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The Fisherman and His Wife is a classic fable by The Brothers Grimm. The story revolves around a humble fisherman and his greedy wife. Upon catching a magical fish, the fisherman releases it after it pleads for its life and reveals that it's an enchanted prince. Grateful, the fish grants the fisherman wishes to placate his wife. However, as his wife continually demands more lavish and grandiose gifts, they learn the dark consequences of greed and dissatisfaction with one's life. The tale reinforces the timeless message that one's happiness can never be satisfied by material wealth alone.


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Submitted by davidb on September 20, 2023


								
and attendants in a row, each one smaller than the other, from the tallest giant down to a little dwarf no bigger than my finger. And before her stood princes, and dukes, and earls: and the fisherman went up to her and said, ‘Wife, are you emperor?’ ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘I am emperor.’ ‘Ah!’ said the man, as he gazed upon her, ‘what a fine thing it is to be emperor!’ ‘Husband,’ said she, ‘why should we stop at being emperor? I will be pope next.’ ‘O wife, wife!’ said he, ‘how can you be pope? there is but one pope at a time in Christendom.’ ‘Husband,’ said she, ‘I will be pope this very day.’ ‘But,’ replied the husband, ‘the fish cannot make you pope.’ ‘What nonsense!’ said she; ‘if he can make an emperor, he can make a pope: go and try him.’ So the fisherman went. But when he came to the shore the wind was raging and the sea was tossed up and down in boiling waves, and the ships were in trouble, and rolled fearfully upon the tops of the billows. In the middle of the heavens there was a little piece of blue sky, but towards the south all was red, as if a dreadful storm was rising. At this sight the fisherman was dreadfully frightened, and he trembled so that his knees knocked together: but still he went down near to the shore, and said: ‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’ ‘What does she want now?’ said the fish. ‘Ah!’ said the fisherman, ‘my wife wants to be pope.’ ‘Go home,’ said the fish; ‘she is pope already.’ Then the fisherman went home, and found Ilsabill sitting on a throne that was two miles high. And she had three great crowns on her head, and around her stood all the pomp and power of the Church. And on each side of her were two rows of burning lights, of all sizes, the greatest as large as the highest and biggest tower in the world, and the least no larger than a small rushlight. ‘Wife,’ said the fisherman, as he looked at all this greatness, ‘are you pope?’ ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘I am pope.’ ‘Well, wife,’ replied he, ‘it is a grand thing to be pope; and now you must be easy, for you can be nothing greater.’ ‘I will think about that,’ said the wife. Then they went to bed: but Dame Ilsabill could not sleep all night for thinking what she should be next. At last, as she was dropping asleep, morning broke, and the sun rose. ‘Ha!’ thought she, as she woke up and looked at it through the window, ‘after all I cannot prevent the sun rising.’ At this thought she was very angry, and wakened her husband, and said, ‘Husband, go to the fish and tell him I must be lord of the sun and moon.’ The fisherman was half asleep, but the thought frightened him so much that he started and fell out of bed. ‘Alas, wife!’ said he, ‘cannot you be easy with being pope?’ ‘No,’ said she, ‘I am very uneasy as long as the sun and moon rise without my leave. Go to the fish at once!’ Then the man went shivering with fear; and as he was going down to the shore a dreadful storm arose, so that the trees and the very rocks shook. And all the heavens became black with stormy clouds, and the lightnings played, and the thunders rolled; and you might have seen in the sea great black waves, swelling up like mountains with crowns of white foam upon their heads. And the fisherman crept towards the sea, and cried out, as well as he could: ‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’ ‘What does she want now?’ said the fish. ‘Ah!’ said he, ‘she wants to be lord of the sun and moon.’ ‘Go home,’ said the fish, ‘to your pigsty again.’ And there they live to this very day.
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The Brothers Grimm

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were German brothers renowned for their significant contributions to folklore and literature. Together, they are best known for collecting and publishing a vast array of traditional folktales and legends, a collection that became known as "Grimm's Fairy Tales." Their work in collecting and preserving these stories, often with moral lessons and fantastical elements, has had a profound impact on global literature and popular culture. The Grimms' dedication to linguistics and philology also played a crucial role in the development of the German language. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were scholars and linguists who collaborated on various linguistic studies and dictionaries, contributing significantly to the study of the German language's history and evolution. Their legacy extends beyond their native Germany, as their fairy tales, which include beloved stories like "Cinderella," "Snow White," and "Hansel and Gretel," have been translated into numerous languages and continue to enchant readers of all ages worldwide. more…

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