Twelve of these wise men went fishing one day. Some went into the stream and some stayed on dry ground. They caught many fish and had a good time.
As they came home, one of the men said, "We have risked much wading in that stream. I pray God no one of us is drowned."
"Why, one of us might be! Who knows?" cried another. "Let's see about it. Twelve of us went fishing this morning. We must count and see if twelve are returning."
So one man counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven." And he did not count himself!
"Alas! One of us is drowned!" he cried.
"Woe be unto us! Let me count," said another. And he did not count himself.
"Alas! alas!" he wailed; "truly one of us is drowned!"
Then every man counted, and each one failed to count himself.
"Alas! alas!" they all cried; "one of us is drowned! Which one is it?"