Listen to “The Fisherman and His Wife” on Spreaker.

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The Fisherman and His Wife

Long ago, in a quiet village by the sea, lived a kind fisherman and his wife. They didn’t have much, but they were happy in their little cottage. Every morning, the fisherman went out to catch fish. Every evening, he came home with dinner and a smile.

One sunny morning, as the fisherman pulled in his net, he found something amazing—a shiny, sparkling fish with rainbow scales!

“Please let me go,” said the fish. “I am a magical fish, and I will grant you a wish if you set me free!”

The fisherman, surprised but kind, gently placed the fish back into the sea.

“Thank you!” said the fish. “If you or your wife ever need anything, just call my name.”

The fisherman ran home to tell his wife the exciting news. She gasped. “A magic fish? Let’s make a wish!”

“But we’re doing fine,” said the fisherman. “Maybe we should wait.”

A few days later, the wife looked around their small cottage. “It’s too tiny,” she said. “I wish we had a bigger house.”

So the fisherman stood by the shore and called:

“Fish of the sea, so wild and free,
My wife wants a home as big as can be!”

Suddenly—poof!—their little cottage turned into a lovely big house. The wife clapped her hands with joy.

But soon, she wanted more.

“I want a palace!” she said.

The fisherman sighed but went to the sea and called again:

“Fish of the sea, so wild and free,
My wife wants a palace, as grand as can be!”

Poof! They now lived in a golden palace with fountains, gardens, and helpers.

But the wife wasn’t done.

“I want to be queen,” she said.

Then she wanted to rule the sky.

Then she wanted to rule the sea.

The fisherman, now tired and sad, stood once more by the sea.

“Fish of the sea, so wild and free,
My wife wants to rule all—land, sky, and sea.”

Suddenly, the sky grew dark. The wind blew wild. Then—poof!—everything was gone.

No palace. No gold. Just their little cottage by the sea.

The wife sat down, quiet at last. The fisherman smiled gently.

“We had everything we needed all along,” he said.

From that day on, they lived simply, shared more smiles, and never asked the fish for anything again.

The end.

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Follow-Up Questions:

• Why did the magical fish take away everything in the end?
• How did the wife’s wishes make the fisherman feel, and why?
• What does this story teach us about being thankful for what we have?