Go to the blue sea,
Walk there in the open space."
The old man returned to the old woman,
He told her a great miracle.
“Today I caught a fish,
Goldfish, not an ordinary one;
In our opinion, the fish spoke,
I asked to go home to the blue sea,
Bought at a high price:
I bought whatever I wanted.
I did not dare take ransom from her;
So he let her into the blue sea.”
The old woman scolded the old man:
“You fool, you simpleton!
You didn’t know how to take ransom from a fish!
If only you could take the trough from her,
Ours is completely split.”
So he went to the blue sea;
He sees that the sea is playing up a little.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
“Have mercy, lady fish,
My old woman scolded me,
The old man gives me no peace:
She needs a new trough;
Ours is completely split.”
The goldfish answers:
There will be a new trough for you."
The old man returned to the old woman,
The old woman has a new trough.
The old woman scolds even more:
“You fool, you simpleton!
You begged for a trough, you fool!
Is there a lot of self-interest in the trough?
Turn back, fool, you are going to the fish;
Bow to her and beg for a hut.”
So he went to the blue sea,
(The blue sea has become cloudy.)
He began to click on the goldfish,
“What do you want, elder?”
“Have mercy, lady fish!
The old woman scolds even more,
The old man gives me no peace:
A grumpy woman is asking for a hut.”
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God,
So be it: you’ll have a hut.”
He went to his dugout,
And there is no trace of the dugout;
In front of him is a hut with a light,
With a brick, whitewashed pipe,
With oak, plank gates.
The old woman is sitting under the window,
For what it's worth, she scolds her husband.
“You are a fool, you are a simpleton!
The simpleton begged for a hut!
Turn back, bow to the fish:
I don't want to be a black peasant girl
I want to be a high-ranking noblewoman».
The old man went to the blue sea;
(The blue sea is not calm.)
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
The old woman became more foolish than ever,
The old man gives me no peace:
She doesn't want to be a peasant
She wants to be a high-ranking noblewoman.”
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God.”
The old man returned to the old woman.
What does he see? High tower.
His old woman is standing on the porch
In an expensive sable jacket,
Brocade kitty on the crown,
Pearls weighed down the neck,
There are gold rings on my hands,
Red boots on her feet.
Before her are diligent servants;
She beats them and drags them by the chuprun.
The old man says to his old woman:
“Hello, madam, noblewoman!
Tea, now your darling is happy.”
The old woman shouted at him,
She sent him to serve at the stables.
One week goes by, another goes by
The old woman became even more furious:
Again he sends the old man to the fish.
“Turn back, bow to the fish:
I don't want to be a pillar noblewoman,
But I want to be a free queen.”
The old man got scared and prayed:
“What, woman, have you eaten too much henbane?
You can neither step nor speak,
You will make the whole kingdom laugh."
The old woman became even more angry,
She hit her husband on the cheek.
“How dare you, man, argue with me,
With me, a pillar noblewoman? -
Go to the sea, they tell you with honor,
If you don’t go, they will lead you willy-nilly.”
The old man went to the sea,
(The blue sea has turned black.)
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
My old woman is rebelling again:
She doesn't want to be a noblewoman,
She wants to be a free queen."
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God!
Good! the old woman will be a queen!”
The old man returned to the old woman.
Well? before him are the royal chambers.
In the chambers he sees his old woman,
She sits at the table like a queen,
Boyars and nobles serve her,
They pour her foreign wines;
She eats printed gingerbread;
A formidable guard stands around her,
They hold axes on their shoulders.
When the old man saw it, he was scared!
He bowed to the old woman's feet,
He said: “Hello, formidable queen!
Well, now your darling is happy.”
The old woman did not look at him,
She just ordered him to be driven out of sight.
The boyars and nobles ran up,
They pushed the old man backwards.
And the guards ran up at the door,
Almost chopped her up with axes.
And the people laughed at him:
“Serves you right, you old ignoramus!
From now on, science for you, ignoramus:
Don’t sit in the wrong sleigh!”
One week goes by, another goes by
The old woman became even more furious:
The courtiers send for her husband,
They found the old man and brought him to her.
The old woman says to the old man:
“Turn back, bow to the fish.
I don't want to be a free queen,
I want to be the mistress of the sea,
So that I can live in Okiyan-Sea,
So that the goldfish may serve me
And she would be on my errands.”
The old man did not dare to contradict
I didn’t dare to say a word.
Here he goes to the blue sea,
He sees a black storm at sea:
So the angry waves swelled,
That's how they walk and howl and howl.
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
What should I do with the damned woman?
She doesn't want to be a queen,
Wants to be the mistress of the sea;
So that she can live in Okiyan-Sea,
So that you yourself serve her
And I would have been on her errands.”
The fish didn't say anything
Just splashed her tail in the water
And went into the deep sea.
He waited for a long time by the sea for an answer,
He didn’t wait, he returned to the old woman -
Lo and behold, there was a dugout in front of him again;
His old woman is sitting on the threshold,
And in front of her is a broken trough.
Who among us has not been familiar with “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” since childhood? Some people read it as a child, others first became acquainted with it after seeing a cartoon on TV. The plot of the work is undoubtedly familiar to everyone. But not many people know about how and when it was written. It is about the creation, origins and characters of this work that we will talk in our article. We will also consider modern adaptations of the fairy tale.
Who wrote the fairy tale about and when?
The fairy tale was written by the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in the village of Boldino on October 14, 1833. This period in the writer’s work is usually called the second Boldin autumn. The work was first published in 1835 on the pages of the magazine “Library for Reading”. At the same time, Pushkin created another famous work - “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights.”
History of creation
Even in the early action, A. S. Pushkin began to be interested in folk art. The tales he heard in his cradle from his beloved nanny remained in his memory for the rest of his life. In addition, later, already in the 20s of the 19th century, the poet studied folklore in the village of Mikhailovskoye. It was then that ideas for future fairy tales began to appear.
However, Pushkin turned directly to folk stories only in the 30s. He began to try his hand at creating fairy tales. One of them was the fairy tale about the goldfish. In this work, the poet tried to show the nationality of Russian literature.
For whom did A. S. Pushkin write fairy tales?
Pushkin wrote fairy tales at the peak of his creativity. And initially they were not intended for children, although they immediately became part of their reading circle. The tale of the goldfish is not just fun for children with a moral at the end. This is, first of all, an example of creativity, traditions and beliefs of the Russian people.
However, the plot of the tale itself is not an exact retelling of folk works. In fact, little of Russian folklore was reflected in it. Many researchers argue that most of the poet’s fairy tales, including the tale of the goldfish (the text of the work confirms this), were borrowed from German fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm.
Pushkin chose the plot he liked, remade it at his own discretion and put it in poetic form, without caring how authentic the stories would be. However, the poet managed to convey, if not the plot, then the spirit and character of the Russian people.
Images of the main characters
The fairy tale about the goldfish is not rich in characters - there are only three of them, but this is enough for an exciting and instructive plot.
The images of the old man and the old woman are diametrically opposed, and their views on life are completely different. They are both poor, but they reflect different aspects of poverty. So, the old man is always selfless and ready to help in trouble, because he himself has been in the same position more than once and knows what grief is. He is kind and calm, even when he is lucky, he does not take advantage of the fish’s offer, but simply lets it go free.
The old woman, despite the same social position, is arrogant, cruel and greedy. She pushes the old man around, harasses him, constantly scolds him and is always dissatisfied with everything. For this she will be punished at the end of the fairy tale, left with nothing.
However, the old man does not receive any reward, because he is unable to resist the will of the old woman. For his humility he did not deserve better life. Here Pushkin describes one of the main features of the Russian people - long-suffering. It is precisely this that does not allow us to live better and more peacefully.
The image of the fish is incredibly poetic and saturated folk wisdom. She acts as a higher power, which for the time being is ready to fulfill desires. However, her patience is not unlimited.
The tale about the old man and the goldfish begins with a description of the blue sea, near the shore of which an old man and an old woman have been living in a dugout for 33 years. They live very poorly and the only thing that feeds them is the sea.
One day an old man goes fishing. He casts the net twice, but both times it brings only sea mud. The third time the old man is lucky - a goldfish gets caught in his net. She speaks in a human voice and asks to let her go, promising to make her wish come true. The old man did not ask the fish for anything, but simply let it go.
Returning home, he told everything to his wife. The old woman began to scold him and told him to go back and ask the fish for a new trough. The old man went and bowed to the fish, and the old woman received what she asked for.
But this was not enough for her. She demanded a new home. The fish granted this wish too. Then the old woman wanted to become a noblewoman. The old man went to the fish again, and again she fulfilled her wish. The fisherman himself was sent by his evil wife to work in the stable.
But this was not enough. The old woman ordered her husband to go again to the sea and ask to make her queen. This wish also came true. But this did not satisfy the old woman’s greed. She again called the old man to her and ordered him to ask the fish to make her the queen of the sea, and she herself would serve on her errands.
The fisherman conveyed his wife’s words. But the fish did not answer, just splashed its tail and swam into the depths of the sea. He stood by the sea for a long time, waiting for an answer. But the fish did not appear again, and the old man returned home. And there an old woman was waiting for him with a broken trough, sitting by an old dugout.
Plot Source
As noted above, the fairy tale about the fisherman and the goldfish has its roots not only in Russian, but also in foreign folklore. Thus, the plot of this work is often compared to the fairy tale “The Greedy Old Woman,” which was included in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. However, this similarity is very distant. The German authors focused all their attention in the tale on the moral conclusion - greed does not lead to good, you need to be able to be content with what you have.
The action also takes place on the seashore, but instead of a goldfish, the role of wish-granter is played by a flounder, which later turns out to also be an enchanted prince. Pushkin replaced this image with a goldfish, symbolizing wealth and good luck in Russian culture.
The tale of the goldfish in a new way
Today you can find many adaptations of this tale in a new way. They are characterized by a change in time. That is, from antiquity the main characters are transferred to modern world, where there is also a lot of poverty and injustice. The moment of catching a goldfish remains unchanged, just like the magical heroine herself. But the old woman’s desires change. Now she already needs an Indesit car, new boots, a villa, a Ford. She wishes to be blonde with long legs.
In some adaptations, the end of the story also changes. A fairy tale may end happy family life an old man and an old woman, 40 years younger. However, such an end is rather the exception than the rule. Usually the ending is either close to the original or tells about the death of an old man or woman.
conclusions
Thus, the fairy tale about the goldfish still lives and remains relevant. This is confirmed by her many alterations. Sounding in a new way gives her new life, however, the problems laid down by Pushkin remain unchanged even in alterations.
These new versions tell all about the same heroes, the same greedy old woman, and a submissive old man, and a wish-fulfilling fish, which speaks of the incredible skill and talent of Pushkin, who managed to write a work that remains relevant after almost two centuries.
The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish– an imperishable work by A.S. Pushkin. The fairy tale has long become so beloved and popular that it will be unexpected for many that its literary roots are in Serbian folklore, and not at all in Russian. Words to the Wizard A.S. Pushkin managed to adapt it in such a way that all the described realities are close and understandable to our kids, so we see reading a fairy tale online as a wonderful activity for your child. On the pages of this site you can free read the tale of the fisherman and the fish online, and introduce your child to this interesting work.What is the benefit of the Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish?
We hasten to please those parents who scrupulously select reading for their children based solely on its usefulness. You have found not only fascinating reading, but also unique in its didactic and educational orientation. Online fairy tale about the fisherman and the fish will teach the child to balance desires with capabilities, not to be greedy and not to be arrogant. Kindness and a sharp mind are what will help your child not be left with nothing! Your child will certainly learn this if you allow him to read the delightful story about the fisherman and the fish online.Getting to know The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish can become the bridge that will lead your child to the wonderful world created by the internationally recognized Russian poet. Surely the baby will want to get acquainted with other works A.S. Pushkin and, thereby, incredibly enrich your literary literacy.
An old man lived with his old woman
By the bluest sea;
They lived in a dilapidated dugout
Exactly thirty years and three years.
The old man was catching fish with a net,
The old woman was spinning her yarn.
Once he threw a net into the sea, -
A net arrived with nothing but mud.
Another time he cast a net,
A net came with sea grass.
For the third time he cast the net, -
A net came with one fish,
With a difficult fish - gold.
How the goldfish prays!
He says in a human voice:
“You, elder, let me go to sea,
Dear, I will give a ransom for myself:
I’ll pay you back with whatever you want.”
The old man was surprised and frightened:
He fished for thirty years and three years
And I never heard the fish speak.
He released the goldfish
And he said a kind word to her:
“God be with you, goldfish!
I don’t need your ransom;
Go to the blue sea,
Walk there in the open space."
The old man returned to the old woman,
He told her a great miracle.
“Today I caught a fish,
Goldfish, not an ordinary one;
In our opinion, the fish spoke,
I asked to go home to the blue sea,
Bought at a high price:
I bought whatever I wanted.
I did not dare take ransom from her;
So he let her into the blue sea.”
The old woman scolded the old man:
“You fool, you simpleton!
You didn’t know how to take ransom from a fish!
If only you could take the trough from her,
Ours is completely split.”
So he went to the blue sea;
He sees that the sea is playing up a little.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
“Have mercy, lady fish,
My old woman scolded me,
The old man gives me no peace:
She needs a new trough;
Ours is completely split.”
The goldfish answers:
There will be a new trough for you."
The old man returned to the old woman,
The old woman has a new trough.
The old woman scolds even more:
“You fool, you simpleton!
You begged for a trough, you fool!
Is there a lot of self-interest in the trough?
Turn back, fool, you are going to the fish;
Bow to her and beg for a hut.”
So he went to the blue sea,
There will be a new trough for you."
The old man returned to the old woman,
He began to click on the goldfish,
“What do you want, elder?”
“Have mercy, lady fish!
The old woman scolds even more,
The old man gives me no peace:
A grumpy woman is asking for a hut.”
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God,
So be it: you’ll have a hut.”
He went to his dugout,
And there is no trace of the dugout;
In front of him is a hut with a light,
With a brick, whitewashed pipe,
With oak, plank gates.
The old woman is sitting under the window,
For what it's worth, she scolds her husband.
“You are a fool, you are a simpleton!
The simpleton begged for a hut!
Turn back, bow to the fish:
I don't want to be a black peasant girl
I want to be a pillar noblewoman.”
The old man went to the blue sea;
(The blue sea is not calm.)
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
The old woman became more foolish than ever,
The old man gives me no peace:
She doesn't want to be a peasant
She wants to be a high-ranking noblewoman.”
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God.”
The old man returned to the old woman.
What does he see? High tower.
His old woman is standing on the porch
In an expensive sable jacket,
Brocade kitty on the crown,
Pearls weighed down the neck,
There are gold rings on my hands,
Red boots on her feet.
Before her are diligent servants;
She beats them and drags them by the chuprun.
The old man says to his old woman:
“Hello, madam, noblewoman!
Tea, now your darling is happy.”
The old woman shouted at him,
She sent him to serve at the stables.
One week goes by, another goes by
The old woman became even more furious:
Again he sends the old man to the fish.
“Turn back, bow to the fish:
I don't want to be a pillar noblewoman,
But I want to be a free queen.”
The old man got scared and prayed:
“What, woman, have you eaten too much henbane?
You can neither step nor speak,
You will make the whole kingdom laugh."
The old woman became even more angry,
She hit her husband on the cheek.
“How dare you, man, argue with me,
With me, a pillar noblewoman? —
Go to the sea, they tell you with honor,
If you don’t go, they will lead you willy-nilly.”
The old man went to the sea,
(The blue sea has turned black.)
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
My old woman is rebelling again:
She doesn't want to be a noblewoman,
She wants to be a free queen."
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God!
Good! the old woman will be a queen!”
The old man returned to the old woman.
Well? before him are the royal chambers.
In the chambers he sees his old woman,
She sits at the table like a queen,
Boyars and nobles serve her,
They pour her foreign wines;
She eats printed gingerbread;
A formidable guard stands around her,
They hold axes on their shoulders.
When the old man saw it, he was scared!
He bowed to the old woman's feet,
He said: “Hello, formidable queen!
Well, now your darling is happy.”
The old woman did not look at him,
She just ordered him to be driven out of sight.
The boyars and nobles ran up,
They pushed the old man backwards.
And the guards ran up at the door,
Almost chopped her up with axes.
And the people laughed at him:
“Serves you right, you old ignoramus!
From now on, science for you, ignoramus:
Don’t sit in the wrong sleigh!”
One week goes by, another goes by
The old woman became even more furious:
The courtiers send for her husband,
They found the old man and brought him to her.
The old woman says to the old man:
“Turn back, bow to the fish.
I don't want to be a free queen,
I want to be the mistress of the sea,
So that I can live in Okiyan-Sea,
So that the goldfish may serve me
And she would be on my errands.”
The old man did not dare to contradict
I didn’t dare to say a word.
Here he goes to the blue sea,
He sees a black storm at sea:
So the angry waves swelled,
That's how they walk and howl and howl.
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
What should I do with the damned woman?
She doesn't want to be a queen,
Wants to be the mistress of the sea;
So that she can live in Okiyan-Sea,
So that you yourself serve her
And I would have been on her errands.”
The fish didn't say anything
Just splashed her tail in the water
And went into the deep sea.
He waited for a long time by the sea for an answer,
He didn’t wait, he returned to the old woman -
Lo and behold, there was a dugout in front of him again;
His old woman is sitting on the threshold,
And in front of her is a broken trough.
Analysis of Pushkin’s “Tales of the Fisherman and the Fish”
“The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” is the simplest and most edifying of all Pushkin’s fairy tales. He wrote it in 1833 in Boldino. The poet took one of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm as a basis, but seriously revised it in the spirit of Russian national traditions.
The main meaning of the tale of the goldfish is to condemn human greed. Pushkin shows what it is negative quality inherent in all people, regardless of financial or social status. In the center of the plot are a poor old man and an old woman who have lived by the sea all their lives. Despite the fact that both worked hard, they never made any fortune. The old man continues to fish for food, and the old woman sits all day long at “her yarn.” Pushkin does not indicate the reason, but the poor old people have no children, or they left their parents long ago. This further increases their suffering, since they have no one else to rely on.
The old man is often left without a catch, but one day luck smiles on him. The net brings a magical goldfish, which in exchange for freedom offers the old man to fulfill any of his wishes. Even poverty is not capable of destroying the feelings of kindness and compassion in an old man. He just lets the fish go, saying “God be with you.”
Completely different feelings are born in the old woman’s soul at the news of her husband’s catch. She attacks him with furious abuse, accusing the old man of stupidity. But she herself, apparently, does not fully believe in the magical promise, since she only asks for a new trough to test it.
After fulfilling her wish, the old woman begins to taste it. Her appetite flares up, and each time she sends the old man with even greater requests. Moreover, the wretchedness of the thinking of a person whose entire life has been spent in poverty becomes noticeable. She is not smart enough to immediately ask, for example, for a lot of money, which would save the old man from constantly turning to the fish for a long time. The old woman gradually asks for a new home, nobility, and royal power. The highest limit of her dreams is the desire to become a sea queen.
The old man meekly fulfills every wish of the old woman. He feels guilty before her for all the years of his joyless life. At the same time, he is ashamed in front of the fish, which does not show dissatisfaction with new requests. The fish feels sorry for the old man; she understands his dependence on the old woman. But the last crazy desire brings her patience to the end. She does not punish the old woman, who has gone crazy with greed, in any way, but simply returns everything to the broken trough.
For an old man this is even the best way out, since he again becomes the master of his house. And the old woman learned a serious lesson. For the rest of her short life, she will remember how, because of greed, she destroyed with her own hands the power and wealth that were floating in her hands.
An old man lived with his old woman
By the bluest sea;
They lived in a dilapidated dugout
Exactly thirty years and three years.
The old man was catching fish with a net,
The old woman was spinning her yarn.
Once he threw a net into the sea, -
A net arrived with nothing but mud.
Another time he cast a net, -
A net came with sea grass.
For the third time he cast the net, -
A net came with one fish,
With not just a simple fish, but a golden one.
“You, elder, let me go to sea!
Dear, I will give a ransom for myself:
I’ll pay you back with whatever you want.”
The old man was surprised and frightened:
He fished for thirty years and three years
And I never heard the fish speak.
He released the goldfish
And he said a kind word to her:
“God be with you, goldfish!
I don’t need your ransom;
Go to the blue sea,
Walk there in the open space."
The old man returned to the old woman,
He told her a great miracle:
“Today I caught a fish,
Goldfish, not an ordinary one;
In our opinion, the fish spoke,
I asked to go home to the blue sea,
Bought at a high price:
I bought whatever I wanted.
I did not dare take ransom from her;
So he let her into the blue sea.”
The old woman scolded the old man:
“You fool, you simpleton!
You didn’t know how to take ransom from a fish!
If only you could take the trough from her,
Ours is completely split.”
So he went to the blue sea;
He sees that the sea is a little rough.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
“Have mercy, lady fish,
My old woman scolded me,
Doesn't give me peace of mind, old man:
She needs a new trough;
Ours is completely split.”
The goldfish answers:
“Do not be sad, go with God.
There will be a new trough for you."
The old man returned to the old woman,
The old woman has a new trough.
The old woman scolds even more:
“You fool, you simpleton!
You begged for a trough, you fool!
Is there a lot of self-interest in the trough?
Turn back, fool, you are going to the fish;
Bow to her and beg for a hut.”
So he went to the blue sea
(The blue sea has become cloudy).
He began to click on the goldfish.
“What do you want, elder?”
“Have mercy, lady fish!
The old woman scolds even more,
Doesn't give me peace of mind, old man:
A grumpy woman is asking for a hut.”
The goldfish answers:
“Do not be sad, go with God,
So be it: you’ll have a hut.”
He went to his dugout,
And there is no trace of the dugout;
In front of him is a hut with a light,
With a brick, whitewashed chimney,
With oak plank gates.
The old woman is sitting under the window,
On what light is the husband scolding:
“You are a fool, you are a simpleton!
The simpleton begged for a hut!
Turn back, bow to the fish:
I don't want to be a black peasant girl
I want to be a pillar noblewoman.”
The old man went to the blue sea
(Restless blue sea).
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
The old woman became more foolish than ever,
Doesn't give me peace of mind, old man:
She doesn't want to be a peasant
She wants to be a high-ranking noblewoman.”
The goldfish answers:
“Do not be sad, go with God.”
The old man returned to the old woman,
What does he see? High tower.
His old woman is standing on the porch
In an expensive sable jacket,
Brocade kitty on the crown,
Pearls weighed down the neck,
There are gold rings on my hands,
Red boots on her feet.
Before her are diligent servants;
She beats them and drags them by the chuprun.
The old man says to his old woman:
“Hello, madam noblewoman!
Tea, now your darling is happy.”
The old woman shouted at him,
She sent him to serve at the stables.
One week goes by, another goes by
The old woman became even more foolish;
Again he sends the old man to the fish:
“Turn back, bow to the fish:
I don't want to be a pillar noblewoman,
But I want to be a free queen.”
The old man got scared and prayed:
“What, woman, have you eaten too much henbane?
You can neither step nor speak!
You will make the whole kingdom laugh."
The old woman became even more angry,
She hit her husband on the cheek.
“How dare you, man, argue with me,
With me, a pillar noblewoman?
Go to the sea, they tell you with honor;
If you don’t go, they will lead you willy-nilly.”
The old man went to the sea
(The blue sea turned black).
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
My old woman is rebelling again:
She doesn't want to be a noblewoman,
She wants to be a free queen."
The goldfish answers:
“Don’t be sad, go with God!
Good! the old woman will be a queen!”
The old man returned to the old woman.
Well? before him are the royal chambers,
In the chambers he sees his old woman,
She sits at the table like a queen,
Boyars and nobles serve her,
They pour her foreign wines;
She eats printed gingerbread;
A formidable guard stands around her,
They hold axes on their shoulders.
When the old man saw it, he was scared!
He bowed to the old woman's feet,
He said: “Hello, formidable queen!
Well, is your darling happy now?”
The old woman did not look at him,
She just ordered him to be driven out of sight.
The boyars and nobles ran up,
The old man was pushed back.
And the guards ran up at the door,
Almost chopped her up with axes.
And the people laughed at him:
“Serves you right, you old ignoramus!
From now on, science for you, ignoramus:
Don’t sit in the wrong sleigh!”
One week goes by, another goes by
The old woman became even more furious:
The courtiers send for her husband.
They found the old man and brought him to her.
The old woman says to the old man:
“Turn back, bow to the fish.
I don't want to be a free queen,
I want to be the mistress of the sea,
So that I can live in Okiyan-Sea,
So that the goldfish may serve me
And she would be on my errands.”
The old man did not dare to contradict
I didn’t dare to say a word.
Here he goes to the blue sea,
He sees a black storm at sea:
So the angry waves swelled,
That's how they walk and howl and howl.
He began to click on the goldfish.
A fish swam to him and asked:
“What do you want, elder?”
The old man answers her with a bow:
“Have mercy, lady fish!
What should I do with the damned woman?
She doesn't want to be a queen,
Wants to be the mistress of the sea:
So that she can live in Okiyan-Sea,
So that you yourself serve her
And I would have been on her errands.”
The fish didn't say anything
Just splashed her tail in the water
And went into the deep sea.
He waited for a long time by the sea for an answer,
He didn’t wait, he returned to the old woman -
Lo and behold, there was a dugout in front of him again;
His old woman is sitting on the threshold,
And in front of her is a broken trough.
