What would you think if you caught a fish that could talk? And after talking with you, it said it would grant you whatever you wanted if you threw it back to sea. What kind of wish or wishes would you have?
This is how the Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish begins. It is a story that has many versions in folktales across Europe. This particular version is Russian and is written by one of Russia's most beloved writers, Alexander Pushkin. The story is written in the original Russian and is also written in English translation in recognition that there are people who might like to enjoy it in both languages. The illustrations capture the emotions of the story from a peaceful blue-blue sea to an increasingly dark and stormy one.
Story by Alexander Pushkin
Translated and illustrated by Janet Whitchurch
In English and Russian
Paperback
