Excerpt from The Golden Fish: A Retelling of a Russian tale
Lee Washington
The old fisherman floated on the Black Sea, boat bobbing from side to side as a frigid wind
sliced through his threadbare sweater. Though the fisherman and his wife were struggling to
survive without much money, he thought happily of the meager but delicious dinner of
homemade bread that was waiting for him at home. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pull on the fishing
line, and the fisherman heaved a large, shining, yellow fish onto the boat. Its fins sparkled like
coins cascading from a treasure chest
2The fish began to beg. "If you release me," the fish blubbered, "T'll give you everything you
need."
The fisherman eyed the fantastic creature. "I am content with what I have, but I will let you go
regardless," the fisherman said as he plopped the fish back into the sea.
When the sun's heavy eyelids began to droop, the fisherman returned home through the town.
He passed a wealthy man arguing with a shopkeeper about merchandise and sadly shook his
head at the annoyed men as he entered his house,
Why does the fisherman shake his head at the wealthy man and the shopkeeper?
.