The Fisherman and His Wife

Author: A Brothers Grimm Tale · Retold as a Fable by DozyStories

Age5–9
Reading time15 min
LevelIntermediate

Introduction

Of all the Brothers Grimm tales, this one reads most like a Chinese fable. There is no handsome prince and no pretty princess — only one plain lesson: greed never knows when to stop. A kind fisherman lets a talking flounder go free, and his wife never stops asking. First a small house, then a castle, then a crown, then the pope's triple crown, and at last she wants the sun and moon to obey her. Chinese readers will hear an old saying behind every wish: 'When the heart is never full, a snake tries to swallow an elephant.' The Russian poet Pushkin loved this story so much that he rewrote it as 'The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish.' The cleverest touch of the fable is the sea. Every time the wife grows greedier, the water grows darker: clear blue turns to green and yellow, then to purple and grey, and at last to a black storm with mountain-high waves. The sea is a mirror of the heart. As you read with your child, hold two questions in mind. Is there ever an 'enough' for human wanting? And the fisherman, who obeys again and again although he knows it is wrong — is he also to blame? There are no fixed answers, and that is exactly why this old fable is worth telling again and again.

Font Size

Show Images

Stopped

The Fisherman and His Wife - The fisherman catches a talking flounder and lets it go, but his greedy wife forces him to ask for a small house. - Scene Illustration 1 — The fisherman catches a talking flounder and lets it go, but his greedy wife forces him to ask for a small house.

Long ago, a poor fisherman and his wife lived in a small hut by the sea. Every day the man sat on the shore with his rod and fished, and he fished and fished. His wife was never happy with what she had.

One day the fisherman caught a big flounder. The fish opened its mouth and spoke: "Fisherman, please let me go. I am not a real fish. I am a prince under a magic spell. If you cook me, I will not even taste good." The fisherman was amazed. He felt sorry for the fish, so he put it back into the water and asked for nothing.

When he came home, his wife asked what he had caught. He told her the truth. When she heard this, she was furious. "You let a talking fish go, and you asked for nothing! This tiny, smelly hut is no place to live. Go back at once and ask for a small house!" The poor man could not say no, so off he went.

At the shore, the sea was no longer clear. It had turned green and yellow. The fisherman stood still and called out: "Fish in the sea, please hear me! What I would not ask, my wife asks; she sends me to knock at your door." The flounder swam up. "Well, what does she want?" "She wants a small house." "Go home," said the flounder. "She has it now."

Back home, the hut had become a tidy little house, with a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen and a storeroom. Chickens and ducks pecked in the yard, and a small garden was full of green vegetables. "Now we should be content," said the fisherman. "We shall see," said his wife. Then they ate supper and went to bed.

The Fisherman and His Wife - Days later, the wife finds the house too small and forces the fisherman to ask for a stone castle. - Scene Illustration 2 — Days later, the wife finds the house too small and forces the fisherman to ask for a stone castle.

A week or two later, the wife spoke again: "This house is far too small, and the yard and garden are tiny. Go to your fish and ask for a great stone castle!" "But the fish already gave us this house," said the fisherman. "I feel ashamed to ask again. The fish may be angry." "It can give us a castle too," said his wife. "Do as I tell you!"

The man did not want to go. He walked slowly to the sea, muttering to himself, "This is wrong." But he went all the same.

This time the sea had turned purple, dark blue and grey, and the water was thick and muddy. The fisherman stood still and called out: "Fish in the sea, please hear me! What I would not ask, my wife asks; she sends me to knock at your door." The flounder swam up. "Well, what does she want this time?" "She wants a great stone castle." "Go home," said the flounder. "She is standing at the door of it now."

The fisherman hurried home. Where the small house had stood, there was now a great stone castle. Servants opened the tall doors for them. The hall had a marble floor, the walls were hung with tapestries, and crystal chandeliers shone over golden tables and chairs. Behind the castle lay a stable yard with horses and carriages, and a big garden with flowers and fruit trees, and a park where deer and sheep walked.

"Look!" said his wife. "Is this not beautiful?" "It is," said the fisherman. "If only it lasts, we should be content here." "We shall see," said his wife. "Let us sleep on it." And they went to bed.

The Fisherman and His Wife - The greedy wife demands to be king and then emperor, so the poor fisherman must keep asking the flounder. - Scene Illustration 3 — The greedy wife demands to be king and then emperor, so the poor fisherman must keep asking the flounder.

The next morning, the wife woke at dawn and looked out at the beautiful country around them. She dug her elbow into her husband's side. "Husband, get up and look! How fine it would be to be king over all this land! Go to your fish and tell him we want to be king." "I have no wish to be king," said the fisherman. "Then I will be king," said his wife. "You must go this minute."

The man felt it was wrong from beginning to end, but he went. At the shore, the water looked dull and grey, reaching far up the land with a bad smell.

He stood still and called out: "Fish in the sea, please hear me! What I would not ask, my wife asks; she sends me to knock at your door." The flounder swam up. "Well, what does she want?" "Oh dear," said the fisherman. "She wants to be king." "Go home," said the flounder. "She is king now."

The fisherman turned back. The palace had grown much larger, with high towers and golden gates. A herald stood before the door, and soldiers blew trumpets and beat drums. Inside, his wife sat on a throne of gold and diamonds, a golden crown on her head and a jewelled sceptre in her hand. Six pages stood on each side of her, each one a head shorter than the last.

"So, wife," said the fisherman, "you are king now. There is nothing left to wish for." But his wife could not sit still. "I am already tired of this," she said. "A king is not enough for me. Go back and tell the fish that emperor I must be!" "Emperor?" said the fisherman. "There is only one emperor in the whole world. No fish can make you an emperor." "I am king, and you are only my husband," said his wife. "He made me king, so he can make me emperor as well. Go!"

So the man went again, and he was afraid. The sea was black and thick, the foam flew, and a hard wind blew. He stood still and called out: "Fish in the sea, please hear me! What I would not ask, my wife asks; she sends me to knock at your door." "What is it this time?" asked the flounder. "Oh dear," said the fisherman. "My wife wants to be emperor." "Go home," said the flounder. "She is emperor now." The fisherman went home. The castle was now faced with white marble, and the gates were of gold. Troops stood before the door with trumpets, drums and cymbals. Barons, earls and dukes waited like servants. His wife sat on a throne of solid gold, so high that it seemed to touch the sky; her crown was very tall and covered with jewels, a sceptre in one hand and a golden globe in the other. "So, wife, you are emperor now," said the fisherman. "I am," said his wife. "Emperor I am now."

The Fisherman and His Wife - Being emperor is not enough: the wife demands the pope's throne, and a great storm rises at sea. - Scene Illustration 4 — Being emperor is not enough: the wife demands the pope's throne, and a great storm rises at sea.

The fisherman sat down and looked at his wife for a long while. "Wife, you are emperor now," he said. "There is nothing higher left for you." "What do you mean, nothing higher?" said his wife. "Emperor is nothing. Next, I will be pope. Go and tell the fish."

"Oh dear," said the fisherman. "There is only one pope in all the world. The fish cannot do that." "It made me emperor," said his wife. "It can make me pope too. I am emperor, and you are only my husband. Go, and be quick!"

The man went off, shivering and trembling, his knees knocking together. A great wind rose, the clouds raced by, and the sky grew dark. The waves rose as high as mountains, and ships were thrown about on the water. The sky kept one small patch of blue in the middle, with dark red all around the edges. His heart sank, but he stood still and called out: "Fish in the sea, please hear me! What I would not ask, my wife asks; she sends me to knock at your door."

"Well, what now?" asked the flounder. "Oh dear," said the fisherman. "My wife wants to be pope." "Go home," said the flounder. "She is pope already."

The fisherman went home and stood before a great church, with palaces all around it. He pushed through a crowd to get inside. Thousands of lights were burning. His wife sat on a very high throne, dressed in gold, with three golden crowns on her head. Two rows of candles stood on each side of her, from the height of a tower down to a tiny one. All the emperors and kings knelt before her and kissed her foot.

"Well, wife," said the fisherman, "pope you are." "Yes," she said. "Now I am pope!" He looked at her until he felt dazzled, as if he were sitting in the sun. "What is left for you now?" he asked. She sat up very stiff and straight and said nothing. "Wife, I hope you are content at last," said the fisherman. "There is nothing more you can be." "We shall see," said his wife. That night she could not sleep. She kept thinking about what she might be next.

The Fisherman and His Wife - The wife wants to command the sun and moon, and in the end the flounder takes everything back. - Scene Illustration 5 — The wife wants to command the sun and moon, and in the end the flounder takes everything back.

The fisherman slept like a log, but his wife turned from side to side all night. She wanted something more, but she could not think what. When she saw the red dawn, she sat by the window and watched the sun rise. Then she cried out: "I have it! What if the sun and the moon rose at my command? Husband, wake up! Go to your fish and tell him my wish."

The man was sleeping so soundly that he rolled off the bed with a start. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, wife," he said, "what did you say?"

"Husband," she said, "if I cannot make the sun and the moon rise when I choose, I shall never have one quiet hour again. Go and tell the fish." The fisherman knelt before her. "Wife, the fish truly cannot do that," he said. "It made you king, emperor and pope. Be content with that, I beg you."

But his wife went wild with impatience. "I can wait no longer!" she screamed. "Go this instant!"

So the man went out as best he could. A dreadful storm had risen. Houses and trees fell down, the mountains shook, and rocks tumbled into the sea. The sky was black, thunder rolled and lightning flashed, and the waves rose as high as mountains, with white foam on top of them. The fisherman cried out, but he could not even hear his own voice: "Fish in the sea, please hear me! What I would not ask, my wife asks; she sends me to knock at your door."

"Well, what now?" asked the flounder. "Oh dear," said the fisherman. "She wants to order the sun and the moon around." "Go home," said the flounder. "You will find her sitting in the old hut." The fisherman hurried home, and there sat his wife in the old hut. The castle, the crowns and the servants were all gone. Everything had vanished, as if it had never been. And there the two of them still sit, to this very day. People still tell this tale by the sea, and they say: a heart that never knows enough will lose everything it has.

Vocabulary from "The Fisherman and His Wife"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

contentB2

/kənˈtent/adj.

Happy with what you already have; not asking for more.

知足的；满足于已有的。

"Now we should be content," said the fisherman.
渔夫说：“如今咱们该知足了吧。”

spellB1

/spel/n.

Magic words that can change a person or a thing.

魔法；咒语。

I am a prince under a magic spell.
我是个中了魔法的王子。

amazedB1

/əˈmeɪzd/adj.

Very surprised.

十分惊讶的。

The fisherman was amazed.
渔夫听得发愣。

furiousB2

/ˈfjʊəriəs/adj.

Extremely angry.

狂怒的；大发雷霆的。

When she heard this, she was furious.
妻子一听，登时火冒三丈。

ashamedB2

/əˈʃeɪmd/adj.

Feeling sorry or embarrassed about something you did.

羞愧的；不好意思的。

"I feel ashamed to ask again. The fish may be angry."
渔夫说：“我怎么再好意思开口？只怕它要生气。”

muttering(mutter)B2

/ˈmʌtərɪŋ/v.

Speaking quietly and unclearly, usually to yourself.

嘀嘀咕咕地低语。

He walked slowly to the sea, muttering to himself, "This is wrong."
渔夫一百个不情愿，一路上嘀嘀咕咕：“这么做，不对呀。”

trembling(tremble)B2

/ˈtremblɪŋ/v.

Shaking because you are afraid or cold.

发抖的；哆嗦的。

The man went off, shivering and trembling, his knees knocking together.
渔夫只得去了，吓得直打哆嗦，膝盖直碰膝盖。

throneB1

/θrəʊn/n.

The special chair where a king or queen sits.

王座；宝座。

Inside, his wife sat on a throne of gold and diamonds, a golden crown on her head and a jewelled sceptre in her hand.
进到里面，妻子坐在金子和宝石砌成的宝座上，头戴金冠，手执镶宝的权杖。

knelt(kneel)B2

/nelt/v.

Had your knees on the ground.

跪下（kneel 的过去式）。

All the emperors and kings knelt before her and kissed her foot.
所有的国王、皇帝都跪在她面前，亲吻她的脚。

dazzledC1

/ˈdæzld/adj.

Unable to see clearly because of a very bright light.

眼花缭乱的；目眩的。

He looked at her until he felt dazzled, as if he were sitting in the sun.
渔夫望着她，望得眼花，像坐在太阳底下似的。

commandB2

/kəˈmɑːnd/n.

An order; the power to make something happen.

号令；指挥权。

What if the sun and the moon rose at my command?
要是太阳和月亮都听我的号令，那该多好？

vanished(vanish)B2

/ˈvænɪʃt/v.

Disappeared completely.

消失得无影无踪（vanish 的过去式）。

Everything had vanished, as if it had never been.
一切像从来不曾有过似的。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

A greedy heart never says 'enough.' People who always want more may end up losing everything they have; those who are content keep what they love.

Educational Value

Children learn that wanting never ends and that endless asking can cost everything — and they practise telling a fair wish from greedy wanting.

Tips for Parents

Watch the sea with your child: every new wish makes the water darker and wilder, just like a greedy heart. Afterwards ask: what if the fisherman had said no the first time? Do you know anyone who is never satisfied, no matter how much they get?

Talk About It

The sea grows darker and wilder with every wish. Why do you think the author used the sea to show the wife's greed?
The fisherman knew every time that it was wrong, yet he kept going to the fish. Is he also to blame? If you were him, would you dare to say no?
The wife got everything, from a small house to the pope's throne, but she was never happy. Why did 'getting more' never satisfy her?
What does it feel like to be content? When you get what you want, are you happy for a long time, or do you soon want the next thing?
What if the flounder had said no the first time? How would the story end then — and which ending do you like better?

The Fisherman and His Wife

Introduction

Vocabulary from "The Fisherman and His Wife"

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Educational Value

Tips for Parents

Talk About It

You May Also Like

Bearskin

A Riddling Tale

The Rabbit and the Maiden