What is the villagers’ opinion of the old man upon his return from the sea?

The villagers were worried about the old man and amazed at the length of the fish.

Many fishermen were around the skiff looking at what was lashed beside it and one was in the water, his trousers rolled up, measuring the skeleton with a length of line.
The boy did not go down. He had been there before and one of the fishermen was looking after the skiff for him. “How is he?” one of the fishermen shouted. “Sleeping,” the boy called. He did not care that they saw him crying. “Let no one disturb him.” “He was eighteen feet from nose to tail,” the fisherman who was measuring him called.