A FISHERMAN had once three sons, none of whom wanted to follow their father's trade. So, he spent countless hours at the sea, catching fish which he then sold so as to get enough money to support them in choosing the professions they wanted. The first one became a priest; the second a doctor, and the last one a lawyer.

Many years later, and after the sons had all finished their studies, their father became very ill. On his deathbed stood the first son, who had become a priest. The Grim Reaper then appeared in front of them, and the priest prayed to God to spare his father. The priest told him: "For God's sake have mercy on my father", to which the Grim Reaper replied: "very well, I will come back in two years".

Exactly two years passed since that time and the father became sick again. This time, the second son came to see him, who was a doctor. As soon as the Grim Reaper appeared, the son told him: "You should have mercy on my father, as my medicine is stronger than his sickness".

So, the Grim Reaper waited to see if this was true. When the father finally overcame his sickness, the Reaper told them: "See you again in three years, but this time will be the last".

Another three years passed and this time the third son who was a lawyer visited his father, carrying three big fish which he had just caught. His father, however, had fallen so sick this time that had little chance of making it. The son ran to the room to find him, where he met the Grim Reaper waiting to take his soul to the Underworld. The lawyer told him: "It is my last wish to show my father, who was always a diligent fisherman and caught fish to help me finish Law School, the nice fish I caught today. Therefore, I request that you first take the fish to the Underworld, and then come back for my father".

The Grim Reaper was amazed to hear it, yet agreed to this strange deal the lawyer had come up with, seeing that the fish could barely breathe outside the water and would soon die. They gave hands with the lawyer to close the deal, to which the cunning lawyer soon reacted by… heading straight to the seashore and throwing the fish in the sea, saving his father for a third time.

As soon as the Grim Reaper realized the lawyer's trick, he left their home in anger, swearing never to trust lawyers again.