The Fisherman and His Wife

Once upon a time, there was a poor fisherman who lived with his wife in a hovel by the sea. Every day, the fisherman went down to the shore to catch fish, and one day, as he sat with his rod, looking at the clear water, his line suddenly went down, far down below the surface. When he pulled it up, he was surprised to see a large flounder on the end of his line.

The flounder spoke to him, saying, "Please let me go! I am not an ordinary flounder. I am an enchanted prince. If you let me go, I will grant you whatever you wish."

The fisherman was astonished and a bit frightened. He quickly unhooked the flounder and let it slip back into the water. Then, without asking for anything, he returned to his hovel. When he arrived home, his wife scolded him for not bringing anything back from his fishing trip.

The fisherman explained what had happened with the flounder. His wife, greedy and dissatisfied with their poor life, demanded that he go back and ask the flounder for a nice house instead of their hovel. Reluctantly, the fisherman returned to the shore and called out to the flounder.

"Flounder, flounder, in the sea,

Come, I pray, and talk to me.

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I'd have her will."

The flounder surfaced and asked, "What does she want?"

"My wife says I should have asked for a nice house," the fisherman said.

"Go home," the flounder replied, "she already has it."

The fisherman returned home and was amazed to see a beautiful cottage standing where their old hovel had been. His wife was very pleased and for a while, they were happy.

However, it wasn’t long before Ilsabil grew dissatisfied again. She told her husband to go back to the flounder and ask for a castle. The fisherman did not want to, but his wife insisted, so he went back to the shore and called the flounder.

"Flounder, flounder, in the sea,

Come, I pray, and talk to me.

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I'd have her will."

When the flounder surfaced, the fisherman nervously said, "My wife wants a castle."

"Go home," the flounder said, "she already has it."

Sure enough, when the fisherman returned home, there stood a grand castle, and his wife was overjoyed. But even this did not satisfy Ilsabil for long.

After a few weeks, Ilsabil told her husband to ask the flounder to make her queen. The fisherman hesitated, but once again, he went to the shore.

"Flounder, flounder, in the sea,

Come, I pray, and talk to me.

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I'd have her will."

When the flounder appeared, the fisherman said, "My wife wants to be queen."

"Go home," the flounder said, "she is already queen."

When the fisherman returned, he found his wife sitting on a throne, wearing a crown. She was now the queen, and he was a king. But even as queen, Ilsabil was not satisfied.

A few days later, she told her husband to ask the flounder to make her emperor. The fisherman, tired and worried, went back to the sea.

"Flounder, flounder, in the sea,

Come, I pray, and talk to me.

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I'd have her will."

The flounder surfaced and asked what she wanted. "My wife wants to be emperor," the fisherman said.

"Go home," the flounder said, "she is already emperor."

When the fisherman returned, he saw his wife on an even grander throne, wearing a more splendid crown. She was now emperor of all. But still, she was not satisfied.

Soon after, Ilsabil told her husband to ask the flounder to make her pope. The fisherman, now very weary, went to the shore once again.

"Flounder, flounder, in the sea,

Come, I pray, and talk to me.

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I'd have her will."

When the flounder appeared, the fisherman said, "My wife wants to be pope."

"Go home," the flounder said, "she is already pope."

Sure enough, when the fisherman returned, he found his wife sitting on a papal throne, dressed in the most ornate robes. But even as pope, Ilsabil was not content.

One morning, she told her husband to ask the flounder to make her God. The fisherman, terrified, refused. But Ilsabil insisted, and in fear and dread, the fisherman went back to the shore.

"Flounder, flounder, in the sea,

Come, I pray, and talk to me.

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I'd have her will."

The flounder surfaced and asked, "What does she want now?"

The fisherman, trembling, replied, "She wants to be God."

The flounder did not respond immediately. Instead, it turned and swam away, back into the depths of the sea. The fisherman waited, but the flounder did not return. Finally, he went back home, only to find their grand castle gone. In its place stood the old hovel by the sea. Inside, his wife was sitting, looking just as she had before any of this had started.

And so, the fisherman and his wife returned to their simple life. Though they had once tasted grandeur and power, they were now content to live as they had before. From then on, the fisherman went down to the shore every day, casting his line into the sea, and Ilsabil remained in their hovel, never again asking for more than what they had.

The story of the fisherman and his wife reminds us of the dangers of greed and the importance of contentment. No matter how much we have, there will always be more to want, but true happiness comes from appreciating what we have and living within our means.

Years passed, and the fisherman and his wife grew old together. They learned to find joy in the simple pleasures of life: the beauty of the sunrise over the sea, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and the warmth of their home, no matter how humble.

Ilsabil, in her later years, often reflected on her insatiable desires and the lessons she learned. She found peace in her heart, realizing that the most valuable things in life cannot be granted by a magical fish or found in grand titles. True richness, she discovered, lay in love, humility, and the shared moments with her husband.

The fisherman, with his gentle and patient nature, never ceased to love his wife despite her past ambitions. Together, they lived out their days in harmony, grateful for the quiet and contentment that had finally settled in their hearts.

And thus, the tale of the fisherman and his wife became a story passed down through generations, a reminder to all who heard it of the value of humility, the peril of endless ambition, and the beauty of finding joy in the life one has.

In the end, the fisherman's simple wisdom prevailed: sometimes, the greatest fortune is not what we seek, but appreciating what we already have.