The Fisherman and His Wife
Romanian Fairy Tales. The Fisherman and His Wife.
A Humble Life and a Discontented Wife
The fisherman and his wife lived on a rock near the sea. Every day, the fisherman would go to the rock and catch fish. He lived happily and led a humble life, but he knew well that his wife did not. She was always upset.
— Look at this dirty shack! I'm sick of the smell. I clean it night and day, it just doesn't work.
The fisherman loved his wife, but she was always complaining. On good days, when he caught two fish, his wife would ask for three. If he brought her mangoes, she would ask for peaches. He couldn't do anything to make her happy.
— Oh, my dear, how can I make you happy? — Get me out of this dirty shack. Then I'll be happy.
The Magic Fish
One fine day, the fisherman went to catch fish by the rock. The water was calm and blue. He sat there with his fishing hook cast deep into the sea. A few hours passed and he grew tired.
— I guess we'll have to live on fruit today. Oh, wait! I feel something!
The husband held his fishing rod tight and began to pull.
— Oh, it's heavy! It must be a big one!
As the hook came out, he was surprised to see a flounder. It was colorful and shiny.
— Oh, a flounder! How is it so heavy? Maybe it ate too much. — No, fisherman, that's not why I weigh more than other fish. — What? Did you just talk to me? What happened? How do you know my name? — I know more about you. I am no ordinary fish. I am an enchanted prince. Let me go. I won't taste good anyway. Please, don't kill me. — Oh, say no more! I certainly won't kill a talking fish. Go! — Ah, thank you!
The First Wish: A Cottage
The husband was thrilled to tell his wife about the flounder. He hurried home and forgot that he had no fish to give his wife today.
— My dear, I have something to tell you. Come quickly! — What? No fish today? — Oh, no! I caught a flounder, but it talked. It told me it was an enchanted prince. — What? What happened then? — Then I let it go. It's in the sea now. — You caught an enchanted fish and let it go just like that? Why would you do that? We are poor and hungry. We live in this dirty shack. You could have at least asked for a better house. — How can it give me a house? It can't do that. We must be content with what we have. — I'll be happy to live in a cottage! Didn't you say it's an enchanted prince? You spared its life. It can at least do that for you. Go back and ask for a cottage.
The husband was unsure, but he went back to the sea. To his surprise, the water had turned a little green and yellow.
— Magic fish! Can you hear me?
The flounder surfaced in no time, as if it had been waiting for the husband to return.
— My wife is not happy. What does she wish for? — Ah, she wants a cottage. — Go back. She already has it.
The Second Wish: A Palace and a Queen
The husband returned and saw that his wife was standing at the wooden door of a beautiful cottage. The cottage was well-maintained and clean. It had furniture and a fireplace too.
— My dear, look! This house is much bigger and cleaner. — Yes. We have a fireplace too. It's nice, isn't it? Are you happy now? Can we live here forever? — Forever? Hmm, we'll see. Let's eat and go to bed.
That night, the wife didn't sleep well. She kept thinking about what could make her happy. In the morning, she was already waiting for her husband at the table.
— Good morning, husband! Listen. This house is small for us. I want a palace and I want to be a queen. Go to the flounder and ask it to give us a palace. — What? Why do you want to become a queen? This is enough for us. — Let me decide that. Go to the flounder and make me a queen!
The husband walked with slight hesitation towards the sea. The water was purple today and the winds were swirling.
— Magic fish! Can you hear me? — My wife is not happy. What does she wish for? — She wants a palace and she wants to become a queen. — Go back. She already has that.
The Third Wish: An Empress
When the husband returned, the cottage was gone. Instead, there was a tall palace with large brass doors. Many servants were rushing everywhere. He saw his wife sitting on a throne. She had a crown on her head.
— You are a queen now! — Yes, I am queen! — It's beautiful, isn't it? Are you happy now? — Um, no. Being queen is not enough. I want to become an empress. — Eh? What? I know what you're thinking. The flounder cannot make you an empress. That's impossible! — You don't know that! Go to that fish and make me an empress!
The fisherman walked with slight hesitation towards the sea. He looked at the brownish water and wondered what could have caused it.
— Magic fish! Can you hear me? — My wife is not happy. What does she wish for? — She wants to become an empress. — Go back. She already has that.
The Fourth Wish: The Almighty Unknown
The fisherman returned home, wondering if his wife was happy now. When he reached the palace, instead of brass doors, there were now golden doors. The house had become even bigger. Inside, his wife sat on a golden throne. All the ministers and kings were beneath her throne. She held a golden orb in one hand and a scepter in the other.
— My dear, you truly are an empress now! — Yes, I am! Didn't I tell you the fish can grant anything? — Yes, you did. Are you happy? — Ah, I don't know that. We'll see. I've had a long day. We need to sleep.
The fisherman was scared his wife would make another demand. But he was tired from running all day. He fell into a deep sleep the moment he lay down. But the wife couldn't sleep. She lay awake thinking about what could make her happy. A week passed. Every night, the fisherman prayed to make his wife happy. But every night, the wife sat on the bed, looking at the moon and stars. Finally, one night, she got tired of thinking and wanted to rest. But...
— What? Is it morning already? How dare the sun rise now? Doesn't it know I haven't slept in a week? Husband, wake up! I want to control the sun and the moon. I don't want them to move without my permission. I want to become the Almighty Unknown! — What? Please, stop! I can't go back and risk our lives! — You won't risk our lives! I will own both our lives. Nothing will ever touch us. Go to the fish and make me the Almighty! — No, my dear! You don't know what you're asking for! — I can't take it anymore! If you don't leave now, I'll be angry! Very angry!
Return to Simplicity
The fisherman wanted to see his wife happy, but he knew it was wrong. Outside, clouds surrounded the sea and the wind howled.
— Oh, when will this end? This is very wrong! The water is so black today! I'm very scared! Magic fish! Can you hear me? — Fish, my wife is still not happy. What does she wish for? — She wants to become the Almighty Unknown. — Go back. She already has that.
The fisherman ran back at full speed.
— Oh, I don't know what happened to my wife. Now I must go there. Oh, no! What?
The fisherman realized his wife was gone. She was nowhere to be found. He kept searching and searching, he ran back towards the sea. The water was now calm and clear. The clouds scattered and the sun shone brightly.
— Magic fish! Oh, magic fish! Can you hear me? Please, come back! What did you do to my wife? — I granted her wish. She wanted to be the Almighty Unknown. That is what she is. No one has seen the Almighty. Now she is the Unknown to all! — No! Please, give her back to me! — I cannot undo a wish, fisherman! — Wait! I know! Until now I have only asked for my wife. You have granted all her wishes, but I am the one who saved your life. Grant my wish! — Hmm, you are right. What do you wish for?
The fisherman took a deep breath.
— I want my wife to be happy. — Go back, my friend. She already has everything she needs to be happy.
The husband rushed back home. He was surprised. He saw his wife sitting at the door of his small shack. But it no longer smelled bad. He ran towards his wife.
— Oh, you're back! You're back! — Yes, my dear. I realized that palaces and thrones cannot buy happiness. Let's go home now.
From that day on, the fisherman and his wife always had enough to put on the table. The wife realized that happiness lies in the simplest things, and they lived happily ever after.
