Here's another thread regarding an idea I've had. Recently, I've come to the conclusion that that The Fisherman and His Wife could work well as a featurette, in a similar vein to the Winnie the Pooh series or Ben and Me or any of the other myriad of featurettes Disney has made. Besides, the story is kind of on the short side, and I can't think of any ways to stretch it out to feature-length. So, with that in mind, here's my idea.
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The Fisherman and His Wife
Story Layout by DisneyManOne
Long ago, in a quaint seaside village, lives a fisherman. He is a humble and meager man, but very poor. He lives in a ramshackle hovel on the edge of the great ocean. Unfortunately, his wife is nothing like him. She is brash, boorish and incredibly selfish. She cares nothing for her fellow man, only for herself. Day after day, she complains about her stance of living, and never lifts a finger. Day after day, the fisherman goes out to sea, hoping to find something to bring home for dinner. One day, he happens to catch a fish, the largest fish any man ever laid eyes on. However, the fish speaks, claiming to be a prince and begging the fisherman to spare his life. If the fisherman spares the fish, the fish will grant the fisherman anything his heart desires. The fisherman, not really one for wishing, agrees to set him free regardless.
When he returns home and his wife lambasts him for bringing home nothing, the fisherman claims that he caught a magical fish that could grant any wish. His wife still berates him--"Why didn't you make a wish then?" "I have nothing to wish for" is the reply. Well, the wife has a wish or two up her sleeve. She demands that the fisherman return to the sea and ask the fish for a nicer home. And so, he goes out to the sea, calls for the fish--"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray thee, here to me"--and makes the wish. When the fisherman returns home, the shack has turned into a lovely new home. "See?" the fisherman says to his wife. "We have a new home. Surely, you will be happy now." "We shall see" is the reply.
Time passes. The wife has grown tired of the new house. She once again has the fisherman go out, this time, wishing for a castle. However, as the man goes out to sea, he notices the sea is getting a bit rough and wavy, compared to the mellow calmness of the first time. The fish grants the new wish and the house becomes a castle. "Surely, you will be happy now." "We shall see."
Alas, this is not the case. The castle has only driven the wife's greediness further. She wants to be wealthy and be politically powerful--to be queen, even! And so, the fisherman is forced to go. This time, the sea is really getting rough, but nonetheless, the wish is made. Although the wife is getting everything she ever wanted, the fisherman is starting to feel empty. He doesn't want any of this. Later that same night, when the sea has calmed, he sets out under the moonlight to talk with the fish. He asks the fish of his princely claims, and the fish explains his tragic story. When he was the prince of the village, he was greedy and selfish himself--only taking, never giving. Then, one day, when the prince was sailing one of his many ships, he fell overboard and when he hit the water, he was surrounded by tons and tons of fish, magic fish, who turned him into one of their own. As punishment for his greediness, he must sail the seas of his former village, granting wishes to the peasants he once looked down upon. The event has certainly humbled him, and he has gained new respect for humanity. The fisherman confides in the fish that he fears his wife is starting to turn out like the prince.
Then one day, the wife's greediness becomes too much to bear. She wants ultimate power, power over the wind and rain, the sun and stars. In other words, she wants to become God. Now, the sea is horribly turbulent and stormy. The fisherman nearly kills himself setting forth, fearing that the fish will be angry with him. But much to his surprise, the fish calmly allows the wish to come true. Bewildered, the fisherman is told to return home only to discover...
...his ramshackle shack. Everything is back to the way it was. The wife is beside herself with fury. "I told you that I wanted to become God!" she shrieks. "What has happened here?" "Perhaps I can explain", a voice intercedes. The fish has swum up to the edge of the sea, where their shack is. "You wanted to become God? Well, you should've known that God cares nothing for greediness. What need has He for wealth or cares or titles?" Allowing her greediness to overtake her sanity, the wife storms into the sea, desperately going after the fish. However, when she gets waist-deep, she is pulled under the sea. The fish is seen far away, under the water, and he gives a nod to something farther. Suddenly, the same swarm of magic fish come along, surround the wife, and do unto her what they did to the prince. The wife has become a fish, and the fish tells her that she must now spend eternity granting the wishes of others. However, unlike the prince, who took the opportunity to better himself, the wife doubles-down on her greediness and swims far, far away, never to return and never to help anyone.
The man is shocked by what has happened, but is nonetheless aware that his wife got what she deserved. Alone with the fish, he tells him that he never wanted a wish, and only came to the fish with wishes in an attempt to make her happy. The fish muses, "When one is too greedy, one can never be truly happy." And with that, the fish personally gives the farmer a wish: eternal happiness. From that day on, the fisherman, who has also gained a new respect for humanity, lives life to the fullest and helps the poor and down-trodden, and still keeps a close friendship with the fish.
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The Fisherman and His Wife
Story Layout by DisneyManOne
Long ago, in a quaint seaside village, lives a fisherman. He is a humble and meager man, but very poor. He lives in a ramshackle hovel on the edge of the great ocean. Unfortunately, his wife is nothing like him. She is brash, boorish and incredibly selfish. She cares nothing for her fellow man, only for herself. Day after day, she complains about her stance of living, and never lifts a finger. Day after day, the fisherman goes out to sea, hoping to find something to bring home for dinner. One day, he happens to catch a fish, the largest fish any man ever laid eyes on. However, the fish speaks, claiming to be a prince and begging the fisherman to spare his life. If the fisherman spares the fish, the fish will grant the fisherman anything his heart desires. The fisherman, not really one for wishing, agrees to set him free regardless.
When he returns home and his wife lambasts him for bringing home nothing, the fisherman claims that he caught a magical fish that could grant any wish. His wife still berates him--"Why didn't you make a wish then?" "I have nothing to wish for" is the reply. Well, the wife has a wish or two up her sleeve. She demands that the fisherman return to the sea and ask the fish for a nicer home. And so, he goes out to the sea, calls for the fish--"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray thee, here to me"--and makes the wish. When the fisherman returns home, the shack has turned into a lovely new home. "See?" the fisherman says to his wife. "We have a new home. Surely, you will be happy now." "We shall see" is the reply.
Time passes. The wife has grown tired of the new house. She once again has the fisherman go out, this time, wishing for a castle. However, as the man goes out to sea, he notices the sea is getting a bit rough and wavy, compared to the mellow calmness of the first time. The fish grants the new wish and the house becomes a castle. "Surely, you will be happy now." "We shall see."
Alas, this is not the case. The castle has only driven the wife's greediness further. She wants to be wealthy and be politically powerful--to be queen, even! And so, the fisherman is forced to go. This time, the sea is really getting rough, but nonetheless, the wish is made. Although the wife is getting everything she ever wanted, the fisherman is starting to feel empty. He doesn't want any of this. Later that same night, when the sea has calmed, he sets out under the moonlight to talk with the fish. He asks the fish of his princely claims, and the fish explains his tragic story. When he was the prince of the village, he was greedy and selfish himself--only taking, never giving. Then, one day, when the prince was sailing one of his many ships, he fell overboard and when he hit the water, he was surrounded by tons and tons of fish, magic fish, who turned him into one of their own. As punishment for his greediness, he must sail the seas of his former village, granting wishes to the peasants he once looked down upon. The event has certainly humbled him, and he has gained new respect for humanity. The fisherman confides in the fish that he fears his wife is starting to turn out like the prince.
Then one day, the wife's greediness becomes too much to bear. She wants ultimate power, power over the wind and rain, the sun and stars. In other words, she wants to become God. Now, the sea is horribly turbulent and stormy. The fisherman nearly kills himself setting forth, fearing that the fish will be angry with him. But much to his surprise, the fish calmly allows the wish to come true. Bewildered, the fisherman is told to return home only to discover...
...his ramshackle shack. Everything is back to the way it was. The wife is beside herself with fury. "I told you that I wanted to become God!" she shrieks. "What has happened here?" "Perhaps I can explain", a voice intercedes. The fish has swum up to the edge of the sea, where their shack is. "You wanted to become God? Well, you should've known that God cares nothing for greediness. What need has He for wealth or cares or titles?" Allowing her greediness to overtake her sanity, the wife storms into the sea, desperately going after the fish. However, when she gets waist-deep, she is pulled under the sea. The fish is seen far away, under the water, and he gives a nod to something farther. Suddenly, the same swarm of magic fish come along, surround the wife, and do unto her what they did to the prince. The wife has become a fish, and the fish tells her that she must now spend eternity granting the wishes of others. However, unlike the prince, who took the opportunity to better himself, the wife doubles-down on her greediness and swims far, far away, never to return and never to help anyone.
The man is shocked by what has happened, but is nonetheless aware that his wife got what she deserved. Alone with the fish, he tells him that he never wanted a wish, and only came to the fish with wishes in an attempt to make her happy. The fish muses, "When one is too greedy, one can never be truly happy." And with that, the fish personally gives the farmer a wish: eternal happiness. From that day on, the fisherman, who has also gained a new respect for humanity, lives life to the fullest and helps the poor and down-trodden, and still keeps a close friendship with the fish.
