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By the very edge of the blue sea lived an old man and his old woman. For three and thirty years they had lived in a tumbledown hut made of mud. The old man caught fish in his fishing net; the old woman span with her spinning wheel. One day the old man cast his net and all he caught in his net was slime. The old man cast his net a second time and all he found in his net was weed. A third time the old man cast his net and what he found in his net was a fish – no ordinary fish, but a golden fish. The fish begged, the fish begged and implored; the fish prayed in a human voice: ‘Release me, set me free in the sea – and in return you’ll receive a grand ransom, I’ll grant you whatever you wish.’ The old man was amazed and frightened. Three and thirty years he had fished – and not once had he heard a fish talk. He returned the fish to the water, saying gently as he let her go free, ‘God be with you, golden fish! I don’t need your grand ransom. Off you go – into the deep blue sea! Swim free, swim where you wish!’ The old man went back to his old woman and told her of this great wonder: ‘Today I caught a fish in my net – no ordinary fish, but a golden fish. The fish spoke, she spoke in our tongue; she begged to go home, into the blue sea. She promised me a splendid ransom; she said she would grant whatever I wished. But I didn’t dare take this ransom. I set her free in the deep blue sea.’ The old woman scolded her old man: ‘Simple fool, fool of a simpleton! What stopped you taking this ransom? A mere fish – and you were too frightened! You could at least have got a new washtub. Ours is cracked right down the middle. |
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