when pulling up the line, at the sight of the heavy salted fish, the spectators expressed their surprise by a loud laugh. Antony did not relish the joke, and seemed highly displeased. The queen observing him in the mood, immediately took him in her arms, and fondly exclaimed, “Leave, dear general, angling to us pretty princes of Pharos and Canopus; your game is cities, kingdoms, and provinces.”