The Fisherman and his Wife

                         

A poor fisherman lives in this hut. He lives here with his wife.
Every day he goes to the sea.
One day he sees a strange fish. It is strange and beautiful.
‘Oh, fisherman! Put me back in the sea!’ says the fish. I’m not a fish. I’m a magic prince.’
‘Oh!... A magic prince!’ says the fisherman. ‘We can’t eat you.’ He puts the fish back in the sea and he goes home.
‘What? No fish!’ says his wife. ‘Are there no fish in the sea?’
‘There’s a magic fish,’ says the fisherman. ‘We can’t eat a magic fish... so it’s back in the sea.’
‘What?’ says his wife. ‘You silly man! A magic fish can help us. I want something. I want a nice little cottage. Go and ask the fish!’
The fisherman goes back to the sea. Now the water is green.
The fisherman shouts, ‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea! Please come up and speak to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish.
‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants a cottage.’
‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has it.’
The fisherman goes home.
‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this cottage! This is nice!’
‘Yes, wife!’ says the fisherman. ‘We can be happy now.’
‘Yes,’ says his wife. ‘Perhaps we can…’
Then she starts to think...
A week later the fisherman’s wife says, ‘Husband, this cottage is very small. I want something. I want a nice big house.’
‘No, wife, please!’ says the fisherman. ‘We don’t want a big house.’
‘Yes, we do,’ says his wife. ‘Go and ask the fish!’
The fisherman goes back to the sea. Now the water is purple. The fisherman shouts,
‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea!
Please come up and speak to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish.
‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman, ‘She wants a big house.’
‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has it.’
The fisherman goes home.
‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this house! This is nice!’
‘Yes, wife’ says the fisherman. ‘It’s very nice. We can be happy now.’
‘Yes,’ says his wife. ‘Perhaps we can...’
Then she starts to think...
A week later the fisherman’s wife says, ‘Husband, this house is very small. I want something. I want a nice big castle.’
‘No, wife, please!’ says the fisherman. ‘We don’t want a castle.’
‘Yes, we do,’ says his wife. ‘Go and ask the fish!’
The fisherman goes back to the sea. Now the water is grey. The fisherman shouts,
‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea!
Please come up and speak to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish.
‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants a castle.’
‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has it.’
The fisherman goes home.
‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this castle! This is nice!’
‘Yes, wife,’ says the fisherman, ‘It’s very nice. We can be happy now.’
‘Yes,’ says his wife. ‘Perhaps we can.
Then she starts to think...
A week later the fisherman’s wife says, ‘Husband, this castle is very small. I want something. I want a palace... and I want to be Queen.’
‘No, wife, please!’ says the fisherman. ‘We don’t want a palace. You don’t want to be Queen.’
‘Yes, I do,’ says his wife. ‘Go and ask the fish!’
The fisherman goes back to the sea. Now the water is brown. The fisherman shouts,
‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea!
Please come up and speak to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish. ‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants a palace... and she wants to be Queen.’
‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has a palace and she is Queen.’
The fisherman goes home.
‘Look,’ says his wife, ‘Look at this palace! I’m the Queen. This is nice!’
‘Yes, wife,’ says the fisherman. ‘It’s very nice. So now... now, wife, can we be happy?’
‘Yes,’ says his wife, ‘Perhaps we can...’
Then she starts to think...
The fisherman is tired. That night he sleeps well... but his wife can’t sleep. I want... I want... something,’ she says.
It is morning.
‘Wake up, husband!’ she says. ‘I know what I want. I want... the world. I want to be Emperor of all the world.’
‘Oh, wife,’ says the fisherman, ‘No! You can’t have all the world. No one can have all the world. Listen! You are Queen. Now be happy!’
‘I can’t be happy,’ cries his wife. ‘I can’t, I must have all the world. Now go! Go and ask the fish!’
The fisherman goes back to the sea. Now the water is black. The fisherman shouts,
‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea!
Please come up and speak to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish.
‘My wife ... wants ... something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants the world. She wants... to be Emperor... of all the world.’
‘Go home,’ says the fish. ‘And don’t come back!’
The fisherman goes home.
‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this hut! It isn’t very nice... but it’s our home.’
‘Yes, wife,’ says the fisherman, ‘Can we be happy now?’
The fisherman’s wife starts to think...
‘Yes,’ she says. ‘I think we can.’