Throughout history and across all nations, there have always been those who sought to make life miserable for the common people—typically the ruling class. Yet, there have also been those who showed how one ought to deal with such petty bureaucrats. People often forget that their own ancestors had some remarkable teachers! For instance, in the countries of Central Asia, there was the wise Hodja Nasreddin; and in your own native land, there was the equally wise and spirited Till Eulenspiegel—a man who never lost his love for life, even amidst the tyranny of the Inquisition and a culture where people routinely denounced their neighbors just to get their hands on their property. :)
Don’t pay any attention to politicians; they aren’t worth the honor! :)

As for the tale about the fish—I was referring to the work by Pushkin. :)