FISHEB, JOE

HERE was

oncea poor

man, who had

_nothinginthe world but his wife

and

an

unhappy

^{son Joe. His} continual

and

hisonly^care

was how

tokeep

them

^: so he determinedto

go

fishing,

and

thus to keep

them

from

day

^to

day upon

^{whatever the}

Lord

_brought to his net.

Suddenly

^{boththe old folks died}

and

left the

unhappy

^son

by

himself;

he went

behindthe oven and didnot

come

outtillboth father

and mother were

buried;

he

sat three days behind the oven,

and

then

remembered

that his father

had

_kept

them by

fishing^; sohe got up, took his net,

and went

_fishing below the

16

MAGYAR

FOLK-TALES.

weir: there

he

fished till the skin

began

^topeel^off the palms of his hands,

and

never caught^so

much

asone fish.

At

lasthe _said,

"

I will cast

my

^{netonce more,}

^and

^{then I willneverdoso}again."

So he

cast hisnetfor the last time

and drew

to shore agolden

fish.

While

he

was

_going

home he

_{thought he}

would

_giveit tothe lord of the manor, ^sothatperhaps

he might

grant ^a day's

wages

^forit.

When

_{he got}

^home he

took

down

a

plate

from

the rack, took thefish from hisbag,

and

laid it

upon

^the plate^; butthefish slipped^off theplate

and changed

^into a lovelygirl,

who

_said, ^" I

am

_thine,

_{and you}

are mine,^love."

The moment

after she asked, '*"Joe, did

your

^{father leave}

you anything?"

"

We had

something," replied her husband;

"but my

^father

was

_poor

and

he sold everything^{; but,"} continued _he, "do

you

seethathigh

mountain yonder?

^{it is not sold} yet, for itis too steep and

no

one

would have

it."

Then

said his wife, "

Let's

go

fora

walk and

look over the mountain."

So

_they

went

all over

it, length

and

breadth,

from

furrowto furrow.

When

_they

came

to a furrowin themiddle his wife _said, u Letus sit

down on

a ridge,

my

^love,

^and

^{rest a}little."

They

^sat

down, and Joe

^laid

his

head

on his wife's lap

and

^fell _asleep.

She

then _slipped off her _cloak,

made

itinto a pillow,

drew

herselfaway,

and

laid

Joe upon

the pillow without

waking

^him.

She

_rose,

went

_away, un-coiled a large

whip ^and

^{cracked it.}

The

crack

was

heard over seven times seven countries. Ina

moment

as

many

dragons^as existed

came

forth. "

What

are yourMajesty's

commands

?"said they. "

My ^commands

are these," replied she^: "

you

^{see this}place build a palace here,^finerthan

any

^{thatexistsin theworld;}

and

whateverisneededin it

must

be there: stables foreight bullocks

and

thebullocks in them, with

two men

to tend

them;

^{stalls for} eight horses

and

the horses in them,

and two grooms

^{to tend}

them

; six stacks in the yard,

and

twelvethreshers in the barn."

She was

greatly delighted

when

she saw her order

completed,

and thanked God

that

He had

_{given her}

what He had

_promised.

"

_{I shall}

now

_go," said she, "

and wake my

husband."

When

FISHER JOE. 17 she

came

to

him

he

was

still

asleep.

" Get _up,

my

^{love," said}

she, "_{look after the}

threshers, thegrooms, the oxen, and see that alldo their work,

and

that all the

work

be _done, and _give

your

^{orders to} the labourers_;

and now, my

love, ^let us

go

^into the house

and

seethatall isright.

You

_{give your}orders to the men-servants,

and

I willgive

mine

to the maids.

We

have

now enough

^{to liveon;" and}

Joe

thanked

God

for His _blessings.

He

then told his wile thathe

would

invite the lord of the

manor

to dine with

him

on

Whit

_Sunday.

^"

Don't leave

me,"

replied his wife;

"

_for

if

he

catch

sight of

me _you

will lose me. Iwill see that the table islaid and all isready; but a

maid

shallwait

on

_you. I will retire into an inner

room

lest he should see

me."

Joe

ordered the

carriage

and

_six, seated himself in

it, the

coachman

sat

on

thebox,

and away

they

went

^to the lord'shouse;

they^{arrived at the} gate,

Joe

_got out,

went

_through the _gate,

and saw

threestonemasons ^at

work

in theyard^; he _greeted

them and

_they returned thegreeting.

"

Just look," remarked one of them, ^*'

what Joe

has

become and how

miserable

he

used^tobe!"

He

entered the castle,

and went

into the lord's room. u

Good

day,,

my

"lord." "

God

^bless _you, Joe,

what news ?" "I

have

come

to ask yourlordship ^to dine with

me

on

Whit

_Sunday,

and we

shall be verypleased ^{to see} you." "

I willcome, Joe;^" _they then said

good-bye and

parted. After Joe

had gone

^{the lord}

came

intothe courtyard,

and

the three masons asked

him

^u

What

did Joe

want?" ^" He

has invited

me

to dine with him,"

was

the _reply, "

and

I

am

going." "

Of

_course;

_{you must}

_go," ^said one ofthem, "that

you may

^see

^what

^{sortof a house he} keeps."

The

lordsetout in hiscarriage

and

_four, with the

coachman

in _front,

and

arrived at the _palace.

Joe

ran outto

meet

_him, they ^saluted each _other,

and

entered

arm

in arm.

They

dined, andall

went

well till the lord asked, "

Well, Joe,

and where

^is your^wife

?" " She

isbusy," ^saidJoe.

"

But

I should like to see her," explained ^{the baron.}

"

She

is rather shy

when

in c

In document IS IS (Pldal 91-94)