Reading A Week 15: The Fisherman and His Wife
Once upon a time, a fisherman lived with his wife in an old hovel. He went out to fish so that they could have something to eat. He caught a flounder but the fish spoke to him. I'm an enchanted prince. Please don't eat me as I wouldn't taste very good anyway. Just because the fish could speak, the fisherman let him go. When he went home his wife was upset because he didn't catch anything. He told her he did, but it was an enchanted fish so he let it go. The wife was angry, saying he should have asked for something. He told his wife they didn't need anything. His wife told him she was tired of a smelly old hovel, ask for a nice cottage. So the man went back, called out to the fish & told him what his wife said. The fish said, go home, she already has it. So he went home to see that they not only had a cottage, but new nice furniture, a full larder, and a garden with lots of fruits vegetables & ducks & chickens. The man said how nice it was if only it lasted. After about a week, the wife was unsatisfied saying that they wanted a big stone castle and he should go back and ask for it even though he said they didn't need it and felt it wrong to ask.
So he asked for the castle and the fish told him to go home, that he already had it. So he did and there was a great castle with servants and stables and more than anyone could want. The man said that they should be satisfied for life. The wife said we shall see but sleep on it. The next morning the wife looked over all they had & told him they should be king over all the land. The man replied we don't need to be king and I don't want it. Well then, I do, she said. She told him to go back and ask the fish for it. When the man went back, the water was gray and smelled dead. He told the fish that his wife wanted to be king, how troublesome she was, and how he didn't want all this. The fish told him to go back, she was already king. When he got back, he saw an even greater palace, so extravagant. His sat on a throne of gold & diamonds with a great crown. He told her now she was king. And she replied now I am king.
She told him that if the fish could make her king, he must make her emperor now. Emperor was much better. The man told his wife he couldn't ask such a thing, but she made him. So he went to the fish, but the water was black now. He was so ashamed to ask the fish to make her emperor, but he did and the fish said go home, she was already emperor. So he went home & she was emperor, in a huge marble palace. He thought she would be finally happy now, but she told her husband now she wanted to be pope. He said no, the fish can't do that & we should never ask. I don't care, she told him, I want to be pope, so go ask him. He did, and he was terrified to do so, and when he got there, the sea and sky were very scary. The fish asked, well what now. The man said that he was ashamed, but his wife wanted to be pope. The fish told him again, go home, she already is.
So the man went home to find his wife in a great church. All the kinds and emperors were bowing to her and she had all the wealth and power she could ever want. He told her surely she would be happy now. He fell fast asleep after his long day, but the wife sat up all night thinking what she would want next. She decided she wanted the power over the sun and moon and wouldn't rest until she had it. So she sent her husband back immediately to ask for it. He was so scared and ashamed and told the fish what she had said. He told the man to go back to find his wife in the old hovel. And he did and there they live until this very day.
Bibliography: The Fisherman and His Wife by Brothers Grimm (Crane). Weblink.
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