There was once upon a time a fisherman lived with his wife in a pigstye close by the sea. And every day he went out fishing and he fished and he fished. And once he was sitting with his rod looking at the clear water and he sat and he sat then his line suddenly went down far down below and when he drew it up again he brought out a large flounder.
Then the flounder said to him ‘Hark you fisherman! I pray you let me live. I am no flounder really, but an enchanted prince! What good will it do you to kill me – I should not be good to eat. Put me in the water again and let me go.”
“Come” said the fisherman “There is no need for so many words about it – a fish that can talk I should certainly let go anyhow” and 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 pigstye.
Simon Singh
simonsingh.net
