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Children love to read in Russia.
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(Also known as "The Golden Fish")
Many years ago there lived a poor fisherman and his wife. Their home was a broken down shack perched at the edge of a mighty ocean. Day in and day out the old man journeyed down the hill to the shore below to cast his net into the ocean. Rarely, did he catch enough to feed himself and his wife, much less have any to sell to earn money to improve their living conditions. His wife complained bitterly about their circumstances. She hunched over her wooden washtub and furiously scrubbed their clothes before the water disappeared through the long crack in the old tub.
“Why can you not catch a passing school of fish like the others?” she nagged. “I am tired of sleeping on the floor and missing meals. I know the ocean is full of fish just for the catching. You must try harder!” she scolded.
“I am throwing the net as hard as my old bones will allow, “ the old man said.
He was about to ask his wife if she would like to come and give her hand a try at the net, but thought better of it. He was not about to give up the peace and quiet he had when he was by the shore away from his bickering wife. As he trudged down the hill to the water, he contemplated all the ways he could throw the net to get it out farther in the water. He hoped that he could net at least one large fish and silence his wife for the evening.
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He found the ocean was especially angry. It swirled and tossed about, covering the old man with droplets of salty water. He spent most of the day throwing out the net, but because of the rough water it landed close to shore. Several times it brought back seaweed, other times only very tiny fish, hardly good enough for bait. He made one last try, but because he was so tired this toss fell short of the earlier tries. As he pulled in the net, he was already imagining the harsh words his wife would have for him.
The net came back slowly and appeared to shine in the fading sun. The old man shielded his eyes from the glare of the net and could just make out something golden in its center. It was a golden fish struggling against the pull of the net. He took up the glimmering fish and was astonished to hear it speak these words.
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Artist Paul Klee's depiction of "The Golden Fish"
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“Old man, return me to my home in the water and I will give you what you ask of me,” said the fish.
The fisherman spoke kindly to the stranded fish, “Fear not. There is nothing a fish can give me. I will spare your life and put you back into the water.” And with that he tossed the fish back into the ocean.
When he told his wife about his encounter with the magic fish, she was furious. “Go back and tell the fish that I need a new wash tub and a neat little cottage,” she ordered.
The old man went back to the shore and called to the fish. “Golden fish, please hear my plea. My wife wants you to grant her wish for a new wash tub and a neat little cottage in which to live.”
The fish surfaced and told the old man to return home and discover what was there. The man hurried home and found his wife finished with the washing and resting on the porch of their new cottage. She showed him the new washing tub and the furnishings in the little cottage. The fish had even provided them with food to last for several days. His wife was contented and best of all, quiet. Unfortunately, her silence was too good to last.
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“Husband,” his wife said one day. “I am no longer happy and wish to have a bigger house worthy of a tsarina. In fact, I wish to be a tsarina and rule the land. Go to the golden fish with my demands.”
When the fisherman told the request to the fish, the fish told him to return home and discover what was there. The man hurried home to find a beautiful palace and his wife dressed in fine clothing. She was giving orders to a servant and penning a decree to be sent throughout the land. She took no notice of her husband. He discovered, that in his absence his things had been removed to the servants shed.
Alas, when she tired of being a tsarina she called again for her husband to visit the fish. “Tell the fish that I want to be ruler of heaven and earth and the mighty ocean. I will live in the ocean and the fish will serve me to the end of my days,” she ordered. The old man shuttered at the thought and sadly trudged to the ocean to speak again with the magic fish.
“Magic fish, magic fish, please hear my plea. My wife now wants to be ruler of heaven and earth and the mighty ocean. She wants to live in the ocean with you and be served by you until the end of her days. I want nothing for myself, but to please my wife. Won’t you help me one more time?” the old man implored.
The ocean became angry and huge waves crashed upon the shore. The golden fish rode in on the highest wave and spoke to the old man. “You are weak old man. How would I know that this is your wife’s final request. Greed feeds on itself. Return home and discover what is there. My patience is at an end.”
This did not sound good to the fisherman, but nonetheless he started home to confront his wife. As he approached their yard, he saw only an old shack, not the beautiful palace he had left. Instead of a woman draped in silks and furs, the dress befitting a tsarina, he saw his wife in her cotton dress hunched over the leaking old wash tub, scrubbing their clothing. Before he could speak, she started in with her criticism and harsh words.
“Speak not to me old woman,” her husband interrupted. Your greed has cost us dearly. Nothing good comes from ill gotten gain. True happiness comes only from that which you, yourself, earn. Let this be a lesson to you.”
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What lesson did the old man and old woman learn?
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Matrishka dolls often depict scenes from classic Russian folk tales.
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