The Magic Silver Fish
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time, in Spain, there lived a fisherman named Pedro. He was very poor and lived with his wife in a small wooden hut close to the seashore. Pedro worked diligently to make a living and was quite happy, but his wife grumbled all day long about their poverty and the terrible home they shared. “You must do better at your work,” she told Pedro one morning. “You must catch more fish to sell in the market. Then perhaps we can move from this wooden hut to a cottage made of stone. I’m sure we could do it if only you weren’t so lazy.”
The Fishing Challenge
The fisherman sighed. He was not lazy at all. From dawn until dusk, he stood on the rocks, casting his line into the sea until his arms ached. The trouble was that there were very few fish to be caught along that part of the coast.
A Magical Encounter
On that day, however, after his wife’s complaints had reached a peak, Pedro threw out his line and, to his astonishment, caught a fish so immense that the rod bent under its weight. The fish struggled to escape, and the fisherman fought even harder to bring it to shore. At last, he succeeded and was surprised to discover that the great fish was completely silver in colour, from its mouth to the tip of its tail.
Even more astonishing was the fact that the fish could speak. “Be kind, fisherman Pedro, I beg of you,” said the fish. “Please let me go, and in return, I promise to grant you a great reward because I am a magic silverfish.”
A Wish Granted
At first, Pedro thought of keeping the splendid catch, but after the silverfish pleaded once more, he unhooked it and gently pushed it back into the sea, where it quickly swam out of sight.
When Pedro returned home, he told his wife about his strange adventure. Upon hearing that the fish could grant wishes, she exclaimed in a shrill voice, “You silly, foolish man! Go back to the seashore at once and ask the fish for a house instead of this wooden hut.”
From Hut to House
Pedro returned and spoke to the silverfish. “That is not a very big thing to wish for,” it said. “Return home, and you will see some of my magic.”
When he reached home, Pedro was delighted to see his wife sitting at the front door of a pleasant-looking house.
More Greed, More Wishes
For a few days, she was satisfied with her new home, but one morning, she began to grumble again. “This is not enough,” she told her husband. “What I wanted was a castle and servants to work for me. Tell the big fish so.”
Poor Pedro had to return to the shore, call the fish, and explain his wife’s new wish. The magic silverfish waved one of its fins and replied, “Your wish is granted, fisherman Pedro. Return home and you will see.”
Living in a Palace
When Pedro returned, he found his wife taking a stroll in the beautiful grounds of a splendid castle, with tame peacocks fluttering around her.
By the next day, his wife grew tired of the castle and demanded Pedro visit the silverfish again, insisting that she be made a queen in a royal palace. The fish agreed, saying, “Very well, your wish is granted. Go back and see.”
Upon returning, Pedro discovered an even grander palace with turrets and towers. In the grand hall, he found his wife sitting on a golden throne.
The Quest for Power
Pedro hoped that she would be satisfied, but he was mistaken. By the afternoon, she was grumbling once more. “Now I want to be the Empress of all the world,” she declared.
Pledging to fulfil yet another wish, Pedro returned to the silverfish and explained his wife’s desire to be Empress of the world. “Very well,” said the fish. “Your wife’s wish will be granted. Go back and see.”
A Lesson Learned
Now, Pedro beheld an even larger palace built of precious marble, with a roof of solid gold. Upon entering, he found his wife sitting on a towering golden throne, adorned in a dress covered with diamonds and pearls, conversing with a crowd of cheerful princes and dukes.
As the new Empress of the world basked in her status, she was soon dissatisfied once more. The following morning, upon gazing out the window, she grumbled, “What a horrid day! Look how ugly and cloudy the sky is. It makes me feel miserable. Go to the fish at once and say that I want to be the most important person in Heaven, so I can make the sun shine whenever I wish.”
The Final Wish
As she finished speaking, a frightening storm erupted. Rain, sleet, and snow lashed down from the sky, while trees bowed under the ferocity of the howling wind, causing even the rocks to tremble in the crashing waves.
Despite the tumultuous weather, Pedro made his way to the seashore. He found the fish and explained his wife’s request. “Go home and you will find that she has been given a true reward,” replied the magic silverfish. With a swift flick of its tail, it vanished into the stormy sea.
Back to Reality
When Pedro returned, he discovered that the magnificent palace had vanished. His wife, now dressed in tattered clothes, sat on a stool in front of their old wooden hut.
Because of her greed, she had returned to her original state. However, the magic silverfish had done Pedro a favour, for his wife never grumbled again.