Section 1
On the edge of a vast blue ocean, there once lived an elderly man and his devoted wife. For thirty tree summers and winters, they stayed in a tumbledown hut. The elderly guy had been a fisherman, and his wife had been a distaff spinner. Once he went fishing and the first time he threw his fishing line into the water, it was filled with muck from the seabed; the second time he did so, he only collected seaweed; and the third time, he only captured one fish—a goldfish—and it wasn't a common species. The goldfish started to beseech him now and talked as if human:
"Drop me back into the water, old man.
I will give you anything you request,
and I will pay you a fair royal tribute.
The elderly man was shocked and terrified since he had never before heard of fish talking throughout his thirty-three summers of fishing. So he gently talked while carefully untangling the goldfish:
May God bless you, my adorable small goldfish!
Please accept my gratitude; I don't need your ransom.
Return to your underwater abode
And feel free to travel wherever you like.
The elderly fisherman rushed to inform his wife about this magnificent miracle.
"I only managed to catch one fish this morning,
a goldfish, which is quite unusual.
It begged me to let it back into the water
and offered to pay a large reward in exchange,
and do everything I wanted.
However, how was I able to demand a ransom?
Without getting paid, I released it.
His wife began berating him, saying,
‘’Oh you stupid man! Oh, you naive fool!
Couldn't demand a ransom from a simple fish!
At the very least, you should have requested a washtub
because ours is in a terrible state.’’
The elderly man went back to the beach, where the gentle blue waves were playing. The goldfish responded to his call by swimming up and asking, "What is it, old man, that you are wishing?"
The elderly guy said, bowing,
"Forgive me, Your Royal Majesty Goldfish!
My elderly wife has given me a severe reprimand
and won't calm down for even a minute.
She claims that she needs a new washtub
since ours is coming apart.
"Do not worry, go home, may God be with you.
Very well, you shall have a new wash-tub,"
the goldfish said in response.
The elderly fisherman hurried to see the new washtub, and it was there! He was reprimanded by her louder than ever, saying,
"’Oh you stupid man! Oh, you naive fool!
to request a tub—just a simple washtub!
What benefit may a wash-tab provide?
You stupid thing, go get to the goldfish.
Bow down and ask for a new cabin.
He returned to the shoreline once more, but this time the azure water was turbulent.
The goldfish responded to his call by swimming up and asking, "What is it, old man, that you are wishing?"
The elderly guy said, bowing,
"Forgive me, Your Royal Majesty Goldfish!
My old wife is more irate than ever
and won't calm down for even a second.
The old scold claims she desires a new cottage.
"Do not worry, go home, may God be with you.
Very well, you shall have a new cottage,"
the goldfish said in response.
The elderly guy then turned around and walked backward, without seeing any indication of his hovel. A new gabled cottage with a freshly painted brick chimney stood in its place. It was surrounded by a fence with wooden gates, and his wife was sitting by a window. When she spotted him, she gave him a harsh reprimand:
"’Oh you stupid man! Oh, you naive fool!
asking just for a simple cabin!
You should go and bow to the goldfish
And tell him that I am sick of being a peasant
and that I want to be treated like fine woman
The elderly man then went back to the beach, where the water was foaming wildly, and he called for the goldfish. The goldfish rose and addressed the fisherman:
"What is it, old man, that you are wishing?"
The old man said, bowing,
"Forgive me, Your Royal Majesty Goldfish!
My old wife is angrier than ever;
she won't calm down even a moment.
She claims to be sick of being a peasant
and wants to become a decent lady.
The Goldfish mumbled in answer
‘’Do not worry, go home, may God be with you.’’
