--- title: "The Fisherman and His Wife" story_id: "460b8f79-d28b-4714-bd0e-f1d1bbc2f13e" text_id: "2cc42b55-4dbf-468b-9e09-f6fcb729a186" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 1 part_count: 1 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # The Fisherman and His Wife > OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits. > [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife) Version: Modernized In this German tale from the Brothers Grimm, a poor fisherman and his wife live in a tiny, dirty hut by the sea. One day he catches a talking fish that says it is an enchanted prince. The fisherman lets him go. His wife sends him back to ask the fish for a small cottage. But a cottage is only the first thing she wants, and each time the fisherman returns to the sea, the water looks different. **Content warning:** A caught fish leaves a trail of blood, and a violent storm frightens the fisherman. Once upon a time there was a Fisherman who lived with his wife in a miserable hut close by the sea, and every day he went out fishing. One day, as he sat with his fishing rod, looking at the clear water, his line suddenly went down, far down below. When he pulled it up again, he brought out a large Flounder. Then the Flounder said to him, “Listen, Fisherman, please let me live. I am not really a Flounder, but an enchanted prince. What good will it do you to kill me? I would not be good to eat. Put me back in the water and let me go.” “Come,” said the Fisherman, “there is no need for so many words about it—I would certainly let a talking fish go, anyhow.” With that he put him back again into the clear water, and the Flounder went to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the Fisherman got up and went home to his wife in the hut. “Husband,” said the woman, “have you caught nothing today?” “No,” said the man, “I did catch a Flounder who said he was an enchanted prince. So I let him go again.” “Did you not wish for anything first?” said the woman. “No,” said the man; “what would I wish for?” “Ah,” said the woman, “it is certainly hard to have to live in this dirty hut all the time. You could have wished for a small cottage for us. Go back and call him. Tell him we want a small cottage. He will certainly give us that.” “Ah,” said the man, “why should I go there again?” “Why,” said the woman, “you did catch him, and you let him go again. He is sure to do it. Go at once.” The man was still reluctant to go, but he did not like to oppose his wife. So he went to the sea. When he got there the sea was all green and yellow, and no longer so smooth; so he stood still and said, “Flounder, flounder in the sea, Please swim over here to me; For my wife, good Ilsabil, Wants her way against my will.” Then the Flounder came swimming to him and said, “Well what does she want, then?” “Ah,” said the man, “I did catch you, and my wife says I really should have wished for something. She does not want to live in a wretched hut any longer. She would like to have a cottage.” “Go, then,” said the Flounder, “she has it already.” When the man went home, his wife was no longer in the hut. In its place stood a small cottage, and she was sitting on a bench in front of the door. Then she took him by the hand and said to him, “Just come inside, look, now isn’t this a great deal better?” So they went in. There was a small porch, a pretty little parlor and bedroom, and a kitchen and pantry, a room for storing food. The cottage had the best furniture and the most beautiful things made of tin and brass—everything they needed. Behind the cottage was a small yard with hens and ducks, and a little garden with flowers and fruit. “Look,” said the wife, “is not that nice!” “Yes,” said the husband, “and we must always remember that. Now we will live quite contentedly.” “We will think about that,” said the wife. With that they ate something and went to bed. Everything went well for a week or two, and then the woman said, “Listen, husband, this cottage is far too small for us, and the garden and yard are little; the Flounder could just as well have given us a larger house. I would like to live in a great stone castle. Go to the Flounder and tell him to give us a castle.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “the cottage is quite good enough. Why should we live in a castle?” “What!” said the woman; “just go there, the Flounder can always do that.” “No, wife,” said the man, “the Flounder has just given us the cottage. I do not want to go back so soon. It might make him angry.” “Go,” said the woman, “he can do it quite easily and will be glad to do it. Just you go to him.” The man’s heart grew heavy, and he would not go. He said to himself, “It is not right,” and yet he went. When he reached the sea, the water was purple and dark blue, and grey and thick. It was no longer so green and yellow, but it was still quiet. And he stood there and said— “Flounder, flounder in the sea, Please swim over here to me; For my wife, good Ilsabil, Wants her way against my will.” “Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, half scared, “she wants to live in a great stone castle.” “Go to it, then, she is standing in front of the door,” said the Flounder. Then the man set off for home. When he got there, he found a great stone palace. His wife was standing on the steps, about to go in. She took him by the hand and said, “Come in.” He went in with her. Inside the castle was a great hall paved with marble, and many servants flung the doors wide open. The walls shone with beautiful hangings. The rooms held chairs and tables of pure gold, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Every room and bedroom had carpets, and the finest food and wine weighed down the tables so heavily that they nearly collapsed. Behind the house was a great courtyard, with stables for horses and cows, and the very best carriages. There was also a magnificent large garden with the most beautiful flowers and fruit trees, and a park a full half-mile long, with stags, deer and hares—everything they could wish for. “Come,” said the woman, “isn’t that beautiful?” “Yes, indeed,” said the man, “now leave things as they are. We will live in this beautiful castle and be content.” “We will think about that,” said the woman, “and sleep on it.” Then they went to bed. The next morning, the wife woke first. It was just daybreak, and from her bed she saw the beautiful countryside stretching out before her. Her husband was still stretching himself, so she poked him in the side with her elbow, and said, “Get up, husband, and just look out of the window. Look, couldn't we be King over all that land? Go to the Flounder. We will be the King.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “why should we be King? I do not want to be King.” “Well,” said the wife, “if you won’t be King, I will; go to the Flounder, for I will be King.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “why do you want to be King? I do not want to say that to him.” “Why not?” said the woman; “go to him this instant. I must be King!” So the man went, and was quite unhappy because his wife wished to be King. “It is not right; it is not right,” thought he. He did not wish to go, but yet he went. And when he came to the sea, it was quite dark-grey, and the water heaved up from below, and smelt rotten. Then he went and stood by it, and said, “Flounder, flounder in the sea, Please swim over here to me; For my wife, good Ilsabil, Wants her way against my will.” “Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, “she wants to be King.” “Go to her; she is King already.” So the man went. When he reached the palace, the castle had grown much larger. It had a great tower and magnificent ornaments. A guard stood in front of the door, with many soldiers with kettle-drums and trumpets. When he went inside, everything was made of real marble and gold, with velvet covers and great golden tassels. Then the hall doors opened, revealing the court in all its splendour. His wife sat on a high throne of gold and diamonds, wearing a great golden crown and holding a sceptre of pure gold and jewels. On each side stood a row of her ladies-in-waiting, each one a head shorter than the last. Then he went and stood before her, and said, “Ah, wife, and now you are King.” “Yes,” said the woman, “now I am King.” He stood and looked at her. After some time, he said, “And now that you are King, leave things as they are. Now we will wish for nothing more.” “No, husband,” said the woman, quite anxiously, “Time drags so slowly that I cannot bear it any longer; go to the Flounder—I am King, but I must be Emperor, too.” “Alas, wife, why do you wish to be Emperor?” “Husband,” said she, “go to the Flounder. I will be Emperor.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, “he cannot make you Emperor; I must not ask the fish for that. There is only one Emperor in the land. The Flounder cannot make you an Emperor! I assure you he cannot.” “What!” said the woman, “I am the King, and you are nothing but my husband; will you go this moment? Go at once! If he can make a King he can make an emperor. I will be Emperor; go this instant.” So he was forced to go. As the man went, however, he was troubled and thought to himself, “It will not end well; it will not end well! Asking to be Emperor is too shameless! The Flounder will finally lose patience.” He reached the sea, which was quite black and thick. It began to boil up from below, throwing up bubbles. A sharp wind blew over it so that the water curdled, and the man was afraid. Then he went and stood by it, and said, “Flounder, flounder in the sea, Please swim over here to me; For my wife, good Ilsabil, Wants her way against my will.” “Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas, Flounder,” said he, “my wife wants to be Emperor.” “Go to her,” said the Flounder; “she is Emperor already.” So the man went. When he got there, the whole palace was made of polished marble, with alabaster figures and golden ornaments. Soldiers marched in front of the door, blowing trumpets and beating cymbals and drums. Inside, barons, counts and dukes went about as servants. Then they opened the doors for him. The doors were made of pure gold. When he entered, his wife sat on a throne made from a single piece of gold, a full two miles high. She wore a great golden crown three yards high, set with diamonds and red gemstones. In one hand she held the sceptre, and in the other the imperial orb, a ball that symbolised her power. Guards stood in two rows beside her, each shorter than the one before, from the biggest giant, two miles tall, to the tiniest dwarf, just as big as my little finger. In front of the throne stood a number of princes and dukes. Then the man went and stood among them, and said, “Wife, are you Emperor now?” “Yes,” said she, “now I am Emperor.” He stood and looked closely at her. After some time, he said, “Ah, wife, be content, now that you are Emperor.” “Husband,” said she, “why are you standing there? Now, I am Emperor, but I will be Pope too; go to the Flounder.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, “is there nothing you will not wish for? You cannot be Pope. There is only one in the Christian world. He cannot make you Pope.” “Husband,” said she, “I will be Pope; go immediately, I must be Pope this very day.” “No, wife,” said the man, “I do not want to ask him for that. It would not do. It is too much. The Flounder can’t make you Pope.” “Husband,” said she, “what nonsense! If he can make an emperor he can make a pope. Go to him at once. I am Emperor, and you are nothing but my husband; will you go at once?” Then he went in fear. But he felt faint, shivered and shook, and his knees and legs trembled. A high wind blew over the land, and the clouds flew. Towards evening, everything grew dark. Leaves fell from the trees. The water rose and roared as if it were boiling, splashing onto the shore. And in the distance he saw ships firing guns to signal their distress, pitching and tossing on the waves. Yet in the middle of the sky there was still a small patch of blue, though all around it the sky was as red as in a heavy storm. So, full of despair, he went and stood by the sea, very afraid, and said, “Flounder, flounder in the sea, Please swim over here to me; For my wife, good Ilsabil, Wants her way against my will.” “Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, “she wants to be Pope.” “Go to her then,” said the Flounder; “she is Pope already.” So he went, and when he got there, he saw what seemed to be a large church surrounded by palaces. He pushed his way through the crowd. Inside, thousands and thousands of candles lit everything up. His wife was dressed in gold and sat on an even higher throne, wearing three great golden crowns, surrounded by the splendour of the church. On each side stood a row of candles, from one as tall as the tallest tower down to the smallest kitchen candle. All the emperors and kings knelt before her, kissing her shoe. “Wife,” said the man, looking closely at her, “are you now Pope?” “Yes,” said she, “I am Pope.” He stood and looked at her. It was just as if he were looking at the bright sun. After standing and looking at her for a short time, he said, “Ah, wife, if you are Pope, do leave well enough alone!” But she looked as stiff as a post, and did not move or show any signs of life. Then he said, “Wife, now that you are Pope, be satisfied, you cannot become anything greater now.” “I will think about that,” said the woman. Then they both went to bed. But she was not satisfied. Her greed kept her awake, for she was always thinking about what there was left for her to be. The man slept well and soundly, for he had run about a great deal during the day. But the woman could not fall asleep at all. She tossed from side to side all night, always thinking about what more was left for her to be, but unable to think of anything else. At length the sun began to rise, and when the woman saw the red of dawn, she sat up in bed and looked at it. When she saw the sun rising through the window, she said, “Cannot I, too, order the sun and moon to rise?” “Husband,” she said, poking him in the ribs with her elbows, “wake up! Go to the Flounder, for I wish to be just like God.” The man was still half asleep, but he was so horrified that he fell out of bed. He thought he must have misheard. He rubbed his eyes and said, “Alas, wife, what are you saying?” “Husband,” said she, “if I can’t order the sun and moon to rise, but have to stand by and watch them rising, I can’t bear it. I shall never have another happy hour, unless I can make them rise myself.” She gave him such a terrible look that he shuddered. Then she said, “Go at once; I wish to be like God.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, falling on his knees before her, “the Flounder cannot do that. He can make an emperor and a pope. I beg you, stay as you are and be Pope.” Then she fell into a rage, and her hair flew wildly about her head, and she cried, “I will not endure this, I’ll not bear it any longer; will you go?” Then he put on his trousers and ran away like a madman. But outside a great storm was raging, and blowing so hard that he could scarcely keep his feet. Houses and trees toppled over, the mountains trembled, rocks rolled into the sea, the sky was pitch black, and thunder boomed and lightning flashed. The sea came in with black waves as high as church-towers and mountains, all with crests of white foam at the top. Then he cried, but could not hear his own words, “Flounder, flounder in the sea, Please swim over here to me; For my wife, good Ilsabil, Wants her way against my will.” ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/cf98fa4a-ea21-45ba-ba64-f6f7fe430b78) “Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said he, “she wants to be like God.” “Go to her, and you will find her back again in the dirty hut.” And there they still live to this day. ## Modernization notes - With that he reached the sea, and the sea was quite black and thick, and began to boil up from below, so that it threw up bubbles, and such a sharp wind blew over it that it curdled, and the man was afraid. → He reached the sea, which was quite black and thick. It began to boil up from below, throwing up bubbles. A sharp wind blew over it so that the water curdled, and the man was afraid.: Curdled gives the water an unnaturally thick, lumpy appearance, like curdled milk. The modernized wording keeps this image. ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text Grimm’s Fairy Tales, 1914, Cupples & Leon Company, New York - author: Jacob Grimm - author: Wilhelm Grimm - translator: Margaret Hunt ## Illustration [Paul Hey](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/cf98fa4a-ea21-45ba-ba64-f6f7fe430b78) — Der Fischer und seine Frau ## Reading music Songs Without Words, Op. 19b — No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn Benjamin Moser (piano) Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (source) [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) ## Quiz ### Where are an adult winter flounder’s two eyes? - On the same side of its head (Correct answer) - Under its belly - At the tip of its tail This flatfish has both eyes on its right side as an adult. When it first hatched, it had one eye on each side. [NOAA Fisheries — Winter Flounder](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/winter-flounder) ### What creates most waves on the sea’s surface? - Swimming fish - Wind (Correct answer) - Salt Wind transfers energy to the water as it blows across the surface, creating waves. [NOAA — Why does the ocean have waves?](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/wavesinocean.html) ### Which heavenly bodies pull on the oceans and cause tides? - Mars and Jupiter - Distant stars - The Moon and the Sun (Correct answer) The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun causes tides: the sea level regularly rises and falls. [NOAA — What are tides?](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/tides.html) ### Where does much of the sea’s salt come from? - Rocks on land (Correct answer) - Sand turning into sugar - Clouds filled with salt Rain wears down rocks and dissolves salts. Rivers carry some of these salts to the ocean; the seafloor supplies salts too. [NOAA — Why is the ocean salty?](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/whysalty.html) ### Are corals animals, plants or stones? - Plants - Animals (Correct answer) - Stones Corals are animals. Their tiny tentacles catch food from the water. [NOAA — Are corals animals or plants?](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral.html) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife?format=markdown) - [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. [Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)