The Goldfish  - Short Version

 

This is a story about a poor, and I mean very poor fisherman, who once caught a goldfish. It wasn’t only a talking goldfish; it was a magic one, too. They decided – if the fisherman let the goldfish go it would grant him a wish. The fisherman agreed, dropped the fish back into the water, and asked for a new washtub for his wife.   

When he got home, he saw the new washtub. His wife, though, when she found out what the deal was, raised hell and sent the fisherman back to look for the goldfish and ask for a new house. Off he went to the shore, called up the goldfish and explained the situation…then back home, where he saw the most incredible house – all his. But his wife was even madder than before, and raised hell again that he was an idiot and should have asked for a palace. The fisherman went back to the shore, the goldfish appeared, and granted his wish again. And yet again, he went back home, hell on earth, how could he be such an idiot, it should have been a golden palace, not an ordinary one. When he got to the shore and told the goldfish his wish (the fourth) it didn’t reply, but simply plunged back into the water. The fisherman went back home to find nothing of the granted wishes remained – even the washtub was old again.