黑布林英语渔夫和他的灵魂

The Fisherman and His Soul

About the Book

The Fisherman and His Soul is a short story from Oscar Wilde's collection The Happy

Prince and Other Tales. Wilde writes these stories for his children in 1888.

The Fisherman and His Soul is the story of a young fisherman. One day he catches a

mermaid in his fishing net and he falls in love with her. The fisherman learns he cannot be with the mermaid because he has a human soul. The fisherman then tries to send away his human soul. The fisherman learns from a witch how to send his soul away. He is then free to be with his mermaid. His soul is alone in the world. He travels the world. Each year he comes back to the fisherman and tells him about his travels.

One of the themes of the story is temptation. In the story the mermaid tempts the fisherman with stories of the sea. The fisherman tempts the witch to help him send away his soul. And his soul tries to tempt the fisherman to leave the mermaid.

But the main theme of the story is love. Love is more important than anything. The soul cannot tempt the fisherman because the fisherman’s love is too strong. And in the end, we discover that you cannot live without love.

The Fisherman and His Soul is an exotic story with Oriental and Eastern influences. There are also mermaids, witches and devils. The language is poetic and is full of allegory.

1 THE MERMAID

Every evening the young Fisherman goes out on the sea. He throws his nets into the water. When the wind blows from the land, he doesn't catch many fish. But when the wind blows from the sea, he catches lots of fish and he can sell them at the market.

One evening the Fisherman's net is very heavy. He thinks, 'Are all the fish in the sea in my net? Or is there a monster in my net?' He pulls and he pulls his net.

There are no fish or monsters in his net. But there is a little Mermaid and she is sleeping.

The Mermaid's hair is golden. Her body is white. Her tail is silver and pearl. Her ears are like sea-shells and her lips are like sea-coral.

Her beauty makes the Fisherman very happy. He leans out of the boat. He takes the Mermaid in his arms. She wakes up when he touches her. She cries like a seagull and she wants to escape. But the Fisherman holds the Mermaid in his arms.

‘Please free me,' the Mermaid cries. "I am the only daughter of the King. My father is old and alone. ‘Make me a promise,' says the Fisherman. "I can free you. B please come when I call you. You can sing to me and to the fish. Then my nets can always be full of fish."

‘I promise,' cries the Mermaid.

The fisherman opens his arms and fees the frightened Mermaid.She swims down under the water.

What is not a promise?

口A statement in which you say that something will definitely happen.

口You will definitely do something.

口You will definitely not do something.

口You guess something will happen.

Every evening the Fisherman goes out on the sea. He calls the Mermaid. She comes out of the water and sings to him. The dolphins swim round and round the Mermaid. The seagulls fly round and round the Mermaid.

The Mermaid sings a beautiful song. She sings of the Sea-folk and of the palace of the King. She sings of the gardens of the sea full of coral and fish. She sings of whales, sea lions and seahorses. She sings of sunken ships and of Mermaids holding out their arms to the sailors, calling them into the sea.

The Mermaid sings and sings. All the fish come from the bottom of the sea to listen to her. The Fisherman throws his nets into the sea. His nets and boat are full of fish. Then the Mermaid stops singing. She smiles at the Fisherman and she swims back under the sea.

Every evening the Fisherman calls the Mermaid. And every evening she sings for him. But she does not come near him. The Fisherman tries to touch her. But she swims back under the Sea.

Every evening the Fisherman listens to the Mermaid. Her Song and her voice are sweet to his ears. And the Fisherman forgets his nets and the fish. His eyes are full of love.

One evening the Fisherman calls to the Mermaid.

'Li ttle Mermaid, little Mermaid, | love you. Can I be your husband?' he says.

But the Mermaid shakes her head.

'No,' she says. 'You have a human soul. I cannot love you with your human soul. Send away your human soul and I can love you.'

The Fisherman thinks, 'I have a soul. But I cannot see it. I cannot touch it. I do not need it. I can send it away. Then I can be happy with my little Mermaid.'

The Fisherman is full of joy. He stands in his boat. He opens his arms to the Mermaid.

‘I can send my soul away,' he cries. "You can be my wife' and I can be your husband. We can live together at the bottom of the sea. You can show me your kingdom. We can be together."

The little Mermaid is very happy. She laughs and hides her face in her hands.

‘How can I send my soul away?' cries the Fisherman.

'I do not know,' says the little Mermaid sadly. ‘The Sea-folk have no souls.’

Then she swims back down under the sea. She is sad now.

2 THE PRIEST

Early the next morning the Fisherman goes to the Priest's house.

He knocks three times on the door.

The fisherman enters the house and kneels on the floor. The Priest is reading.

'Father,' he says to the Priest, ‘I am in love with a Mermaid. I can send my soul away.

My soul is not important to me. It has no value to me.| cannot see it. I cannot touch it. I do not need it.’

‘Are you mad?’ replies the Priest. ‘Of course you need your soul. God gives us our souls to do good things. Human souls are precious. Very precious. Forget the Mermaid. The Sea-folk are

lost. Good and evil are the same for them. They have no place in heaven.'

The Fisherman is sad. He has tears in his eyes. He stands and says, 'Father, I want to be one of the Sea-folk. I don't want my soul. I want to be with my love. My Mermaid is beautiful, like the stars and the moon. I love her, I don't need my soul. I don't need a place in heaven. Help me. Help me send away my soul.'

"Go away! Go away!' cries the Priest. 'You are lost. Lost with your Mermaid.'

The Priest sends the Fisherman away and he shuts his door.

Fill in the blank.

Human souls are important for humans because human souls are precious/ God gives us our souls to do good things.

3 THE MERCHANTS

The Fisherman walks to the marketplace. He is sad.

The merchants in the marketplace see him. One of the merchants see the fisherman, "What do you have to sell?’

‘My soul.’ answers the Fisherman. 'Please buy it. I cannot use it. I cannot see it. I cannot touch it. I do not need it.’

But the merchants laugh.

‘We cannot buy your soul,' they say. "Your soul has no value for us. Become a slave and we can sell your body. We can dress you in purple and give you a ring. You can become the great Queen's slave.'

'How strange,' thinks the Fisherman. 'For the priest my soul has great value, but for the merchants it has no value.' And he walks away. He goes to the sea to think.

Why does the Fisherman's soul have no value for the merchants?

Because the merchants can not sell it.

Because his soul is very cheap.

Because the merchants sell other goods.

Because his soul doesn’t have a price in the market.

4 THE WITCH

Later the Fisherman remembers a young Witch. His friend knows her. She is good at spells.

The Fisherman runs to her cave.

‘I want a small thing,' says the Fisherman. 'The Priest says “no" and the merchants laugh. Now I come to you. You can help me and I can pay your price.'

'What do you want?' asks the Witch. She comes near to the Fisherman.

'I want to send my soul away,' says the Fisherman.

The Witch grows pale. She hides her face in her blue cloak. "Fisherman, Fisherman,' she says, 'It is terrible to send your soul away.'

The Fisherman laughs, 'My soul is not important for me,' he answers. "I cannot see it. I cannot touch it. I do not need it.'

‘What can you give me?" asks the Witch. Her beautiful eyes look at the Fisherman.

‘Five pieces of gold’, he say, "my nets, my house and my boat. Tell me how to send my soul away. Then I can give you everything.'

The Witch laughs, ‘With my spells I can have gold and silver. Money is not important to me. ’

'If you don’t want gold or silver, what can I give you?’ Cries the Fisherman.

The Witch touches the Fisherman's hair. Her hand is thin and white. 'Dance with me, Fisherman,' She says. She is smiling.

‘Is that all?’! asks the Fisherman.

'That is all,' she answers. She smiles again.

‘We can dance at sunset,' he says. 'Then you can tell me how to send my soul away.'

The witch shakes her head.

"When the moon is full,' she says. She goes over to the Fisherman and she speaks close to his ear. 'Tonight at the top of the mountain,' she whispers.

The Fisherman looks at the Witch.

'Wait for me at the top of the mountain, under the tree. When the moon is full, we can dance together.'

"Yes,' cries the Fisherman.' Tonight we can dance. It is a small price for me.'

He runs back to the town. He is happy.

The Witch watches him leave. She goes into the cave. She looks in a mirror. She is angry.

"Why does he not love me? I am beautiful, too. Why does he love the Mermaid and not me?'

Why is the Witch very angry?

Because she cannot dance with the Fisherman.

Because the Fisherman loves the Mermaid, not her.

Because the Fisherman thinks she is ugly.

Because the Witch can do nothing for the Fisherman.

In the evening the moon rises in the sky. The Fisherman climbs to the top of the mountain. He waits under the tree. He sees the sea below. There are fishing boats on the sea.

At midnight the witches come. They fly in the air like bats. They land on the top of the mountain. Then the young Witch arrives. Her red hair blows in the wind. She is wearing a gold dress and a green hat.

The Witch walks to the tree. She pulls the Fisherman into the light of the moon. They begin to dance. They dance and dance. Round and round.

"Faster,' cries the Witch. 'Faster, faster!'

Now everything is going round and round. The Fisherman feels frightened. He feels evil in the air. The Witch and the Fisherman are dancing round and round. He hears the Witch laugh.

Then a dog barks and the dancers stop.

"Come!" whispers the Witch to the Fisherman. He follows her. But first he says the holy name.

At that moment the witches scream and fly away. The Witch with the red hair also tries to go away. But the Fisherman Catches her and holds her in his arms.

Why do the witches scream and fly away?

What is happening?

Because in calling the holy name the Fisherman is sending their ‘evil’ spirits and powers away.

'Free me,' says the Witch.

'No,' he answers. 'Tell me the secret.'

'What secret?' says the Witch. She fights like a wild cat. She wants to be free.

'You know,' he replies.

He holds her in his arms. She cannot escape.

'Am I not beautiful like the daughter of the sea?' she whispers close to the Fisherman's face.

"Keep your promise. Don't be a false witch,' the Fisherman says.

The Witch grows pale.

'As you wish,' she says. ‘It is your soul, not mine.'

The Witch gives him a little knife.

‘What is this for?' the Fisherman asks.

The Witch is silent for a few moments. She is afraid. Then she says, 'Man has a shadow'. This shadow is not the shadow of your body. It is the body of your soul. Stand on the seashore with the moon behind you. Then cut away your shadow from your body. Cut away your soul's body. Send your soul away. Then your soul can leave you.'

The Fisherman is afraid, too. 'Is this true?' he says.

'It is true,' she cries. 'But you can only do it once.' She holds his knees, and she is crying.

The Fisherman pushes the Witch away. He puts the knife into his belt and he climbs down the mountain.

5 THE SOUL

The Fisherman climbs down the mountain. The Fisherman's soul calls to him, 'Don't send me away. Please, don't send me away.'

'You are not important to me,' says the Fisherman. 'Go away. Go where you want. My love is calling me.'

The Fisherman arrives at the seashore. He stands with his back to the moon. He looks at the sea. White arms are calling him. His shadow lies before him. His shadow is the body of his Soul.

The Soul speaks again, 'Send me away with your heart.'

'How can I love my Mermaid with no heart?' replies the Fisherman.

'Be kind,' says the Soul. 'Give me your heart.'

'My heart is for my Mermaid. Go!'

'Can I not also love?' the Soul tries again.

‘Go! You are not important to me,' cries the Fisherman. He takes the little knife and he cuts his shadow away from his feet.

The shadow rises and stands before him. The shadow is the same size as the Fisherman.

‘Go!' says the Fisherman. "I don't want to see you again.'

‘No,' replies the Soul. ‘I want to meet you again.'

'How?' asks the Fisherman. "You cannot follow me under the sea.’

'Every year I can come back to this place,' says the Soul. ‘I can call you and you can come.'

'OK,' replies the Fisherman. 'I can come.'

The Fisherman jumps into the water. The Tritons blow their horns and the little Mermaid comes to meet him. She kisses him. They go down under the water.

The Soul watches on the beach. He is all alone.

6 THE FIRST YEAR

The first year passes and the Soul comes back to the seashore. He calls the Fisherman. The Fisherman rises from the deep water and says, ‘Why do you call me?’

"Come and listen to my story,' says the Soul.

The Fisherman comes near. He lies in the water. He leans his head on his hand and listens.

The Soul begins his story:

I decide to go to the East. Everything in the East is wise. I travel for six days. On the seventh day I come to the land of the Tartars. There are lots of hills and the land is dry and hot. I sit under a tree and watch. People come and go. Then the Tartars go and fight.

The moon is high. I see a fire. There are merchants sitting on carpets. There are tents and camels. I go over and the chief merchant stands up and takes out his sword.

'Who are you?' he asks me.

'I am a Prince. I am running away from the Tartars. I do not want to be their slave,' | answer.

The merchant takes my hand and I sit beside him. Then a servant brings me milk and food.

Use the Internet to find out about the Tartars.

Who are they?

Where do they live?

In the morning the caravan starts on its journey. | ride on a red-haired camel next to the chief. The men of war walk with their weapons. Eighty mules follow us with all the things we have to sell. There are forty camels in the caravan.

We leave the land of the Tartars and we travel to many strange lands.

We come to a land where the people curse the moon, We see gryphons guarding their gold on white rocks, dragons sleeping in their caves. We pass mountains with snow. We pass valleys with pygmies shooting arrows. At night we hear wild men beat their drums.

We come to the Tower of the apes. We put fruit before the apes. They do not hurt us.

We come to the Tower of the serpents. We give them warm milk in bowls. They allow us to pass.

Three times on our journey we cross the river Oxus. We Cross on rafts of wood. The river-horses try to fight us. But they see camels and they are afraid.

We pay money to the guards of the cities. But they do not open the doors of their cities. They throw bread and cakes over the walls.

We arrive at villages and the people run away in fear.

On our journey we fight many battles. Many people on the caravan die in battle. And many people on the caravan die of hunger. The survivors start to talk about me. Do I bring bad fortune? I pick up a snake. It bites me but I don't feel anything. Now the people are afraid of me.

After four months we arrive at the city of lllel and we knock at the big metal gates. The guards open the gates and we go to the marketplace. The merchants and the servants start to sell their

goods. The people come and look. On the first day the priests come and buy. On the second day the nobles come and buy. On the third day the craftsmen and slaves come and buy.

One day I am walking in the streets of the city. I come to the temple of the city's god. There are priests in yellow clothes. The temple is rose-red with bells on the roof. I sit in front of the temple by a pool of cool water. A priest comes to me.

'What do you want?' he asks.

'I want to see the god,' I reply.

"The god is sleeping,' says the priest,

'Tell me where, and I can watch him sleep,' I answer.

'The god is at a feast,’ he cries.

'Give me wine and I can drink with him,' I answer.

The priest looks at me, then he takes me by the hand and we go into the temple.

In the first room I see a statue. It is made of ebony and it is the size of a man. There is a ruby on its forehead.

'Is this the god?' I say to the priest.

"This is the god,' he answers.

'This is not the god! Show me the god,' I shout. And I touch his hand and it becomes small.

'Cure me and I can show you the god,' he says.

So I breathe on his hand and it becomes normal again. The priest is afraid.

In the second room I see another statue. It is made of ivory.

It is twice' the size of a man and it is sitting on a jade flower.

'Is this the god?' I say to the priest.

'This is the god,' he answers.

'This is not the god! Show me the god!' I shout. And I touch his eyes and he becomes blind.

'Cure me and I can show you the god,' says the priest.

So I breathe on his eyes and he can see again. Now the pries is afraid.

In the third room there are no statues. But there is a round mirror. The mirror is made of metal and it is on a stone step.

"Where is the god?" I ask the priest.

‘There is no god,’ he answers. ‘This is the Mirror of Wisdom. When you look into it, you can see

everything in heaven and on earth. But you cannot see your own face. When you look into this mirror, you can see everything and you become wise. Nothing is hidden from you. There are lots of other mirrors in the world but there is only one Mirror of Wisdom. The Mirrors of Wisdom is the god, and we worship it.'

I look into the mirror, and I see everything on heaven and on earth. The priest is telling the truth.

Then I do a strange thing. I take the mirror and I hide the Mirror of Wisdom. The mirror is in a valley a day's journey from here.

This is the end of the Soul's story.

Then the Soul turns to the Fisherman and says, "Can I become your soul again? I can become your servant. You can have the Mirror of Wisdom and become wise. You can have Wisdom.'

But the Fisherman laughs, "I don't want Wisdom. I want Love,’ he cries. 'The little Mermaid loves me.'

'No,' says the Soul. "Wisdom is important, too.'

I want Love,' answers the Fisherman. He jumps back into the sea.

The Soul goes away. He is crying.

Do you think the Fisherman chooses well?

Which one do you choose? Wisdom or Love?

7 THE SECOND YEAR

The second year passes and the Soul comes back to the seashore.

He Calls the Fisherman. The Fisherman rises from the deep water and says, ‘Why do you call me?’

‘Come and listen to my story,' says the Soul.

The Fisherman comes near. He lies in the water. He leans his head on his hand and listens.

The Soul begins his story:

This time I decide to go to the South. Everything in the South is precious. I travel for six days. On the seventh day I come to the city of Ashter.

There are nine gates to this city and there are watch-towers on the walls. In every tower there is an archer with a bow in his hand. At sunrise he hits a gong with his arrow. And at sunset he blows a horn. I try to enter but the guards stop me.

'What do you want?' a guard asks me.

I am a Dervish,' l answer. 'I am travelling to the city of Mecca.'

The guards open the gates and I enter the city.

Inside the city there is a bazaar. There are coloured Paper lanterns. The merchants sit on silk carpets. They have straight black beards and golden turbans. They sell perfumes from the islands in the Indian Sea. They sell oils and spices. They sell silver bracelets, earrings and rings, all decorated with precious stones. They sell fine wine from Shiraz. The wine is sweet, like honey. I can hear guitars playing in the tea-houses and the air smells sweet.

In the marketplace there are the fruit-sellers. They sell all kinds of fruit: purple figs', yellow melons, red apples, white grapes, red-gold oranges and yellow-green lemons. I see an elephant

eating oranges at a stall. Everyone is looking at it and laughing.

In Ashter the people are strange. When they are happy, they go to the bird-seller and they buy a bird in a cage. They free the bird from the cage. And their happiness becomes greater. But when they are sad, they take thorns. They hurt themselves with the thorns because they do not want their sadness to go away.

One evening I meet some men. They are crying a chair through the bazaar. It is made of bamboo. The windows have beautiful curtains. A beautiful white face looks out at me and smiles. She is Circassian. The men are moving quickly but I follow behind. I want to see the beautiful white face again.

They stop at a square white house. The house has no windows. There is a little door, like the door of a tomb. They knock three times and an Armenian looks out. He puts a carpet on the ground.

The woman steps out. She turns and smiles at me again.

When the moon rises I return to the same place. I look for the house. But it is not there. I do not see the beautiful woman again.

On the feast of the New Moon the young Emperor leaves his palace to pray. His hair and beard are colored with rose-leaves. His cheeks are covered with gold dust. The palms of his feet and

hands are yellow with saffron.

At sunrise he leaves the palace with a silver robe. And at sunset he returns to his palace with a gold robe. The people in the street see him. They lie on the ground and they cover their faces.

But I do not. I stand and look at him. The Emperor sees me and stops. He waits for me to obey. But I do not obey. The people tell me to leave the city. But I do not.

In the evening I am in the tea-house in the Street of Pomegranates. I am lying on soft cushions on the floor. The Emperor’s guards enter. They take me and they lead me to the palace. They close the doors. They put a chain on the door. There is a great court inside. The walls are white with some green and blue drawings. The pillars are of green marble and the floor is pink.

I cross the court. Two veiled women shout at me from a balcony. But the guards move me forward. They open a gate we go into a garden. A nightingale sings from a tree.

At the end of the garden there is a little pavilion. Two fat men come to meet us. As they walk, they are eating sweets and fruit from the trees. They and the guards leave me in front of the pavilion and I go in.

The young Emperor is lying on lion skins. There is a slave standing behind him. On a table there is big scimitar sword.

The Emperor sees me and says, ‘Who are you? Do you know I am the Emperor of this city?'

But I do not answer.

The Emperor points to the scimitar sword. The slave takes it and attacks me. The sword goes through my body. But it does not hurt me. The slave falls to the floor. He is very afraid. The Emperor jumps to his feet. He tries to attack me but he cannot hurt me, either.

The Emperor then kills the slave. Now the slave cannot tell anyone about me.

The Emperor looks at me and cries, 'Are you a magician? Why can I not kill you? Leave my city. I cannot be the ruler of the city with you here. Leave the city and I can be the ruler, again.'

"Give me half your treasure, ' I answer.' Then I can leave.'

The Emperor takes me by the hand. We go out into the garden. We pass the guard and the fat men. They look at me in fear.

We enter the palace and go to a large room. The Emperor touches one of the walls and it opens. We walk down a corridor that is lit by many torches. When we arrive at the centre of the corridor,

the Emperor says a magic word and a big stone door opens. The Emperor puts his hand over his face to protect his eyes.

Inside, the room is full of treasure: pearls, rubies, gold, gold dust, opals, sapphires, jade, emeralds…

The Emperor takes his hands away from his face.

'This is my house of treasure,’ he says. ‘ I can give you half of my treasure. I can also give you camels and camel drivers. Then you must leave. You can leave tonight. Leave before the sun rises.

‘l don’t want your treasure,’ I say. ‘I want the Iittle ring on your finger.’

‘lt is only a poor ring,' he cries. ‘It has no value. Take half my treasure and leave the city.’

What do you think the ring can do?

口It is a ring of love.

It is a ring of riches.

口It is a ring of no value.

口It is a ring of wisdom.

'No,' I answer. 'I want your ring. I know there is writing inside it. I know it is an important ring. It is the Ring of Riches.'

The Emperor is afraid and he says, 'Take all the treasure and leave my city. Take my half of the treasure, too.’

Then I do a strange thing. I take the Ring of Riches and hide it. The ring is in a cave a day's journey from here.

This is the end cf the Soul's story.

"Come,' says the Soul to the Fisherman. 'Come with me to the cave. You can have the Ring of Riches. You can have all the riches in the world. You can be rich.'

But the Fisherman laughs, 'I want Love, not Riches,' he cries. 'The little Mermaid loves me.'

‘No,’ says the Soul. 'Riches are important, too.'

'No, I want Love,' answers the Fisherman. He jumps back into the sea.

The Soul goes away. He is crying.

8 THE THIRD YEAR

The third year passes and the Soul comes back to the seashore. He calls the Fisherman. The fisherman rises from the deep water and says, ‘Why do you call me?’

'Come and listen to my travels,’ says the Soul.

The Fisherman comes near. He lies in the water. He leans his head on his hand and listens.

‘I know a city not far from here,’ says the Soul to the Fisherman. ‘There is a beautiful girl there. This girl can dance very well. She dances in her bare feet and with a veil on her face. She is a marvelous dancer. This city is a day’s journey from here.’

The fisherman listens to the words of the Soul. He remembers his little Mermaid She has no feet and she cannot dance. The Fisherman wants to see the beautiful dancer. He thinks, ‘It is only a day's journey from here and then I can return to my love.'

The Fisherman laughs and stands up in the water. He goes to the shore. He laughs again on the beach. He holds out his arms to his Soul. His Soul cries for joy. He runs to meet the Fisherman and becomes one with him. The Fisherman sees his shadow on the sand. His Soul is part of him, again.

'Come, follow me,' says the Soul.

The Fisherman and his Soul travel fast. They travel all night and all day. They come to a city.

‘Is this the city?’ the Fisherman asks his Soul. 'Can we see the dancer?’

'No,' answers the Soul, 'this is another city. But we can visit it.'

They enter the city. They walk through the streets. They pass the jewellery sellers. The Fisherman sees a silver cup.

‘Take the silver cup and hide it,' says his Soul.

The Fisherman takes the cup. He hides it in his clothes. They leave the city.

When they are far from the city, the Fisherman stops. He is angry. He throws the cup away.

‘Why do you tell me to take the cup and hide it?' he asks his Soul. ‘It is an evil thing to do.'

But his Soul answers him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'

On the evening of the second day they come to another city.

‘Is this the city?' the fisherman asks his Soul. "Can we see the dancer?'

‘No,’ answers the Soul, ‘this is a different city. But we visit it.'

They enter the city. They walk through the streets. They pass the shoe sellers. The Fisherman sees a child standing by a bottle of water.

'Hit the child,' says his Soul.

The Fisherman hits the child. He hits the child until it cries. Then they run away.

When they are far from the city, the Fisherman stops. He is angry.

"Why do you tell me to hit the child?' he asks his Soul. ‘It is an evil thing to do.'

But his Soul answers him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'

On the evening of the third day they come to a city.

‘Is this the city?’ The Fisherman asks his Soul. ’Can we see the dancer?’

"Perhaps,' replies his Soul. ‘We can visit it and see'

They enter the city and they walk through the streets. But the Fisherman cannot find the dancer. And the people of the city look at him. He is afraid.

'Let's leave,' says the Fisherman to his Soul. ‘The dancer is not here.'

But his Soul answers him, 'No, she is not here, but let's stay. The night is dark and there are robbers outside the city.’

So the Fisherman sits and rests in the marketplace.

A merchant comes and talks to the Fisherman. The merchant offers the Fisherman a place to sleep. They go to the merchant's house. The merchant gives him food and a place to rest. The

Fisherman thanks the merchant. He kisses the ring on his hand. Then he goes to sleep.

Three hour before the sun rises the Fisherman's Soul wakes him.

‘Go to the merchant's room,' the Soul tells him. ‘Kill the merchant and take his gold.'

The Fisherman goes to the merchant's room. There is a sword and nine small bags of gold. He touches the merchant's sword. The merchant wakes and jumps up.

'I give you food and a bed. Why do you want to hurt me?’

And the Soul says to the Fisherman, 'Hit him.'

The Fisherman hits the merchant and the merchant falls. Then the Fisherman takes the nine bags of gold and he runs out of the house and leaves the city.

When they are far from the city, the Fisherman stops. He is very angry.

‘Why do you tell me to hit the merchant and take his gold?’ he asks his Soul. ‘You are evil.'

But his Soul answers him, ‘Be at peace, be at peace.’

‘No,’ cries the Fisherman, ‘I cannot be at peace. You tell me to do evil things. I hate you. Why are you doing this to me?’

And his Soul answers, ‘For three years l have no heart. Without a heart! I learn to do evil things. And I like doing evil things.’

"What are you saying?" says the Fisherman.

"You know,' replies the Soul. You know well. Do you not remember? But don't worry. Now you cannot feel pain, but you can cause pain. You cannot give pleasure, but you can receive it.'

The Fisherman hears these words and he is afraid.

'No,' says the Fisherman to his Soul. ‘You are evil. And you are teaching me evil things. You want me to forget about my love, the Mermaid.'

"Why do I not have a heart? Do not forget!’ says the Soul. ‘Come, follow me! Let's go to another city. We have nine bags of gold.’

"'No," cries the fisherman, and he throws the nine bags of gold on the ground. ‘I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want to travel with you.'

The Fisherman turns his back to the moon. He takes his little knife and he tries to cut his shadow off his body. He wants to send away his Soul again.

But nothing happens. He cannot cut his shadow off.

'The Witch's spell cannot work twice,' his Soul says to him. ‘I cannot leave you. You cannot sent me away. Man Can send his Soul away once in his life. When you take back your Soul, you must keep it forever.’

The Fisherman grows pale and cries, 'She is a false Witch!’

‘No,’ answers his Soul. ‘She is not false. Think about her words.’

Can you remember the Witch's words? You can do this only once.

Does she tell lies to the Fisherman? No, she does not tell lies.

The Fisherman realises he cannot send away his Soul. His Soul is now evil and is with him forever. And the Fisherman falls on the ground, crying.

9 THE SOUL'S ANSWERS

In the morning the Fisherman gets up. He says to his Soul, ‘I am trying my hands so I cannot do what you want. I am closing my lips so I cannot speak your words. I am now returning to my love, to my little Mermaid. I am returning to the sea. I can call her. I can tell her about my evil doings. And about you.’

But his Soul says, ‘Why do you want to return to her? There are lots of beautiful girls in the world. There are the dancing-girls of Samaris. They dance with bells on their hands. They dance and they laugh. Their laughter is like water. Come, don't think about your Mermaid. Come, follow me. And there is a city full of blue and white peacocks. In this city there is a beautiful girl. She dances for the peacocks. She dances on her hands. She dances on her feet. She dances and she laughs. She has jewellery on her feet. And when she dances, it rings like bells. Don't think about your Mermaid. Come, follow me.'

But the Fisherman does not answer. His hands are tied. And his lips are closed. He travels back to the sea. Back to his love. And on the way his Soul tells him about wonderful things. But the Fisherman does not answer. His hands are tied and his lips are closed. His Soul asks him to do evil things but he doesn’t listen because he is full of love.

The Fisherman arrives at the seashore. He unties his hands and he opens his mouth. He calls to the little Mermaid. But she does not come.

The Soul laughs at him and tells him to come away.

But the Fisherman does not answer his Soul. He builds a house in the side of a rock. He lives there for a year. Every morning, every afternoon and every evening he calls to the Mermaid. But

she does not rise from the sea. He looks for her. He looks in the sea, in the caves and in the pools. But he cannot see her.

The Fisherman’s Soul tells the fisherman to come away every day. But the fisherman ignores him. His love is strong and he ignores his Soul.

One year passes. The Soul thinks, 'I say lots of things to my master but he does not listen. His love is strong and he does not follow me.'

'You don't listen when I tell you about all the beautiful things in the world,' says the Soul to the Fisherman. 'Now listen when I tell you about the world's pain. There is suffering everywhere in the world. There are hungry people. There are poor people. There are ill people. Come, follow me. Let us help these people. Come with me to help them. Don't stay here. Your Mermaid does not answer you. Come with me and help them.’

But the Fisherman does not answer. His love is strong. Every morning, every afternoon and every evening he calls to the Mermaid. But she does not rise from the sea. He looks for her. He looks in the sea, in the rivers and in the valleys. But he cannot see her.

What does the Soul do?

He tries to help the Fisherman be happy again.

He tries to be good and do good things.

He tries to tell interesting stories to the Fisherman.

He ties to let the Fisherman forget his Mermaid and come with him.

Does the Fisherman listen? No, the Fisherman still does not listen.

Do you think love can be strong?

Who Do you love?

Two years pass. One night the Soul says to the Fisherman, 'You don't listen when I tell you about all the beautiful things in the world. And you don't listen when I tell you about the pain. Your love is strong. I have no more stories to tell you. Please can I enter your heart? I want to be in your heart again.'

'Come into my heart,' says the Fisherman. 'You are suffering without a heart. Come.'

'Oh no!' cries his Soul. 'I cannot enter. Your heart is full of your love. There is no room for me.'

'I am sorry,' says the Fisherman.

At that moment there is a great cry of sadness from the sea. One of the Sea-folk is dead. The Fisherman runs to the seashore. The black waves are carrying a white body. It moves like a flower on the waves. The waves bring the white body to the shore. The Fisherman sees the body of the little Mermaid at his feet. The little Mermaid is dead.

The Fisherman throws himself down. He lies next to the body. He kisses her cold red lips. He touches her hair. He cries. He holds the dead little Mermaid. He cries and cries and cries.

He tells the dead little Mermaid everything. He puts his arms around her neck and he talks into her ears.

The sea is black. The waves hit the shore. The sea is a monster. It is angry. Sad cries come from the palace of the Sea-King. The Tritons blow their horns. The sea comes close to the Fisherman.

‘Run away!' says the Fisherman's Soul. 'The sea is coming. The sea wants to kill you. Go to a safe place. You cannot send me to another world without a heart.'

The Fisherman does not listen to his Soul.

The Fisherman looks at the little Mermaid and says, 'I want Love, not Wisdom. I want Love, not Riches. I want Love, not dancers' feet. Fire cannot destroy Love. Water cannot destroy Love. I call you every morning and every evening. But you do not come. I know I am guilty. But your love is always with me. It is strong. But now you are dead. And I want to die with you.'

The Fisherman's Soul tells him to leave the seashore. But the Fisherman does not leave. His love is too strong.

The sea comes close to the Fisherman. The sea and the waves cover the Fisherman. He kisses the little Mermaid and his heart breaks. Now the Soul can come into his heart and they are together again in love. And the sea covers the Fisherman and his Soul with its waves.

In the morning the Priest goes to the shore. He wants to bless the sea. The sea is big and black. The Priest goes with his monks and musicians and other people, too.

They walk in a procession3 to the shore. The Priest finds the Fisherman dead by the shore. The Fisherman is holding the body of the little Mermaid. The Priest is shocked.

"I cannot bless the sea. I cannot bless the Sea-folk. I cannot bless the Fisherman and his Mermaid. Take this man. Bury him in the ground at the Field of the Fullers". Do not bless him. He is with the Sea-folk.'

The people dig a deep hole and bury the Fisherman in the corner of the Field of the Fullers. There are no flowers there.

10 THE FLOWERS

Three years pass. It is a holy day. The Priest goes to the church. He wants to talk to the people about God's anger. He enters the church and he bows before the altar. The altar is covered with white flowers. 'What beautiful flowers!' thinks the Priest.

The Priest turns to talk to the people. He wants to talk about God's anger. But he sees the white flowers. They are beautiful and they smell sweet. He cannot talk about God's anger. So he talks about God's love.

The Priest finishes talking and the people start to cry. The Priest's eyes are full of tears, too.

The Priest asks the people, "What are the flowers on the altar? Where do they come from?'

'There are new flowers,' say the people. 'We do not know them. They come from the Field of the Fullers.’

The Priest is afraid. He goes home and he prays.

Why is the Priest afraid? Because he realizes the Fisherman was buried there and that he is blessed and not lost.

What do you think the white flowers are?

At dawn the Priest goes to the sea. He goes with his monks and musicians and other people, too. He blesses the sea. He blesses everything in the sea. He blesses the Sea-folk. Then he blesses everything in the woods. He blesses everything in God's world. And the people are full of joy.

Flowers don't grow in the Field of the Fullers, now. And the Sea-folk never come to the seashore. They go to another part of the sea.

黑布林英语渔夫和他的灵魂知识讲解