The Fisherman’s Wife – A Tale of Greed and Humility

Once upon a time, in a small, forgotten corner of the world, there lived a poor fisherman named Hakan and his wife, Greta. This, however, is not just a tale about the fisherman — no, this is Greta’s story, and she’s here to tell it herself.

Hello there, dear reader! I’m Greta, and today I’ll share with you the peculiar and, well, somewhat embarrassing story of how my life took some rather strange twists and turns — all because of a talking fish, a few wishes, and, admittedly, a little bit of greed on my part.

You see, Hakan and I were very poor. We lived in a miserable, damp ditch that always smelled of wet earth and mildew. No matter how hard I tried to clean, the dirt was everywhere — in our clothes, on our beds, even in our food. I detested it.

One day, when Hakan came home from fishing, I asked the usual question, “What did you catch today?”

He sighed and said, “Nothing much… except a talking flounder.”

“A talking flounder?” I raised an eyebrow. “What did it say?”

Hakan chuckled. “It told me that it was once a prince who had been turned into a fish. It said it wouldn’t taste good and begged me to let it go. So, I did.”

I stared at him, incredulous. “You let it go — just like that? Without asking for anything?”

“What could I possibly wish for?” he replied, scratching his head.

“Well, for starters, perhaps a nice, cozy cottage so we wouldn’t have to rot in this dreadful ditch?” I snapped.

He shrugged but the next morning, off he went to the sea. He called out to the fish, and wouldn’t you know — by the time he returned, our filthy ditch had transformed into a small but charming cottage. Clean walls, a tidy hearth, and an actual roof over our heads — it was glorious!

I was happy. At least, for a while.

After a week of comfort, though, a nagging thought stirred inside me. Was this little cottage the best I could wish for? I began craving more — more space, more grandeur. So, I told Hakan, “Go back to the fish. Tell it I want to be a queen.”

Hakan sighed, “But I don’t want to be king, Greta.”

“Then tell it that I want to be queen!” I demanded.

Reluctantly, off he went, and sure enough, I was soon the Queen, reigning over lands I had only dreamed of. I had guards, handmaidens, gold and silk. But when Hakan came home, the guards didn’t recognize him. I had to send a maid to fetch him — it was irritating, but I had no time to fuss.

But soon, even being Queen wasn’t enough. I wanted more. “Go tell the fish I want to be Emperor!” I ordered.

Hakan hesitated, “Greta, aren’t you happy being Queen?”

“No! I want more power, more riches!” I snapped.

So he went, and I became the Emperor. My castle was even grander, my servants multiplied, and my treasures were beyond counting. Yet… the satisfaction was fleeting.

A week later, I grew restless again. “I want to be the Lord of the Sun and Moon,” I declared.

This time, Hakan didn’t even argue. He went to the sea without a word. I waited, anticipating the change that would make me ruler of the heavens.

But instead of ascending to the skies, I found myself back in that filthy, smelly ditch. My fine clothes gone, my castle vanished. The air was damp and cold once again.

Hakan returned, his eyes tired. “Greta, you might as well be content now. We’re back where we started, and I doubt we’ll ever be anything else.”

I sighed. It wasn’t the ending I had hoped for, but maybe — just maybe — I had asked for too much. I could have been content with a cottage, a crown, or even a simple life. But greed has a way of turning gold to dust.

So here we are — still in the ditch. But I’ve learned my lesson. Sometimes, it’s better to appreciate what you have rather than losing it all chasing more.

Thank you for listening to my tale. Goodbye, dear listener — and remember: be careful what you wish for!

Moral of the Story

Greed can blind us to the blessings we already have. True contentment comes not from endless possessions or power, but from appreciating what life has given us.