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 to 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 round 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
The Fisherman and his SoulThe 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 andswam 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 havecaught all the fish in the sea!’ he thought. He pulled and pulled, and the net came nearerand nearer to the boat. At last it came to the top of the water. There were no fish in it - onlya sleeping mermaid. Her hair was like gold; her body was silver and pearl. She was verybeautiful. 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 ofthe 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, youmust come to me. You must come to me and sing. The fish love the song of the People ofthe Sea. They will come and my nets will be full.’So the mermaid promised. The fisherman opened his arms, and she disappeared intothe water.Every evening after that, when the young fisherman went out in his boat, he called to themermaid. She came up out of the water and sang the songs of the People of the Sea. Shesang 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 round 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
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