The Fisherman and His Wife

Once upon a time, a fisherman and his wife lived together in an old dugout close to the sea, and the fisherman went fishing every day. And he fished and fished. So he sat also once with the fishing rod and looked always into the clear water. And he sat and sat.

Then the fishing rod went to the bottom, deep down, and when he brought it up, he pulled out a big butt. Then the fish said to him: "Listen, fisherman, I beg you, let me live, I'm not a real fish, I'm a wished-for prince. What good will it do you if you kill me? I wouldn't taste right to you. Put me back in the water and let me swim." "Well," said the man, "you need not make so many words. I would have let a fish that could talk swim like that." With that he put him back into the clear water. Then the fish went to the bottom and drew a long streak of blood after it. Now the fisherman got up and went to his wife in the dugout. "Man," said the woman, "have you caught nothing today?" "No," said the man, "I caught a fish that said he was a wished prince, so I let him swim again." "Didn't you wish for anything?" asked the woman. "No," said the man, "what should I wish for?" "Oh," said the woman, "it's terrible to live here in the dugout like this all the time; it's disgusting and smelly. You could have wished us a little hut. Go back and call him. Tell him we would like to have a little hut; he will certainly do it." "Ah," said the man, "what should I go again?" "Ei," said the woman, "you had caught him after all, and let him swim again, he certainly does. Go there now." The man was not quite ready, but he did not want to offend his wife, so he went to the sea. When he arrived there, the sea was green and yellow and not so clear anymore. So he stood up and said:

"Manntje" Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje" Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want the way I like to want."

Then the fish swam up and said, "Well, what does she want?" "Oh," said the man, "I had caught you after all, and my wife says I should have wished for something too. She doesn't like to live in a simple shelter anymore, she would like to have a cabin." "Go ahead," said the fish, "she already has it."