Altered Tales

The Fisherman's Radio

The fisherman sat in his kitchen early one morning listening to the radio. He imagined each word he heard and transformed them into magical images in his mind. When his wife entered he sat up in his chair, hurriedly finished his coffee and before she could say 'what are you still doing here?' was out the door. Along the path that led to his little wooden boat he recreated the match the announcers had been describing and imagined the goal that had won the game from the day before.

When he arrived in the tiny port he prepared his boat and set off towards the horizon. A gentle wind carried him away from the shore and as he steered a course to his favorite fishing spot he ate the bread and cheese his wife had prepared for him. While he chewed a wave of fatigue came over him so after carefully casting his net overboard he settled cozily into a corner of the boat and drifted off to sleep. When he awoke there was a dim light and for a moment he was unsure whether it was day or night. He consulted his wristwatch to be sure and was amazed to discover that an entire day had passed.

He hastily pulled his net out of the sea hoping for a catch that would justify his absence but instead found nothing or nearly nothing. The tangled rope laid dripping at his feet filled with bits of seaweed and no fish except for a very small specimen no bigger than a sardine. It was a meager catch even by the fisherman's standards but at least it was something to put on their plates. Then as the fisherman grabbed the strange fish's tail and was about to place it in his bucket the fish spoke.

'Please, kind fisherman do not eat me. I am small and would only leave you hungry.'

The fisherman looked about the boat and beyond searching for the speaker. There were no other boats about and the water was still and silent. In the distance he could see the first lights from the village and imagined his wife waiting for him. Once again he moved the fish towards his bucket and once again he heard these words.

'Please, kind fisherman do not eat me. I am small and would only leave you hungry.'

He brought the fish near his face and inspected it closely. He had seen many fish in his time but had never come across anything like this one. Neither had he ever heard of a talking fish and to make sure he wasn't dreaming he splashed cold seawater onto his cheeks and blinked repeatedly. But each time he opened his eyes the fish was still anxiously staring at him.

'What are you?' the fisherman asked incredulously.

'I am a magic fish,' the fish answered with pride. 'If you release me I will grant you a wish.'

The fisherman considered the offer. It was true the fish was small and eating it would probably not be very filling.

'Very well,' the fisherman said not entirely convinced he would ever see his wish but willing to take the risk. 'I will set you free,' and he dropped the fish back into the sea.

For a moment the magic fish vanished into the water then his face reappeared above the surface.

'Return home,' the fish said 'once you have chosen your wish come to the shore, call me and I will grant it to you.'

Then he was gone and the fisherman was alone. The first stars glimmered in the sky above and the fisherman rowed himself home as quickly as he could.

The fisherman and his wife sat at the kitchen table thinking. She had taken a long time to be convinced and had initially thought her husband foolish to throw a perfectly edible fish back into the sea. But a wish was a wish and there were many things they could wish for that could make their lives better. Finally, after the couple had eaten their meager supper and had sat down to listen to their favorite broadcast before going to bed it struck them: a television. Of course, they smiled to each other, why hadn't they thought of it before.