The Fisherman and the Golden Fish
Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived with his wife on the very edge of the land, overlooking a crystal blue sea. As they were not very wealthy, they lived in an old hut made of the very earth it stood upon. The old man was a fisherman, and his wife spun cloth. All things considered, they were happy, and while they did not have much money, they had each other. And then, one day, the fisherman caught a small golden fish in his net. The fish begged him, to be set free, and promised to reward him greatly in return for sparing its life. "I will give you anything you desire," said the fish. The old man was astonished, frightened, as never before had he heard a fish speak. He let the fish go and spoke to her kindly, "God bless you, oh, little golden fish. I need nothing from you."
The fisherman went home and told his wife the wonder he had seen by the waterside. But she spat curses in his face and told him what a fool he had been for not making a wish while he could. "You could at least have asked for a watering-trough, as ours is broken!" She told him.
The old man returned to the shore, where waves rushed up onto the sand, and called out to the golden fish. She swam up to him and asked, "What need you, old man?" He gave the fish a bow and said that his wife needed a new trough, and has cursed him for not even asking for a new one as a reward. The fish comforted him and promised to grant him his wish.
When he returned home the old man saw the new trough, but his wife shouted at him once more, "What a fool you are! Go back to the fish and ask for a new house!"
The fisherman went back to the sea, where the water and sky had become overcast. He called the fish, who swam up to where he was standing. He apologized and said that his snappish wife wanted a new house. The fish comforted him and promised to fulfill his wish.
When he returned, he saw a nice new cottage with a gate. But his wife shouted even louder, "You are such a fool! Go back to the fish! I do not want be an ordinary peasant, I want to be a noblewoman!"
The poor old man returned yet again to the sea. The waves were beginning to rise and beat on the shore, and the sky had become even darker. He called the golden fish, who swam up and asked him in what manner he was lacking. He bowed, filled to the brim with humility and explained, "Don't be angry, Your Majesty. My wife has gone mad; she wants be a noblewoman." The fish comforted him, and made his wish come true.
And what wonders awaited him upon his return home? The hut had become a great house, and his wife was wearing an expensive sable jacket and had a kokoshnik* of brocade, she wore pearl necklaces and gold rings, and her many servants bustled around her. She hit and slapped them in consternation, or perhaps simply because she felt she could. The fisherman said, "Greetings, Lady, I hope you are satisfied now." She didn't deign to answer him, but ordered him off to live in the stables.
Many weeks later, the wife summoned her husband, and instructed him to go to the sea again, saying, she wanted to be queen of all the land. The old man was frightened in the face of his wife's greed, and asked her if she had gone mad. "You have no concept of courtly manners. You will be the laughing stock of the court." His wife glowered with rage, slapped him in the face and ordered him to obey.
The old man went down to the seashore. The water was roiling, the sky and sea had become almost black. He called the golden fish. When she swam to the shore, he bowed and said that his wife now wanted to be queen of the land. The fish comforted him and let him go home.
When the fisherman arrived, he found a great palace, inside which his wife was seated on a throne. Boyars and other noblemen were her servants. Around her stood menacing guards. The old man was terrified, but approached the queen and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty. I hope you are happy now." She did not even look at him, and her guards drove him out.
Months later the queen sent for the old fisherman and again ordered him to go to the sea - this time to ask the golden fish to become her servant and make her Empress of Land and Sea. The fisherman was so terrified of the old woman that he did not so much as protest. He went back to the sea in submission.
A terrible storm was raging there, with lightning, thunder, and giant waves crashing against the shore. The old man yelled as loud as he could and the fish rose out of the waves. He explained to her what his wife wanted now. This time the golden fish did not reply, but turned and swam away out to sea. After waiting a long time in vain for any answer, the fisherman returned home.
There he found his old mud hut, his poor old wife and a broken trough beside her.
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((kokoshnik = 'head-dress'))
The fisherman went home and told his wife the wonder he had seen by the waterside. But she spat curses in his face and told him what a fool he had been for not making a wish while he could. "You could at least have asked for a watering-trough, as ours is broken!" She told him.
The old man returned to the shore, where waves rushed up onto the sand, and called out to the golden fish. She swam up to him and asked, "What need you, old man?" He gave the fish a bow and said that his wife needed a new trough, and has cursed him for not even asking for a new one as a reward. The fish comforted him and promised to grant him his wish.
When he returned home the old man saw the new trough, but his wife shouted at him once more, "What a fool you are! Go back to the fish and ask for a new house!"
The fisherman went back to the sea, where the water and sky had become overcast. He called the fish, who swam up to where he was standing. He apologized and said that his snappish wife wanted a new house. The fish comforted him and promised to fulfill his wish.
When he returned, he saw a nice new cottage with a gate. But his wife shouted even louder, "You are such a fool! Go back to the fish! I do not want be an ordinary peasant, I want to be a noblewoman!"
The poor old man returned yet again to the sea. The waves were beginning to rise and beat on the shore, and the sky had become even darker. He called the golden fish, who swam up and asked him in what manner he was lacking. He bowed, filled to the brim with humility and explained, "Don't be angry, Your Majesty. My wife has gone mad; she wants be a noblewoman." The fish comforted him, and made his wish come true.
And what wonders awaited him upon his return home? The hut had become a great house, and his wife was wearing an expensive sable jacket and had a kokoshnik* of brocade, she wore pearl necklaces and gold rings, and her many servants bustled around her. She hit and slapped them in consternation, or perhaps simply because she felt she could. The fisherman said, "Greetings, Lady, I hope you are satisfied now." She didn't deign to answer him, but ordered him off to live in the stables.
Many weeks later, the wife summoned her husband, and instructed him to go to the sea again, saying, she wanted to be queen of all the land. The old man was frightened in the face of his wife's greed, and asked her if she had gone mad. "You have no concept of courtly manners. You will be the laughing stock of the court." His wife glowered with rage, slapped him in the face and ordered him to obey.
The old man went down to the seashore. The water was roiling, the sky and sea had become almost black. He called the golden fish. When she swam to the shore, he bowed and said that his wife now wanted to be queen of the land. The fish comforted him and let him go home.
When the fisherman arrived, he found a great palace, inside which his wife was seated on a throne. Boyars and other noblemen were her servants. Around her stood menacing guards. The old man was terrified, but approached the queen and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty. I hope you are happy now." She did not even look at him, and her guards drove him out.
Months later the queen sent for the old fisherman and again ordered him to go to the sea - this time to ask the golden fish to become her servant and make her Empress of Land and Sea. The fisherman was so terrified of the old woman that he did not so much as protest. He went back to the sea in submission.
A terrible storm was raging there, with lightning, thunder, and giant waves crashing against the shore. The old man yelled as loud as he could and the fish rose out of the waves. He explained to her what his wife wanted now. This time the golden fish did not reply, but turned and swam away out to sea. After waiting a long time in vain for any answer, the fisherman returned home.
There he found his old mud hut, his poor old wife and a broken trough beside her.
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((kokoshnik = 'head-dress'))