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The Fisherman and His Wife
O
nce there was a fisherman who lived with his wife in a miserable hovel by the seashore. They were indeed very poor because sometimes the fisherman caught a fish and at other times he did not. Then one day something unusual happened. A large cod bit the fisherman’s hook. The fisherman pulled and pulled but the cod spoke: “Spare me my life! I am not a fish but an enchanted prince. What would you gain by catching me? My flesh would not taste good to you.” “You’re right,” the fisherman said. “I can tell that you’re not a real fish. I’ll let you go.” He let the fish swim away and went home with an empty bag. “Well, I never! You’ve caught nothing again,” said the fisherman’s wife. “What will we do?” “But I did catch something,” said the fisherman. “I caught a large cod but it wasn’t a real fish. It said it was an enchanted prince and begged me to let him go so I did.”
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“That was the wrong thing to do. You could have at least asked the fish to fulfil a wish for you!” “And what should I have asked the fish for?” “For a cosy cottage instead of this miserable hovel. Go back and, if you catch the fish again, don’t let it go until it fulfils my wish.” The fisherman shook his head, thinking what a useless wish that was, but headed for the shore. There he called out: “ Enchanted prince, In the sea, Come back here, And hear me!” Straight away there was a large splash and the fish appeared. “What do you want?” asked the fish. “A cottage is my wife’s wish.” “A cottage she’ll have by morn. Now, old fisherman, be gone!” And in the morning the fisherman and his wife woke up in a beautiful cosy cottage. “You see, husband,” the old woman said, “we got what we wished for. Now go back and tell the fish that it’s a nice
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cottage but it’s too small for us. Now we’d prefer a palace.” “But, wife, what are you thinking of? This cottage is big enough for us. What would you do with a palace?” “Don’t you worry about that! Just go and ask.” “The fish will be angry. Don’t be foolish, woman!” “Angry or not, just do as I say, husband. I want a palace like the king’s here by tomorrow morning!” There was nothing else the fisherman could do but to go back to the shore and ask: “ Enchanted prince, In the sea, Come back here, And hear me!” The fish came immediately. “What do you want?” asked the fish. “A palace is my wife’s wish.” “A palace she’ll have by morn. Now, old fisherman, be gone!” The fisherman went home. They went to bed and in the morning they woke up in a large palace with seventy-seven rooms with golden tables, chairs and beds, and mirrors that touched the ground. Even the windows and stairs were gold. There were
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footmen and servants busy at their jobs everywhere, and not far from the palace stood a large stable with golden coloured horses. When the fisherman and his wife went in, the grooms were combing the horses with golden brushes. “Well, isn’t it good that I wished for a palace?” said the old woman. “Very good,” the fisherman agreed. “You couldn’t wish for anything more.” “I’ll think about that tomorrow,” she replied. The next morning the fisherman’s wife said: “The palace is very beautiful but it would only be a real palace if I were king. Go and tell the fish that I wish to be king.” “What are you talking about, wife? I don’t even dare say that.” “Why don’t you dare? Just go and tell the fish boldly that I want to be king.” The fisherman traipsed down to the sea sadly because he didn’t like his wife’s idea at
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all. The enchanted prince would certainly be angry now. Why wouldn’t he be? When the fisherman reached the shore, the sea was not clear as usual but grey and dark, and the water heaved and crashed as if the sea were angry. However, the man feared his wife even more than he did the sea or the enchanted prince so he called to the fish as he had done before: “ Enchanted prince, In the sea, Come back here, And hear me!” The sea crashed and roared and the fish emerged from the water. “Is the palace now too small?” asked the fish. “Yes. To be king is my wife’s new wish.” “Very well, a king she will be by morn. Now, old fisherman, be gone!” And, good heavens, by the time he got home, the palace and gardens were even bigger than before, sentries stood at the gates, generals strolled in the grounds, a military band played and soldiers marched up and down. The fisherman’s wife sat in the biggest room of the palace on a throne of pure gold.
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Sentinels stood on guard outside the throne room while courtiers and ladies-in-waiting bustled to and fro. “Well, I’ll be blessed!” the fisherman exclaimed clapping his hands in surprise. “You did indeed turn into a king!” “I certainly am king,” she said. “Can’t you see? There’s a crown on my head.” “That really is a beautiful thing. Now you’ll be content until the day you die.” “You, husband, may be content but I’m not. You can hurry back to the fish and tell him that I wish to be pope.” “What do you mean, wife? There’s only one pope in the world! You can’t be that!” “I don’t want to hear another word,” screamed the woman. “Go, husband, or I’ll have your head chopped off!”
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Even the thought of this terribly big wish sent a shiver down the poor fisherman’s spine. Nevertheless, he went to the seashore and cried out: “ Enchanted prince, In the sea, Come back here, And hear me!” The sea was so stormy and surged and rumbled so loudly that the fisherman closed his eyes and covered his ears in fright. All of a sudden the fish, which was now obviously angry, appeared and called out: “What now?” asked the fish. “A kingdom’s no good?” “She wants more – the papacy if you would.” “If that’s her wish, she’ll be pope by morn. Now, old fisherman, get yourself gone!” He hurried home very pleased and next to the royal palace there now stood a church, which was as big as the palace, with tall towers, more than could be counted! The fisherman went into the church and there was his wife sitting on a huge throne piously blessing the crowd waiting to kiss her feet. Indeed, even the fisherman went down on bended knee when he came before her. “Well, Your Holiness, now you are pope, you cannot want for more. You must be satisfied with that,” the fisherman said.
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“I’ll think about that,” said the woman. She couldn’t sleep all night, tossing and turning and pondering on what else she could wish to be. “I’ve got it!” the woman cried. “I want to become God!” She woke her husband and sent him to speak to the fish and tell him the papacy was not enough and she wanted to be God. “Wife, you have lost your mind to think like that!” “I know my mind. Now, go as fast as you can!” The poor fisherman rushed back to the shore again and the thought sent a shiver down his spine twice. When he saw the sea, there was such a great storm raging and roaring, seething and swelling that it seemed as if it could swallow the whole world. The poor fisherman was fixed to the spot and didn’t dare to open his mouth. The fish, which was clearly angry, came anyway and didn’t wait for the fisherman’s question. “What now?” asked the fish. “Being pope’s no good? If she wants more, it is more than she
should!” “But what am I to do? Oh, enchanted cod. Now her one and only wish is to be God!” The enchanted prince was so enraged that his eyes flashed and he screamed so loudly that the fisherman fell flat on his back in fear. “To be that she will have to grovel! Go find her in your miserable hovel!” In that instant the sea swept over everything but the next morning, after it had receded, everything was as it had been before. There was nothing more on the seashore than a miserable hovel. In front of it sat the fisherman and his wife, just as wretched as they used to be. And so they lived, not happily ever after.
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