Section 1
Once upon a time, a destitute man and woman lived in a small cottage, relying on fishing as their only source of sustenance. They struggled to make ends meet and barely managed to survive. One day, as the man was fishing by the river and casting his net, he caught a shimmering golden fish. To his amazement, the fish spoke and said, "Listen, fisherman, if you return me to the water, I will transform your humble abode into a magnificent castle."
The fisherman responded, "What good is a castle to me if I have nothing to eat?" The golden fish replied, "That will be taken care of. Inside the castle, there will be a cupboard filled with the most exquisite dishes. You can have as much food as you want." The man considered this offer and said, "If that's true, then I can do you a favor." The fish replied, "Yes, but there is one condition: You must not reveal to anyone where your good fortune came from. If you utter a single word, everything will be undone." The man agreed to the condition, threw the wondrous fish back into the water, and went home.
When he got back, in place of his shabby hut, an amazing castle stood before him. The man entered and saw his wife, who was beautifully dressed and sitting in a grand room. She was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Husband, how did all of this come to be? It's perfect!" The man replied, "Yes, it's perfect, but I'm terribly hungry. Can you give me something to eat?" His wife replied, "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything, and I don't even know where to find food in this new place." The man replied, "That's not a problem. I see a large cupboard over there. Unlock it." When she opened the cupboard, she found cakes, meat, fruit, and wine - a feast for the eyes.
The woman exclaimed joyfully, "What more could we want, my dear?" They sat down together and enjoyed the delicious food and wine. After they had eaten their fill, the woman asked, "Husband, where did all this wealth come from?" The man replied, "I cannot tell you, for if I reveal the secret of our good fortune, it will all disappear." The woman pretended to be satisfied with this answer, but in reality, she was curious and persistent. She was tormented by that secret day and night and constantly wondered about it. She kept asking questions, and in a moment of impatience, he revealed the secret: he had caught a wondrous golden fish, which granted them their wishes, but only on the condition that they never tell anyone about it. As soon as he divulged the secret, the magnificent castle, and its contents disappeared, and they found themselves back in their old hut. The man was forced to resume his fishing trade.
As fate would have it, the fisherman caught the golden fish once more. "Listen," said the fish, "if you throw me back into the water, I will give you the castle and the cupboard full of delicious food once again. But be warned: if you reveal the source of your good fortune, you will lose it all." "I promise to keep the secret," replied the fisherman, and he threw the fish back into the water. When he returned home, everything was once again magnificent, and his wife was thrilled with their good fortune. However, her curiosity got the best of her, and after a few days, she began to ask again how they had achieved their wealth. The man tried to stay silent, but she persisted until he became so angry that he finally revealed the secret.
The castle vanished and they found themselves back in their humble cottage. "Well, you've got what you wished for," he said, "now we'll have to make do with scraps again ." "Oh," replied the woman, "I'd rather not have wealth if I don't know its source, as it would leave me with no tranquility."
The man returned to his fishing spot and, after some time, he caught the golden fish for the third time. "Listen," said the fish, "I can see that I am destined to be caught by you. Take me home, cut me into six pieces, and distribute them as follows: give two pieces to your wife to eat, two to your horse, and bury the remaining two in the ground. This will bring you a blessing." The fisherman followed the fish's instructions and soon after, two golden lilies sprouted from the buried pieces, the horse gave birth to two golden foals, and the fisherman's wife gave birth to two children made entirely of gold. The children grew up to be tall and attractive, just like the lilies and horses. One day, they asked their father if they could ride their golden steeds and explore the world. The father was heartbroken and said, "How can I bear it if you leave and I have no idea how you're doing?" The children replied, "The two golden lilies will remain here. If they are fresh, it means we're healthy. If they wither, we're sick. And if they die, we're dead."
