Section 1
Once upon a time there lived a fisherman and his wife in a shabby dwelling, in a pigsty near the coast. The fisherman spent most of his days fishing out at sea. One day, as he sat on the shore with his fishing rod, admiring the glimmering waves and keeping an eye on his line, suddenly his float was snatched away deep into the water. Upon reeling it in, he found a massive fish. However, to his surprise, the fish spoke and pleaded, "Please spare my life! I am not an ordinary fish but an enchanted prince. Return me to the water, and set me free." The fisherman replied, "Ah, I have no interest in a talking fish. Swim away, sir, as quickly as you can!" He then released the fish back into the water, and it quickly disappeared, leaving a bloody trail behind in the waves.
The fisherman returned to his wife in their pigsty, and recounted how he had successfully caught a massive fish. He described how the fish had revealed itself as an enchanted prince and how he had compassionately released it back into the water after it spoke to him. "Did you not make any requests of the fish?" asked the wife. "Our current living situation is dreadful, residing in this filthy pigsty. Go back and ask the fish to grant us a cozy cottage!"
Although the fisherman wasn't particularly fond of that decision, he still made his way to the seashore. Upon his return, he noticed that the water had taken on a peculiar hue of yellow and green. Standing at the water's edge, he addressed the sea, saying:
"Listen, oh man of the vast blue sea,
I come to thee on bended knee,
My wife Ilsabill seeks her own desire,
And bids me request thy aid, oh sire.”
Next, the aquatic creature approached the angler and inquired, "Pray tell, what does she crave? What is thy wife's desire?" "Alas!" replied the fisherman, "she insists that ere I freed thee, I ought to have requested a boon. She loathes residing within the pigsty and yearns for a cozy abode." "Return to thy dwelling," spoke the fish, "thy wish is granted, her desired abode is ready." Thus, the man journeyed homeward and espied his spouse stationed at the entrance of a charming and well-kept cottage. "Come in," she exclaimed, "Can you not see how much better this is than that repulsive pigsty?" Therein lay a sitting room, a chamber, and a culinary space, and beyond the cottage, there was a small garden, where diverse fruits and blooms did grow, and yonder, a courtyard filled with ducks and poultry. "Oh, joyous day!" cried the fisherman, "we shall live happily now!" "We shall endeavor to do so," spoke his spouse.
For a brief time, all was well and good, but soon Dame Ilsabill spoke up, "Husband, this abode is not spacious enough for us. The garden and courtyard are cramped and lack space. I desire a grand stone fortress to call our own. Return to the fish and request a castle for us." "Wife," spoke the fisherman, "I am loath to return to him. What if he becomes upset? This cozy cottage suffices for us." "Preposterous!" his wife retorted, "The fish will surely grant us a larger home, I am certain. Go and ask once more!"
The angler trudged along the path, weighed down by his worries. As he reached the shoreline, the normally serene and blue waters appeared dark and sullen. He approached the water's edge and spoke:
"Listen, oh man of the vast blue sea,
I come to thee on bended knee,
My wife Ilsabill seeks her own desire,
And bids me request thy aid, oh sire.”
"Pray tell me," said the fish, "what is it that your spouse desires now?" “Alas," replied the gentleman, dejectedly, "my wife yearns to dwell in a castle of stone." "Then be off," instructed the fish, "for she already awaits you at the gates of the castle she craved."
The fisherman returned to his abode, where he found his wife standing before the entrance to a grand fortress. "Behold," she exclaimed, "is this not magnificent?" Together they entered the castle and discovered a multitude of servants and rooms adorned with lavish furnishings with golden chairs and tables. Beyond the castle lay a garden, encircled by a half-mile-long park replete with sheep, goats, hares, and deer. Stables and cowhouses filled the courtyard. "Surely," said the fisherman, "we shall live joyfully and contentedly in this splendid castle for the rest of our days." "Perhaps," replied the wife, "but let us sleep on it before forming such an opinion." And so they retired to bed.
