Once upon a time, there lived a fisherman and his wife in a hut by the sea.  Every day, the fisherman would go to the sea and fish all day long.

One day, the fisherman sat on his boat fishing. The water in the sea was crystal clear, sparkling in the sunlight, and the fisherman sat gazing into the water.

Suddenly, he felt a pull on his fishing rod. “Ah, finally! I caught a fish. I wonder how big it is.”

As the fisherman pulled the rod in, he found a flounder (a big fish) caught in the line.

To the fisherman’s shock, the flounder began to talk. “Hello there! I know it is your job to catch fish, but I am not a real fish. I am a prince cursed to take the form of a fish. What good will it do to eat me? I am not even that tasty. “

The fisherman replied, “I have never seen a talking fish before. Of course, my wife will not be happy if I go home empty-handed, but I will set you free.”

He then released the flounder back into the sea.

 “If you ever need anything, come and ask me,” said the flounder as it swam away.

The fisherman went home to his wife.

“What did you catch today?” asked the wife.

“I caught a flounder, but he mentioned that he was an enchanted prince. So, I let him go,” answered the fisherman.

“A talking fish? Did you wish for anything?” questioned the wife.

Confused, the fisherman asked, “Wish? Wish for what?”

“You came across a magical being, and you did not ask for any wish? Go this instant and ask him to give us a cottage,” demanded the wife.

Reluctantly, the fisherman went to the sea. But, unfortunately, the crystal clear waters that the fisherman was admiring had become green and yellow.

Standing on the shore, the fisherman said,

” Come oh! flounder that I set free,

Once a prince, now a fish in the sea,

My wife demands that I make a wish,

For not turning you into a yummy dish.”

A few minutes later, the flounder came swimming to the fisherman and asked, “What is your wife’s demand?”

“We live in an old hut, and my wife is no longer satisfied with it. She wants a cottage,” replied the fisherman.

“Go home. You will have your cottage,” said the flounder.

The fisherman quickly ran home and found a beautiful cottage in the place of his hut.

“Look at what we have,” said his wife happily. “Instead of a one-room hut, we have a cottage with many rooms. Moreover, we will never be hungry again since we also have a vegetable garden and many animals, including chicken, cows, duck. Aren’t you happy I made you ask the fish for a wish?”

“Yes, dear,” replied the fisherman.

They lived happily in the cottage for a fortnight when the wife said, “Isn’t this cottage small? Why don’t you go to your fish friend and ask him for a palace?”

“A palace?” gulped the fisherman. “Let us be happy with this cottage.”

“No. I want a palace. Now go to the fish and ask,” said the wife angrily.

Reluctantly, the fisherman went to the seashore. The water was no longer green and yellow. It was now violet in colour, slightly thick.

Standing on the shore, the fisherman said,

” Come oh! flounder that I set free,

Once a prince, now a fish in the sea,

My wife demands that I make a wish,

For not turning you into a yummy dish.”

“What does your wife want now?” asked the flounder when he came to the seashore.

Unhappily, the fisherman said, “My wife wants a palace. Can you grant us the wish?”

“Go home. You will have your palace,” said the flounder.

When the fisherman went home, he found his wife standing in front of a massive palace with a wide grin on her face.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” said the wife. She took the fisherman into the palace and gave him a tour.

“Are you happy now?” asked the fisherman.

“Yes, husband. A palace in the middle of a vast garden, golden furniture, beautiful paintings hanging on the walls, a dining table filled with a never-ending display of dishes, and servants everywhere. What more could I ask?”

The very next morning, the wife said, “We have a palace. Therefore, we should be the rulers of this land. Ask the flounder to make you a king.”

“I don’t want to be a king,” grumbled the fisherman.

“I don’t care if you do not want to be a king. I want to be a queen. Now go,” said the wife.

When the fisherman went to the seashore, the water was dark grey. The wind was blowing heavily, and the waves were rising higher and higher.

Scared, the fisherman said,

” Come oh! flounder that I set free,

Once a prince, now a fish in the sea,

My wife demands that I make a wish,

For not turning you into a yummy dish.”

“What does your wife want now?” asked the flounder.

“She wishes to be the queen of the land,” said the fisherman with his voice trembling.

“Go home. Your wife has become the queen,” said the flounder.

When the fisherman went home, he saw a large castle had replaced the palace. Guards were all around the safeguarding the castle. His wife was in silk robes with a crown made of diamonds and precious stone. She had many attendants behind her.

“Look, husband. Look what it is to be a queen. We are powerful,” said the wife.

“You are right,” said the fisherman quietly, praying his wife would stop being greedy.

 Unfortunately, to his dismay, the next day before dawn, his wife woke him up.

“Husband, wake up. It is barely dawn, and the sun is rising already. I want the sun to rise whenever I wish. Go to the flounder and wish that we be God,” she said.

The fisherman looked at his wife in horror. “You want to be God? Are you crazy? Is there no end to your greed?”

“Do as I say, or I will never speak to you ever again,” replied his wife.

The fisherman rushed to the sea only to find it raging. The wind was blowing so hard that he could barely stand. Trees were falling all over. The water was black and thick, with waves rising higher and higher.

Frightened, the fisherman called out to the flounder,

” Come oh! flounder that I set free,

Once a prince, now a fish in the sea,

My wife demands that I make a wish,

For not turning you into a yummy dish.”

When the flounder came to the seashore, he asked, “Your wife is not satisfied with a kingdom? What does she want now?”

“She wants to be God,” said the fisherman, stuttering.

“Does she now?” asked the flounder, amused. “Go home, and you will get what you deserve.”

The fisherman rushed back home, and the castle, gardens, guards were all gone. Instead, he found his old hut and his wife was sitting on the porch in tattered clothes.

They lived a life of poverty for the rest of their lives, regretting their greed.

Author’s note:

Unlike most fairy tales which have a happy ending, this one is different. The protagonists are greedy, and they get what they deserve for their dissatisfaction. The water in the sea slowly changes color and turned turbulent to show the corruption and greed of the Fisherman and his wife.