In Book 4 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the story of the three fishes in a pond serves as an allegory for three types of human intellect and spiritual readiness: the perfectly wise, the half-wise, and the foolish. When fishermen discover the pond, the perfectly wise fish anticipates the danger and escapes to the sea immediately, representing the enlightened souls who foresee the ultimate consequences and seek divine refuge early. The half-wise fish realizes the danger too late but feigns death to trick the fishermen and eventually escapes, symbolizing those who, despite their initial negligence, repent and find salvation through submission. The foolish, heedless fish, lacking both foresight and the wisdom to submit, panics aimlessly and is caught and consumed, representing those who are trapped by worldly ignorance and face inevitable ruin.