FUN WITH ENGLISH The Talking Fish - FOLKLORE FROM ARMENIA
A long time ago there lived a poor man with his wife. He worked for a rich fisherman. One day, the poor man was trying to catch some fish. He caught a beautiful fish. Suddenly, the fish was able to talk. “Please... let me go. I want to go home now.“
The poor man could not believe what he just heard. “Are you really talking to me?“ “Yes, I am. Now, please help me. Throw me back to the water,“ begged the fish.
The poor man felt so sorry. He finally threw the fish back to the water. Later he told the fisherman about the talking fish. The fisherman was so angry. “Your job is to catch the fish! Not to throw it back to the water! I don't want you to work here any longer, you are fired!“ The poor man was speechless. He never thought that his help to the fish would make him lose his job. The poor man walked weakly. He did not know how to tell this bad news to his wife.
Suddenly, a man stopped him. The man had a cow. He asked the poor man why he looked so sad. The poor man at first refused to talk. He was afraid with the man. Why? Well, the man was actually a monster! However the monster kept on asking the poor man's problem. He finally gave up. He told the monster about how he just lost his job.
The monster offered him some help. “Listen, I will lend you this cow for three years. You can drink and sell its milk. After three years, I will come back to you and give you some questions.
If you can answer my questions, you can keep the cow. But if you cannot answer my questions, I will take you and your wife and do anything to you whatever I like. Agree?“ The poor man said yes. “At least I can drink and sell the milk for three years.“
The poor man brought the cow home. He told his wife about how he lost his job and how he got the cow. His wife tried to console him. “We have three years to find the monster's questions.“
Since then the poor man and his wife tried to guess the monster's answers. Well, they were frustrated. How could they know the answers if they did not know the questions?
Finally three years were over. The monster would come soon. Suddenly, they heard a man knocking on the door. When the poor man opened the door, he saw a very handsome man. He talked politely. “Excuse me, Sir. I'm so tired and it's getting dark. May I spend the night here?“ asked the stranger.
The poor man said, “Yes, you can. But I have to tell you that I have a big problem. Tomorrow a monster will come and ask me some questions. If I can't answer the questions, he will take me and my wife.“
The stranger smiled. “Don't worry, Sir. I will help you.“
On the following day, the monster came! “Are you ready?“ asked the monster.
The stranger replied, “I will answer your questions.“
“Ha ha ha... I don't care who will answer my questions. Where are you from?“ “I'm from the other side of the sea.“
“How did you get here?“ “Riding a lame flea!“ “Then the sea must have been very small?“ “Not at all. Even an eagle couldn't fly across it!“ “Then that eagle must have been a fledgling?“ “Not at all. The shadow of his wings would cover a whole city!“ “Then the city must have been very small?“ “Not at all. A hare couldn't run from one end of it to the other.“
The monster was speechless. He didn't know what other questions to ask. He stood there silently at the door for some time and then disappeared into the darkness.
After the monster disappeared, the stranger told them that he wanted to continue his journey. The poor man thanked him and gave him the cow's milk.
However the stranger said no. “I can't take your milk. It's yours. I'm here to help you because you already helped me by throwing me back to the water.“ A moment later, the stranger vanished. (Source Media Indonesia, 23/03/2014, hal: 20)
A long time ago there lived a poor man with his wife. He worked for a rich fisherman. One day, the poor man was trying to catch some fish. He caught a beautiful fish. Suddenly, the fish was able to talk. “Please... let me go. I want to go home now.“
The poor man could not believe what he just heard. “Are you really talking to me?“ “Yes, I am. Now, please help me. Throw me back to the water,“ begged the fish.
The poor man felt so sorry. He finally threw the fish back to the water. Later he told the fisherman about the talking fish. The fisherman was so angry. “Your job is to catch the fish! Not to throw it back to the water! I don't want you to work here any longer, you are fired!“ The poor man was speechless. He never thought that his help to the fish would make him lose his job. The poor man walked weakly. He did not know how to tell this bad news to his wife.
Suddenly, a man stopped him. The man had a cow. He asked the poor man why he looked so sad. The poor man at first refused to talk. He was afraid with the man. Why? Well, the man was actually a monster! However the monster kept on asking the poor man's problem. He finally gave up. He told the monster about how he just lost his job.
The monster offered him some help. “Listen, I will lend you this cow for three years. You can drink and sell its milk. After three years, I will come back to you and give you some questions.
If you can answer my questions, you can keep the cow. But if you cannot answer my questions, I will take you and your wife and do anything to you whatever I like. Agree?“ The poor man said yes. “At least I can drink and sell the milk for three years.“
The poor man brought the cow home. He told his wife about how he lost his job and how he got the cow. His wife tried to console him. “We have three years to find the monster's questions.“
Since then the poor man and his wife tried to guess the monster's answers. Well, they were frustrated. How could they know the answers if they did not know the questions?
Finally three years were over. The monster would come soon. Suddenly, they heard a man knocking on the door. When the poor man opened the door, he saw a very handsome man. He talked politely. “Excuse me, Sir. I'm so tired and it's getting dark. May I spend the night here?“ asked the stranger.
The poor man said, “Yes, you can. But I have to tell you that I have a big problem. Tomorrow a monster will come and ask me some questions. If I can't answer the questions, he will take me and my wife.“
The stranger smiled. “Don't worry, Sir. I will help you.“
On the following day, the monster came! “Are you ready?“ asked the monster.
The stranger replied, “I will answer your questions.“
“Ha ha ha... I don't care who will answer my questions. Where are you from?“ “I'm from the other side of the sea.“
“How did you get here?“ “Riding a lame flea!“ “Then the sea must have been very small?“ “Not at all. Even an eagle couldn't fly across it!“ “Then that eagle must have been a fledgling?“ “Not at all. The shadow of his wings would cover a whole city!“ “Then the city must have been very small?“ “Not at all. A hare couldn't run from one end of it to the other.“
The monster was speechless. He didn't know what other questions to ask. He stood there silently at the door for some time and then disappeared into the darkness.
After the monster disappeared, the stranger told them that he wanted to continue his journey. The poor man thanked him and gave him the cow's milk.
However the stranger said no. “I can't take your milk. It's yours. I'm here to help you because you already helped me by throwing me back to the water.“ A moment later, the stranger vanished. (Source Media Indonesia, 23/03/2014, hal: 20)
weird, but great story
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