A coalition of witches, led by self-appointed organiser Lettice Earwig asks Granny Weatherwax not to participate in the annual Lancre Witch Trials, on account of her always winning. She agrees, becoming disconcertingly nice, apparently owing to the realisation that, while she always does the right thing, few people actually like her. Her niceness, however, throws people completely off-balance, proving that people expect Granny Weatherwax to be Granny Weatherwax.  The title has confused people; Pratchett has since explained that Granny is the sea, and the other witches are the fishes (at one point Nanny says that calling Granny full of pride is like calling the sea full of water; water is what the sea is).  It is based on the "ancient phrase" The big sea does not care which way the little fishes swim, which Pratchett made up at some point before the story, and finally used in Night Watch.

It was originally published in a sampler alongside a story called "The Wood Boy" by Raymond E. Feist, and later in a collection called Legends.  The story established a basis for various elements of the novel A Hat Full of Sky, but is not required to understand that novel.