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"One afternoon a poor man was fishing in the creek not far from the tarpaper shack he shared with his wife. He had caught a good string of fish - enough for supper and breakfast too, but since the sun had not quite set, he cast his line just once more. And he got a bite! And reeled in a small, colorful fish unlike any he'd ever seen before.
 When he took out the hook, the fish suddenly spoke. "Fisherman, fisherman you've caught enough. Lots of fine and tasty fishes. But if you would just set me free, I'll grant you some wishes." Now he almost dropped that fish when it talked, but he held on to it a moment while he could do some thinking. He looked at his catch, and agreed, he'd gotten enough fish to suit his needs. And besides, a talking fish. Would you eat something that talks to you?? He let it go, without asking a single wish.
He went home and told his wife about the fish. She got upset. "You could have at least asked one wish. Look at this shack we live in! Drafty Tarpaper walls, the roof leaks, and the floors are so dirty we track more dirt out than in. You deserve a wish from that fish. Go tell him we want a nice little cottage with a garden". Well, this went on all week - tar paper this and leaky roof that - nag, nag, so finally the poor Fisherman went back to his fishing hole on creek - the water was clear there, and there soft grassy banks underneath shady willows. He called out to the fish. "Fishy fishy, in the creek, My wife's been nagging at me all week. She says she doesn't want a lot, but she's not happy with what we got." The fish answered "What do you wish - from this grateful fish?" I don't want anything, but my wife insists I ask you for a cottage. The Fish said: "Go then, that's where you will find her"
And when he got home he found her in a cute little white cottage, with a white picket fence and little garden. But she wasn't happy. "I sent you to ask for a house and look what you got us - this place is too small, the garden isn't big enough and I really would be nice to have a porch swing too." Well, this went on all week - it was tiny house this and porch swing that, nag, nag, so finally the poor Fisherman went back to his fishing hole on creek - the water had become cloudy and nettles grew on a trampled shore. He called out to the fish. "Fishy fishy, in the creek, My wife's been nagging me all week. She says she doesn't want a lot, but she's not happy with what we got." The fish answered "Something more you wish - from this little fish?" "I don't want anything, but my wife insists I ask you for a bigger house with a porchswing too. The Fish said: "Go then, that's where you will find her"
And when he got home he found her in a nice brick house with a large garden and a porch swing. But she wasn't happy. "I sent you to ask for a fine house and we got one - but important people live in houses like this, I want to be important. You go ask that fish to make me mayor." Well, this went on all week It was fine house this and mayor that, nag, so finally the poor Fisherman went back to his fishing hole on creek - the water was murky and yellow algae scum floated on it, the willows were losing leaves. He called out to the fish. "Fishy fishy, in the creek, My wife's been nagging at me all week. She says she doesn't want a lot, but she's not happy with what we got." The fish answered "Something more for your wife - who doesn't like your way of life?" "I don't want anything, but my wife insists I ask you to make her important - she wants to be mayor." The Fish said: "Go then, that's who you will find her"
And when he got home he found her in a meeting with the city council - arguing over stop sighs, potholes and the size of her picture in the courthouse. "I sent you to ask that fish to make me mayor and that what he did, but the mayor's all show - the governor has all the power. You go ask that fish to make me governor and we'll live in a mansion." Well, this went on all week - it was mansion this and governor that, nag, nag, so finally the poor Fisherman went back to his fishing hole on creek - the water was sluggish, and had an oily sheen and smelled terrible and the willow tree had died. He called out to the fish. "Fishy fishy, in the creek, My wife's been nagging at me all week. She says she doesn't want a lot, but she's not happy with what we got." The fish answered "Now what does she want - that she's not already got?" "I don't want anything, but my wife insists I ask you to make her Governor." The Fish said: "Go then, that's who you will find her"
And when he got home he found her in great mansion, with lots of secretary and clerks running here and there. She was rehearsing a speech on the environment. But she wasn't happy. "I sent you to ask the fish to make me Govenor - but I ought to be President, don't you think? You go back and ask that fish to put me in the White House!" "[Insert here a list of the current hopefuls]? I could even see Pat Paulsen, but you???!! (She hit him.) Well, this went on all week - it was white house this and Mrs. President that, nag, nag, so finally the poor Fisherman went back to his fishing hole on creek - the water was no longer flowing it was brown and smelled awful. He called out to the fish. "Fishy fishy, in the creek, My wife's been nagging at me all week. She says she doesn't want a lot, but she's not happy with what we got." The fish answered "What now does she need - to satisfy her greed?" "I don't want anything, but my wife insists you make her President." The Fish said: "Go then, that's who she is"
And when he got home he found her in White house. Complaining about congress, and the weather. The sun hadn't shined for her inauguration. She wasn't happy. "Imagine the sun didn't shine - if only I could make it rise and set, when I command it." "Only God can do that" Said the poor man. "That's right" She said. "Go tell that fish to make me God." Well, this went on all week - it was sunrise this and sunset that, nag, nag, so finally the poor Fisherman went back to his fishing hole on creek - the creek was gone except for puddles of Purple and green with chemicals and black with sludge. Everything was dead around it. He called out to the fish. "Fishy fishy, in the creek, My wife's been nagging at me all week. She says she doesn't want a lot, but she's not happy with what we got." The fish answered "What now?" "I don't want anything, but my wife insists you make her God." The Fish said: "Greed knows no limits, but only God can be God - Go home you'll find her where she belongs." And when he got home he found her in their tarpaper shack complaining about everything still. But the polluted and ruined creek never did recover. |
This folk tale was first written down by the Brothers Grimm. It has been retold many times - most notably by Wanda Gag in her book: Twice Told Tales. I did my own version as a story-skit that I and my family did together - my son was the fisherman, my daughter, his wife - my wife played the fish and I, the narrator. Stories are adaptable to all sorts of presentations.
In learning this tale
There is a simple repeated structure. Note the repeated refrains: "Fishy fishy..." "This went on all week...", etc. While I used some variation, a teller wanting a simpler tale could keep them all the same. The Repitition makes this an easy tale for a beginner to tell.
The story is about greed
. Greed that turns into idolatry - the deification of self. The story is also about the misuse of power and the exploitation of our environment. The progressive gradual destruction of the creek as the wife makes more and more demands was pictured in the increasing storms of the ocean in the Grimm version - my version highlights this by using instead a creek. The ending is a warning - the creek never did recover!
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