The Fisherman and his Soul Learn English through story level 3
the fisherman
and his soul
the young fisherman went out in his boat
every evening
and threw his nets into the water
sometimes he did not catch much
but sometimes the fish came in from the
deep sea and swam into his nets
then he took them and sold them in the
town
one evening the net was very heavy
the young fisherman laughed perhaps i
have caught
all the fish in the sea he thought
he pulled and pulled and the net came
nearer and nearer to the boat
at last it came to the top of the water
there were no fish in it only a sleeping
mermaid
her hair was like gold her body was
silver and pearl
she was very beautiful the young
fisherman
picked her up in his arms when he
touched her
she opened her deep blue eyes with fear
she tried to escape
but he held her tightly she began to cry
please please don’t take me away she
said
i am the daughter of the king of the sea
he only has me and he is old and alone.
the fisherman answered you can
go if you make a promise when i
call you you must come to me you must
come to me and sing
the fish love the song of the people of
the sea
they will come and my nets will be full
so the mermaid promised the fisherman
opened his arms
and she disappeared into the water every
evening after that
when the young fisherman went out in his
boat he called
the mermaid she came up out of the water
and sang the songs of the people of the
sea
she sang about the king’s palace with
its roof of clear blue jewels and its
pearl
floor she sang about the gardens of the
sea
the big fish came in from the deep sea
to listen to her songs
then the young fisherman threw his nets
around them and caught them
when his boat was full the mermaid
disappeared into the sea
the mermaid never came close to him
once he tried to touch her but she went
down into the water
he did not see her again that day
each day the sound of her voice became
sweeter in his ears
he forgot about his nets and his boat
the fish came but he did not see them
he sat in his boat and listened
darkness closed round him and the
moonlight changed his brown
arms to silver one evening the young
fisherman
called to the mermaid little mermaid
i love you take me as your husband
but the mermaid answered no
you have a man’s soul send away your
soul
and i will love you the young fisherman
said i do not need my soul
i cannot see it i cannot touch it of
course i will send it away he held out
his arms
i will send my soul away and you will be
my wife
we will live in the deepest part of the
sea and you will show me the wonderful
things in your songs the little mermaid
laughed with happiness
and hid her face in her hands
but how can i send my soul away
cried the fisherman tell me how to do it
i do not know said the little mermaid
the people of the sea have no souls
she looked at him sadly and swam away
early the next morning the young
fisherman went to a priest’s house
father he said i am in love with one of
the people of the sea
but i cannot marry her because i have a
soul
tell me how to send my soul away i do
not need it
i cannot see it i cannot touch it
the priest answered stupid man
your soul was given to you by god it is
the most
important thing that you have it is like
the golden jewels of kings
the people of the sea have no souls and
like
animals do not know right from wrong
father said the young fisherman
i caught the daughter of the king of the
sea in my net
she is more beautiful than the morning
star
and whiter than the moon i will give my
soul for her body
i must send my soul away go away
go away cried the priest
the young fisherman went into the city
the market sellers called to him
what are you selling today i will sell
my
soul i do not need it we do not want to
buy your
soul what can we do with it
sell us your body and become a slave
but do not talk about your soul
the young fisherman thought this is very
strange
the priest tells me that her soul costs
more than gold and jewels
i do not understand he went down by the
sea to think
at last he remembered that there was a
witch near the beach
he ran along the sand to the place where
she lived
she knew by magic that he was coming she
laughed and waited for him
what do you want she cried as he ran
towards her
i can give you anything but everything
has its price
i only want one small thing said the
young fisherman
but the priest was angry when i asked
him for it
and the market sellers laughed at me so
i have come to you
what do you want ask the witch coming
nearer
i want to send my soul away from me
answered the young fisherman
what will you give me if i help you ask
the witch
looking at him with her beautiful eyes
five pieces of gold and my net my house
and my boat but tell me how i can lose
my soul
she laughed i am a witch
i can have all the gold and silver that
i want
so what shall i give you what shall i do
she put her thin white hand on his head
and smiled at him
you must dance with me pretty boy
she said only that
nothing more cried the young fisherman
only that she answered and she smiled at
him again
we must dance when the moon is full
tonight you will come to the top of the
mountain
it is the witch’s meeting place and he
will be there
who is he asked the young fisherman
come tonight stand near the tree on the
top of the mountain
and wait for me when the moon is full
i will be with you then we will dance
together on the grass
but you will help me to send my soul
away
the sunlight shone on her red hair i
will
she answered you are the best of witches
cried the young fisherman and i will
dance with you tonight
he smiled at her then he ran happily
back to the town
the witch watched him as he went he
will be mine she said i
am as beautiful as she is
that evening the young fisherman climbed
to the top of the mountain
and stood under the tree in the
moonlight the sea lay far down below
and the shadows of the fishing boats
moved on the water
at midnight the witches came flying
through the air
phew they said as they came down to the
ground
what is this smell there is a stranger
here
the young witch came last she wore a
gold dress
and her long red hair flew out behind
her
where is he where is he
cried the witches when they saw her she
laughed and ran to the tree
and took the fisherman’s hand she pulled
him out into the moonlight and began to
dance with him
the other witches began to dance too
round
and round then there was the sound of a
horse
but he could not see a horse he felt
afraid
faster faster cried the witch
she put her arms around his neck he knew
that something terrible was watching him
then he saw someone under the shadow of
a rock
it was a man dressed in black his face
was white
but his mouth was like a red flower his
hands were white
and heavy with rings he watched the
young fisherman as he danced
suddenly the dancers stopped and went to
kiss the man’s hands
he smiled proudly but he was still
looking at the fisherman
now we must go to him said the witch
and the fisherman followed her but when
he was close to the man
the young fisherman suddenly called out
god’s name
he did not know why he called it the
witches cried out and flew away
the man closed his eyes in pain he
called to his horse
jumped up onto its back then turned and
looked sadly at the fisherman
the witch with the red hair tried to fly
away too
but the fisherman caught her arm and
held her
take your hand off me she cried
no he answered first you must tell me
the secret
what secret said the witch fighting like
a wild cat
you know he answered there were tears in
her green
eyes i am as beautiful as the daughter
of the sea
she said he pushed her away
if you do not keep your promise i will
kill you
her face was gray all right
she said it is your soul not mine
she took out a little knife in a green
case
the shadow of the body is the body of
the soul
stand by the sea with your back to the
moon
cut your shadow away from your feet and
order your soul to leave you
he took the knife then he began to climb
down the mountain
his soul inside him called out i have
lived with you for many years and i have
been your servant
do not send me away from you how have i
hurt you
the young fisherman laughed you have not
hurt me
but i do not need you my love is calling
me
he stood on the sand with his back to
the moon
his shadow lay in front of him his
soul said if i must go away
do not send me away without a heart
there is no love or kindness in the
world and i am afraid
i need to take your heart with me
my heart belongs to my love he answered
so do not wait go i do not need you
the young fisherman took the little
knife out of its case
and cut away the shadow from around his
feet
it stood up in front of him it was just
like him
he stepped back and put away the knife
he was afraid
go he said i never want to see you again
no we must meet again
said the soul how will we meet
cried the young fisherman will you
follow me into the deepest part of the
sea
once every year i will come to this
place and call to you
said the soul perhaps you will need me
why will i need you cried the young
fisherman
but do what you like then he jumped into
the sea
the little mermaid came up to meet him
she put her arms round his neck and
kissed him
then they went down into the sea the
soul went away
crying
after a year the soul came down to the
sea and called to the young fisherman
he came out of the sea and said why are
you
calling me the soul answered
come neera i want to tell you about the
wonderful things that i have
seen so the fisherman came nearer
and listened when i left you
the soul said to him i travel to the
east
all wise things come from the east i
arrived at a city
walked through its streets and came to
the garden of its god
i want to see your god i said to one of
the priests
and he took me to a house in the garden
there was no god there only a metal
mirror
on a stone table i said to the priest
where is the god he said
there is no god but this is a special
mirror
it shows everything on earth when you
have this mirror
you know everything nothing is hidden
from you
i stole the mirror and i have hidden it
close to here
take me as your soul again and you will
be wiser than
all the wise men the young fisherman
laughed
love is better than understanding he
cried
and the little mermaid loves me he went
back into the sea
the soul went away crying
after the second year the soul came down
to the sea
and called to the young fishermen the
fisherman came up out of the sea
and said why are you calling me
come nearer the soul answered
i want to tell you about the wonderful
things that i have seen
when i left you i traveled to the south
all gold and jewels come from the south
after many days i came to ashtar
the king of that city has a special ring
on his finger
if you have that ring you are richer
than all the kings in the world
i went into the king’s palace the
soldiers hit me
but they could not hurt me the king
said who are you why can’t we hurt you
please leave here tonight while you are
here
i am not king of this city i answered
i will go if you give me your ring
then the soul said to the fisherman i
have hidden the ring
in a place not far from here come with
me and take it
you will be richer than all the kings in
this world
the young fisherman laughed
love is better than gold and jewels he
cried
and the little mermaid loves me he went
back into the sea
the soul went away crying
at the end of the third year the soul
came down to the sea
and called to the fisherman when he came
the soul said come nearer i want to tell
you about the wonderful things that i
have seen
on my journeys i came to a city where
there is a house near the river
semen come to that house and drink wine
as i sat there
an old man came in he played music
and a girl came and danced her face was
covered and i could not see it
but her white feet moved like little
birds
they were the most beautiful feet that i
have ever seen
it was the most wonderful dancing it is
only a few days journey from this place
the young fisherman remembered that the
little mermaid had no feet
she could not dance so he said
all right it is only a short journey
and then i can return to my love
he climbed out onto the land and held
out his arms to his soul
the soul cried with happiness and went
into him
they traveled all that night and came to
a city
as they walked along a street of
jewellers the young fishermen saw a fine
silver cup
the soul said to him take that cup and
hide it
so he took the cup and they left the
city quickly
but then the young fisherman threw the
cup away
why did you tell me to take that cup he
said to his soul it was wrong
but his soul answered it does not matter
on the evening of the second day they
came to another city
as they walked along the street the
young fishermen saw a child with a pot
of water
his soul said to him hit that child
so he hit the child and the child cried
then they left the city quickly
but then the young fisherman became
angry
why did you tell me to hit that child it
was wrong
but his soul answered it does not matter
late on the evening of the third day
they came to another city
the young fishermen sat down and rested
after some time a man came past them
why are you sitting here in the street
he said
the young fisherman answered i have
nowhere to sleep
i have no friends in this city the man
said aren’t we all brothers didn’t one
god make us all
come with me to my house so the young
fisherman slept at the man’s house
in the middle of the night his soul woke
him and said
go to the man’s room kill him and take
his gold
we need it the young fisherman went to
the man’s room
there was a knife near his bed and there
were three bags of gold
the young fisherman put out his hand and
touched the knife
but the man woke up are you paying for
my kindness with blood
he said the soul said kill him
so the young fisherman killed the man
and took the bags of gold
when they were away from the city the
young fisherman said
why did you tell me to kill the man why
did you tell me to take his gold
the soul answered it does not matter
no cried the young fisherman it does
matter
why have you done this to me his soul
answered
when you sent me out into the world you
did not give me a heart
the young fisherman said you are bad
i forget my love when i am with you he
threw the bags of gold away
i sent you away before and i will send
you away again
he turned his back to the moon then with
the little knife
he tried to cut away the shadow of the
body which is the soul
but the soul said a man can only send
his soul away once in his life
you must keep me with you forever
the young fisherman said i will go back
to the place where the mermaid
sang i will call her i will tell her
about the bad things that i have done
his soul said there are many women who
are more beautiful
there are the dancing girls of samaras
they laugh while they dance come with me
to that city
the young fisherman did not answer he
traveled back to the place where his
love sang
he called to the little mermaid but she
did not come
he built a hut in the rocks and he
called to the mermaid every morning
and every night but she never came up
out of the sea to meet him
a year passed and the soul thought
i have offered him bad things but his
love has been too great
now i will offer him good things and
perhaps he will come with me
so the soul said i have told you about
the happiness of the world
now i will tell you about the world’s
pain i will tell you about people who
are hungry
poor and sick let’s go and help those
people
but the young fisherman did not answer
a second year passed and the soul said
your love is stronger than i am let me
into your heart
and then i can be part of you again of
course you can come in
said the young fisherman i cannot find a
way into your heart
said his soul there is no room because
your heart is so full of love
i would like to help you said the
fisherman
as he spoke a great sound of crying came
from the sea
one of the people of the sea was dead
the young fisherman left his hut
and ran down to the water
black waves hurried into the land and
they brought with them the body of the
little mermaid
the fisherman threw himself down next to
her and held her in his arms
he kissed the cold red mouth
more waves came the sound of crying came
from the palace of the sea king
the sea is coming said his soul if you
stay here it will kill you
come away but the young fisherman did
not listen
love is better than being wise or rich
he said to the little mermaid love is
beautiful
i was bad and i left you then i called
you
and you did not come but my love stayed
with me
and was always strong now you are dead
and i will die with you the sea
came nearer and tried to cover him with
its waves
the fishermen knew that the end was near
he kissed the cold face of the mermaid
and then his heart broke
his soul found a way into it and became
part of him again
and the sea covered the young fishermen
you