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. "The FISHERMAN and his WIFF:
HERE was once a fisherman and his
wife who lived together in a hovel by
the sea-shore, and the fisherman went
out every day with his hook and line
to catch fish, and he angled and
angled.
One day he was sitting with his
rod and looking into the clear water,
and he sat and sat.
At last down went the line to the bottom of the water,
and when he drew it up he found a great flounder on the
hook. And the flounder said to him,
‘Fisherman, listen to me; let me go, I am not a real fish
but an enchanted prince. What good shall I be to you if you
land me? _ I shall not taste well ; so put me back into the
water again, and let me swim away.” :
“Well,” said the fisherman, "no need of so many words
about the matter, as you can speak I had much rather let you
swim away.”
Then he put him back into the clear water, and the
flounder sank to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood
behind him. ‘Then the fisherman got up and went home to
his wife in their hovel.
‘Well, husband,” said the wife, “ have you caught nothing
to-day ? " I
“No,” said the man—" that is, I did catch a flounder,
but as he said he was an enchanted prince, I let him go
again.”