The Fisherman and His Wife

There was a fisherman who was very poor and didn’t even have a house. He and his wife had to live in a pigsty.

One day, like usual, he went to the seaside to fish, and soon, he caught a big fish.

The fisherman was overjoyed, but just as he was about to grab the fish, it spoke.

The fish said, “Let me go. I am actually a prince who was cursed by a wicked witch and turned into a fish. If you let me go, I’ll grant you anything you wish.”

The fisherman was astonished that the fish could talk, so he said, “Go ahead, I won’t eat a talking fish.”

He put the fish back into the water, and it swam away.

When he got home, he told his wife about the strange event.

His wife angrily scolded him, “You fool! It asked you what you wanted, and you didn’t even ask for a house? Look at us, we’re so poor that we don’t even have a house and have to live in a pigsty. Hurry back and ask it for a house!”

Even though the fisherman was reluctant, he feared his wife, so he went back to the seaside and said to the sea, “Oh prince of the sea! Listen to me, I let you go, but my wife has a wish. She wants a house. Can you grant her this wish?”

The fish surfaced from the sea and said, “Go home, you already have a house.”

The fisherman returned home and was amazed to find a beautiful and spacious house before him.

His wife was also very satisfied.

But after some time, his wife said, “This house is too small. I want a castle. Go and tell the fish!”

The fisherman was very reluctant, but his wife became angry, so he had no choice but to go to the seaside and say to the sea, “Oh prince of the sea! Listen to me, my wife thinks the house is too small. She wants a castle. Can you grant her this wish?”

The fish surfaced from the sea and said, “Go home, you already have a castle.”

When the fisherman returned home, he saw a huge castle with many servants inside.

They lived happily for a while, but soon his wife became dissatisfied again and wanted to be a king.

The fish granted her wish, making her the queen.

As a queen, she had everything she wanted. The fisherman thought that this time, his wife would finally be satisfied.

However, this only became a new source of trouble for her. Now that she had everything, she kept thinking about what else she could ask from the fish, to the point where she couldn’t sleep.

She only fell asleep just before dawn. But then, the rising sun’s bright light woke her up.

She realized that she couldn’t control the rising and setting of the sun and the moon, so she told the fisherman, “Go and tell the fish, I want to be the master of the sun and the moon, to make them rise and set at my command!”

The fisherman had no choice but to return to the seaside and say, “Oh prince of the sea! My wife is still not satisfied. She wants to be the master of the sun and the moon.”

The sea surged with waves, and the fish surfaced, saying, “Go home, to your pigsty again.”

To this day, they still live in that pigsty.