𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗘

The fisherman and his wife lived on a cliff near the great sea. He was happy with his humble life, but he knew well that the wife was not. She was always angry. When he caught two fishes, his wife asked for three. If he got her mangoes, she would ask for peaches.

"Oh dear, what could i do to make you happy?"
"Get me out of this stinky hut! I will be happy then."

One day, the fisherman catched a fish, which claimed as an enchanted prince, and beg to be set free. The husband was excited to tell his wife about the flounder. When his wife heard the story,

"What? You caught an enchanted fish, and let it go just like that? You could ask for a better house at least. You, spared his life. He can do this much for you. Go back, and ask for a cottage!."

The husband was hesitant. But he went back to the sea.

"Magic fish! Can you hear me?"
The flounder came to the surface in no time.
"My wife is not happy."
"What does she want?"
"She wants a cottage."
"Go back. She already has it."

The fisherman went back and saw that his wife was standing at the wooden door of a beautiful cottage. The cottage was well kept and clean.

"Honey, look. This house is so much bigger and cleaner."
"Yes. This is nice, isn't it? Are you happy now? Can we life here forever?'
"Forever? Hmm. No! I want a palace. And i want to become a queen. Go to the flounder and ask him to give us a palace."

The husband hesitantly walked towards the sea. He met the flounder, and it granted the wife's wish. When the husband went back. The cottage was gone. Instead, there stood a tall palace with big brass doors. He saw his wife sitting on a throne.

"You are a queen now! This is nice isn't it? Are you happy now?"
Yes. I am a queen. But, being the queen is not enough! I want to become the emperor. Go to that fish and make me the emperor!"

The fisherman returned to the sea. And the flounder granted the wife's wish again. Then he walked back home. As he reached the palace, there were now golden doors in place of the big brass ones, the house had grown even bigger. Inside, his wife sat on a golden throne.

"Dear, you really are the emperor now! Are you happy?"
"Oh, i don't know that. We will see. We have had a long day. We must go to sleep."

The fisherman was scared that the wife would make another demand. But he was tired from running the entire day. He fell into deep sleep the moment he lied down. But the wife couldn't sleep. She sat up thinking what could make her happy. A week passed. Everyday the fisherman prayed to make his wife happy. But every night the wife sat on the bed looking at the moon and stars. Finally one night, she grew tired of thinking and wanted to rest. But,

"What? It is morning already! How dare the sun rose now? Doesn't it know that i didn't slept in a week? Husband! Wake up! I want to control the sun and the moon! I don't want them to move without my permission! I want to become the Almighty! The unknown!"
"What!! Please, stop this. I can't go back and risk our lives."
"You won't risk our lives. I will own both of our lives. Nothing will ever touch us. Go to the fish and make me the Almighty!"
"No, dear. You don't know what you're asking for!"
"I can't take this anymore. If you don't leave now then i will be very upset."

The fisherman wanted to see his wife happy. But he knew this was wrong.

"Magic fish! Can you hear me?"
"Fish, my wife is still not happy."
"What does she want?"
"She want to become the Almighty. The unknown."
"Go back. She already has it."

The fisherman ran back with full speed. When he reached the palace, he realised that his wife was gone. She was nowhere to be found. He searched and searched. He ran back to the sea.

"Magic fish, oh, magic fish! Can you hear me? Please, come back."

The magic fish came to the surface.

"What did you do to my wife?"
"I granted her wish. She wanted to be the Almighty, the Unknown. That's what she is. Nobody has seen the Almighty. She is now unknown. To everyone."
"No, please, give her back to me."
"I cannot undo a wish, fisherman!"
"Wait, i know. Up till now I only asked for my wife. You granted all her wishes. But i am the one who saved your life. Grant me my wish."
"Mmm, you are right. What do you want?"
"I want my wife to be happy."
"Go back, friend. She already has everything she needs to be happy."

The husband hurried back home. He was suprised. He saw his wife standing at the door of his small hut. But it wasn't stinky anymore. He ran towards his wife.

"Oh, you are back! You are back."
"Yes, dear. I have realised that palace and thrones cannot but happiness. Let's go home now."

From that day on, the fisherman and his wife never went hungry for a single day. The wife realised that happiness lies in the simplest of things. And they lived happily ever after.

QUESTIONS 📝

1. "She wants a cottage." said the fisherman. Turn this direct sentence into an indirect sentence!
a. The fisherman said that his wife wanted a cottage.
b. The fisherman said that his wife wants a cottage
c. The fisherman asked that he want a cottage
d. The fisherman says that she wants a cottage

2. What is the character of the fisherman's wife?
a. Kind
b. Diligent
c. Greedy
d. Wise

3. The husband hesitantly walked towards the sea.
The underlined word means?
a. imprudently
b. unadvisedly
c. unsurely
d. dynamically

4. He met the flounder and it granted his wife's wish.
The underlined word refers to?
a. Flounder
b. Fisherman
c. Fisherman's wife
d. Flounder's wife

5. What is the moral lesson in this story?
a. Always asking for more if we have a chance
b. Don't catch a fish
c. Do anything that our dearest person asked
d. Happiness lies in the simplest of things