Old Winkle is a fisherman. He likes to toss fish and bread to the gulls, but has no luck catching fish. The other fishermen laugh at him and his old-fashioned boat. Then, a fish shortage means their once busy boats lie idle in the harbour. Only Old winkle still goes out fishing, beyond the sandbank near the Great Buoy. And because he had listened so often to the gulls' cries, he was the one to hear when their screams spoke of fish.