The Fisherman and His Wife

The sea was a restless beast that day, its waves crashing against the jagged rocks with a fury that seemed almost alive. The sky hung low, a heavy blanket of gray, as if the heavens themselves were holding their breath. On the shore, a small, weather-beaten hut stood defiantly against the wind, its wooden walls groaning under the strain. Inside, a humble fisherman sat by the fire, mending his nets with hands calloused from years of toil. His wife, a woman with sharp eyes and a sharper tongue, paced the room, her footsteps echoing like the ticking of a clock counting down to something inevitable.

The fisherman’s heart was heavy, not just from the weight of the storm outside but from the storm within his own home. His wife, once content with their simple life, had grown restless. She dreamed of more—more wealth, more power, more everything. And though the fisherman loved her dearly, he could feel the cracks forming in the foundation of their life together. Little did he know, the sea was about to offer them a gift—one that would test the very fabric of their love and the limits of their desires.

The Flounder’s Gift
It was on such a stormy day that the fisherman cast his net into the churning waters, hoping for a catch to quiet his wife’s complaints. The waves fought him, pulling and tugging as if the sea itself were alive and unwilling to give up its treasures. But then, something extraordinary happened. His net grew heavy, so heavy that he had to summon all his strength to pull it ashore. When he finally managed to drag it onto the sand, he gasped. There, flopping helplessly in the net, was no ordinary fish.

It was a flounder, but unlike any flounder he had ever seen. Its scales shimmered with an otherworldly glow, shifting colors like the northern lights. And its eyes—oh, its eyes—were deep and ancient, filled with a wisdom that seemed to pierce the fisherman’s very soul. The fish spoke, its voice calm and resonant, like the tolling of a distant bell.

“Fisherman,” it said, “I am no ordinary fish. I am an enchanted prince, cursed to live in this form. Spare my life, and I will grant you a wish.”

The fisherman, a kind and simple man, was struck with awe. He had no desire for riches or power. “I could never harm such a magnificent creature,” he said, his voice trembling. “Go, return to the sea. I ask for nothing in return.”

And with that, the flounder slipped back into the waves, its shimmering tail disappearing into the depths. The fisherman returned home, his heart light with the joy of having done a good deed. But when he told his wife of the encounter, her eyes lit up with a fire he had never seen before.

The First Wish
“You fool!” she cried, her voice sharp as a knife. “You had the chance to change our lives, and you let it slip away! Go back to the sea and ask the flounder for a cottage. This hovel is no place for us to live.”

The fisherman hesitated. He had promised the flounder nothing in return for its freedom, and the thought of asking for a favor made him uneasy. But his wife’s words were like a storm, relentless and impossible to ignore. Reluctantly, he returned to the shore, the wind whipping at his face as he called out to the sea.

“Flounder, flounder, in the sea,
Come, I pray, and speak to me.
My wife, Ilsebil, bids me say,
She wishes for a cottage today.”

The water churned, and the flounder emerged, its scales glinting in the dim light. “Go home,” it said. “She already has her wish.”

The fisherman returned to find their humble hut replaced by a charming cottage, with a garden full of flowers and a hearth that warmed the entire home. His wife stood in the doorway, a satisfied smile on her face. For a moment, the fisherman allowed himself to hope that this would be enough.

But it wasn’t.

The Descent into Greed
Days turned into weeks, and the fisherman’s wife grew restless once more. The cottage, which had once seemed like a dream, now felt like a cage. “Why should we live in a mere cottage when we could live in a castle?” she demanded. “Go back to the flounder and ask for a palace!”

The fisherman’s heart sank. He knew the flounder had already been generous, and the thought of asking for more filled him with shame. But his wife’s will was unyielding, and once again, he found himself standing on the shore, calling out to the sea.

“Flounder, flounder, in the sea,
Come, I pray, and speak to me.
My wife, Ilsebil, bids me say,
She wishes for a palace today.”

The flounder appeared, its eyes filled with a sadness that mirrored the fisherman’s own. “Go home,” it said. “She already has her wish.”

And so it was. The cottage was gone, replaced by a grand palace with towering spires and marble floors. Servants bustled about, catering to their every need. The fisherman’s wife wore gowns of silk and jewels that sparkled like the stars. But still, she was not content.

The Final Wish
“Why should I be a mere queen when I could rule the heavens themselves?” she declared one day, her eyes blazing with ambition. “Go back to the flounder and tell it I wish to be Empress of the Sun and Moon!”

The fisherman begged her to reconsider. “We have more than we ever dreamed of,” he pleaded. “Is it not enough?”

But his wife’s greed knew no bounds. “Do as I say, or you will regret it,” she hissed.

With a heavy heart, the fisherman returned to the shore. The sea was no longer calm; it roared and churned as if reflecting the turmoil within him. He called out to the flounder, his voice barely audible over the crashing waves.

“Flounder, flounder, in the sea,
Come, I pray, and speak to me.
My wife, Ilsebil, bids me say,
She wishes to rule night and day.”

The flounder emerged, its scales dull and its eyes filled with sorrow. “Go home,” it said. “She is back in the hovel.”

And so it was. The fisherman returned to find their palace gone, their riches vanished. They were back in the small, crumbling hut by the sea, just as they had been at the beginning. His wife sat by the fire, her eyes downcast, her dreams reduced to ashes.

The Moral of the Tale
The fisherman and his wife lived out their days in the hut, their lives a quiet reminder of the dangers of greed and the importance of contentment. The sea, once a source of wonder and magic, became a silent witness to their downfall. And though the fisherman often thought of the flounder and its kindness, he never called upon it again.

For in the end, the greatest gift of all was the lesson they had learned: that true happiness lies not in what we have, but in what we cherish.