There was once a fisherman and his wife who lived together in a hovel by the sea-shore, and the fisherman went out every day with his hook and line to catch fish, and he angled and angled.

One day he was sitting with his rod and looking into the clear water, and he sat and sat.

At last down went the line to the bottom of the water, and when he drew it up he found a great flounder on the hook. And the flounder said to him, "Fisherman, listen to me; let me go, I am not a real fish but an enchanted prince. What good shall I be to you if you land me? I shall not taste well; so put me back into the water again, and let me swim away."

"Well," said the fisherman, "no need of so many words about the matter, as you can speak I had much rather let you swim away."
Then he put him back into the clear water, and the flounder sank to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the fisherman got up and went home to his wife in their hovel.

从前，有个渔夫，他和妻子住在海边的一所肮脏的小渔舍里。 渔夫每天都去钓鱼，他总是钓啊钓的，不愿休息有一天，他拿着钓竿坐在海边，两眼望着清澈的海水，竟就这样望啊望的，坐在那里一直发呆。
忽然，钓钩猛地往下沉，沉得很深很深，都快沉到海底了。 等他把钓钩拉上来时，发现钓上来一条很大的比目鱼。谁知比目鱼竟对他说："听着，渔夫，我恳求你放我一条生路。我并不是什么比目鱼，我是一位中了魔法的王子，你要是杀死我，对你又有多大好处呢？我的肉不会对你的口味的。请把我放回水里，让我游走吧。"
"哎，"渔夫说，"你不必这么费口舌。一条会说话的比目鱼，我怎么会留下呢？"说着，他就把比目鱼放回清澈的水里。比目鱼立刻就游走了，身后留下一条长长的血痕。随后，渔夫回到他的小屋，走到他妻子的身边。