Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife. But the woman was very picky. All food disgusted her. She didn’t like anything: neither chicken, nor antelope meat, nor any fish except catfish.
“Catch me some catfish,” she demanded. “I only want catfish!” If you don't catch me a catfish, I'll die of hunger.
And her husband one day decided to fulfill her wish. He went to the river bank, cast a fishing rod, caught a lot of fish, but no catfish were caught.
He was already tired of standing with a fishing rod in his hands all day. And suddenly he felt how much the fishing line was stretched. "Wow! - thought the husband, - some big fish was caught.
He carefully pulled the fishing rod and saw the head of a huge catfish in the water. Nine shells were visible on it: three on the forehead, three on one side of the head, three on the other. The man threw his fishing rod and wanted to run away.
- Don't be scared! - the fish shouted after him. “If you’ve already caught me, then take me home.”
A man cautiously approached the shore and pulled the catfish out of the water. He was about to hang it on a stick, when suddenly the fish spoke again in a human voice:
- No, don't poke me with a stick! It will hurt me. Go to the palm grove, chop branches, make a stretcher and carry me on it.
The man did just that. Arriving home, he put the fish in front of his wife and left. The wife was very pleased, she even began to dance for joy. And when she bent over the huge fish, the catfish spoke in a human voice:
“Before you cook and eat me, buy a new knife, a new pot, a new plate and a new mat.”
The woman ran to her husband and asked him to buy all the things called fish.
“Listen,” her husband told her, “after all, when I caught this fish, it spoke to me too.”
But his wife did not listen to him:
- I talked to you, just think! She talks to me because she wants to be friends with me... I will eat her myself, alone. Y-i-them! After all, this is exactly the fish that I have been wanting to eat for so long!
The husband went and bought his wife a new knife, a new pot, a new plate and a new mat. The wife, very pleased, gutted the fish, cut it into pieces and began to cook. When everything was ready, she took pity on her husband, called him and offered him a piece of fish too. But he refused:
- Damn it! Do you really think that I will eat a fish that speaks with a human voice? Eat by yourself! You always have all sorts of quirks!
The wife put the fish on a new plate, sat down on a new mat and began to eat. She ate, ate, ate until there was nothing left of the fish. She finally got her wish.
And suddenly the fish spoke in a human voice from the woman’s belly:
- Well, did you eat the funeral?
- Yes, very good.
- Now wash your hands, we’ll talk to you! The woman washed her hands, and the fish asked her again:
— Did you eat everything that was in the pot?
- Yes, I ate everything.
- Get ready, I'll be out now!
- How will you get out?
- How do you want me to go out?
- Exit through the nose.
- Ugh, through the nose. Ugh, he's wet. - Well, then through the eyes.
- Through the eyes. Ugh, they're always wet.
- Well, then through the ears.
- Through your ears... Ugh, they are always dirty.
- Then through the mouth.
- Through the mouth? No, I entered through him.
- Then come out as you wish! - the woman screamed.
And, having broken her back, the fish came out, and the woman died.
When the husband entered the hut, the fish lay stretched out on the mat next to his dead wife.
“Just don’t be scared and don’t feel sorry for your wife.” She was a bad woman,” said the fish. “As soon as you bury her, take me to where you caught me.” Only not on a stretcher, but in a new mat.
The husband grieved and grieved, but there was nothing to do. He called all his relatives and buried his wife.
The next morning the first rooster crowed, the second crowing, the third crowing, and the fish spoke again:
- Get up! The time has come! Take me to the river.
The man followed the fish's order. He was now afraid of her and carried her very carefully.
- Don't leave me on the shore. Enter the water, carry me to the place that I will show you,” the fish told him.
The man entered the water and took a few steps.
- Go on, go on! - the fish ordered.
The man took a few more steps. The water had already reached his shoulders.
- Stop here! But don’t throw me away, but lower me into the water carefully! - said the fish.
The man carefully lowered the fish into the water. Already from the depths of the river she said, sticking her head out:
- Listen, when you get married a second time, choose a wife who would not be so picky! Otherwise it will cost you your life!
And the man soon found himself another wife, but one who was always happy with everything.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru