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Long ago, an old man and his wife lived upon an island in the middle of the sea. They were so poor that they were often without food.
One day the man had been fishing for many hours, but without any success. At last he caught a small golden fish, with eyes as bright as diamonds.
“Put me back into the sea, kind man,” cried the little fish, “I am so small that I would not make a meal for you.”
The old man felt so sorry for the little fish that he threw him back into the sea. As the golden fish swam away he called out,“If ever you need anything, call to me. I will come at once to help you. I will do this because you were kind to me.”
The fisherman laughed, for he did not believe that a fish could help him. When he went home, he told his wife what a wonderful fish he had caught.
“What!” she cried, “You put him back into the sea after you had caught him? How foolish you were! We have no food in the house, and now, I suppose, we must starve!”
She scolded him so much that at last the poor man went back to the sea. He did not really believe that the fish would help him, but he thought it would do no harm to find out.“Golden fish, golden fish!” he called, “Come to me, I pray.”
As the last word was spoken, the wonderful fish popped his head out of the water.
“I have kept my promise, you see,” said the fish, “What can I do for you, my good friend?”
“There is no food in the house,” answered the old man, “and my wife is very angry with me for putting you back into the sea.”
“Do not be troubled,” said the golden fish, “Go home. You will find food, and to spare.”
The old man hurried home to see if his little friend had spoken the truth. He found the oven full of fine white loaves of bread!
“I did not do so badly for you, after all, good wife.” said the fisherman, as they ate their supper.
But his wife was not satisfied yet. The more she had, the more she wanted. All that night she lay awake, planning other things to ask of the golden fish. “Wake up, you lazy man!” she cried to her husband, early in the morning. “Go down to the sea and tell your fish that I must have a new wash-tub.”
The old man did as his wife bade him. The moment he called, the fish came, and seemed quite willing to do as he was asked. When the fisherman returned to his home, he saw there a new wash-tub!
“Why didn’t you ask for a new house, too?” his wife asked,angrily. “If you had asked for a fine house, he would have given it to us. Go back and say that we must have a new house.”
The fisherman did not like to trouble his friend again so soon; but when he went, he found the golden fish as willing to help him as before.
“Very well,” said the fish, “A new house you shall have.”When the old man went back to his wife, he found a beautiful house instead of his little hut!
It would have pleased him greatly if his wife had been contented now. But she was a foolish woman, and even yet was not satisfied. “Tell your golden fish,” she said the next day, “that I want to live in a palace. I want a great many servants to wait upon me, and a splendid carriage to ride in.”
Once more her wish was granted. After this, the poor fisherman’s life was even more unhappy than before; for his wife would not allow him to share her palace, but made him live in the stable.
“At any rate,” he said to himself, “I have peace here.” But before long she sent for him again.
“Go down to the sea, and call the golden fish,” she commanded,“Tell him I wish to be Queen of the Waters and to rule over all the fishes in the sea.”
The poor old man thought that he would be sorry for the fishes if she ever ruled over them; for riches had quite spoiled her. Still, he did not dare to disobey her, so once more he called his good friend.
When the golden fish heard what the fisherman’s wife wanted this time, he cried out, “Make your wife the Queen of the Waters! Never! She is not fit to rule others, for she cannot rule herself. Go home! You will see me no more.”
The old man went sorrowfully home, and found the palace changed to a hut. His wife was no longer dressed in rich garments; she was wearing the simple dress of a fisherman’s wife. But she was now quiet and mild, and much easier to live with than she had been before.
“After all,” thought the fisherman, “I am not sorry that the palace became a hut again.”
He worked hard to make a living for himself and his wife,and somehow his hooks were never empty, so that the old couple always had food. Sometimes when he drew in a fish,the sun would gleam upon its scales. Then the old man would think of his little friend who had been so kind to him. But he never saw the golden fish again.
(Russian Tale )
starve : to die from eating no food
harm : to hurt
disobey : to not do what one is told to do
garments : clothes
gleam : to shine
A) Answer the following questions.
1) How do we know that the fisherman was kind-hearted
2) Why did the fisherman’s wife scold him when he returned from fishing
3) How did the fish pay the fisherman for his kindnes
4) What had the fisherman’s wife done that made the fish think she wa not fit to rule others
5) Why was the fisherman glad when the palace became a hut agai?
B) What is your wish? If you caught a fish that could make your greatest wish come true, what would it be? Explain what you would wish for in about five sentences
C) What’s the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.
1) a place where a king lives-p _ _ _ _ _
2) a very small house-h _ _
3) the evening meal, dinner-s _ _ _ _ _
4) similar to yellow-g _ _ _ _ _
5) another word for clothes-g _ _ _ _ _ _ _