WEBVTT

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SOYUZMULTFILM Studio
Moscow 1950

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THE FISHERMAN AND THE GOLDFISH
(Based on A.S. Pushkin's tale)

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Directed by M. TSEKHANOVSKY
Screenplay by M. VOLPIN

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Production Designers
P. REPKIN, D. BEREZOVSKY

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Director of Photography M. DRUYAN
Sound by N. PRILUTSKY

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English translation by
Irina ZHELEZNOVA

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Starring
B. CHIRKOV as The Old Man

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A. ZUYEVA as The Old Woman
M. BABANOVA as The Goldfish

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On seashore far a green oak towers,

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And to it with a gold chain bound,

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A learned cat whiles away the hours

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By walking slowly round and round.

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To right he walks, and sings a ditty;

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To left he walks, and tells a tale.

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What marvels there! A mermaid sitting

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High in a tree, a sprite, a trail

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Where unknown beasts move never
seen by

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Man's eyes, a hut on chicken feet,

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Without a door, without a window,

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An evil witch's Ione retreat;

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The woods and valleys there are
teeming

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With strange things. Dawn brings
waves that, gleaming,

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Over the sandy beaches creep,

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And from the clear and shining water

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Step thirty goodly knights escorted

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By their Old Guardian, of the deep

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An ancient dweller. There a dreaded
And hated tsar is captive ta'en;

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There, as all watch, for cloud banks
headed,

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Across the sea and o'er a plain,

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A warlock bears a knight in train.

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A princess there weeps locked in
a cell,

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And Grey Wolf serves her very well;

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There, in a mortar, beneath the skies,

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All of itself, Baba Yaga flies;

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There pines Kashchei and lusts for
gold;

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All breathes of Russ...

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The Russ of old!

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There once was I, friends, and
the cat,

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As near him 'neath the oak I sat

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And drank of sweet mead at my leisure,

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Recounted tales to me...With pleasure

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One that I liked do I recall

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And here and now will share with all...

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There once lived an old man
and his goodwife

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On the shore of the deep blue ocean;

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They lived in a tumble-down hovel

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For thirty-three summers and winters.

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The old man used to fish for his
living,

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And his wife spun yarn on her distaff.

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He once cast his net in the ocean,

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And pulled it up with mud from
the bottom;

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He again cast his net in the ocean,

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And this time caught nothing but
seaweed;

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When he cast his net for the third
time,

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One fish was all that he landed,

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No common fish, though,
but a goldfish.

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Now the goldfish began to implore
him,

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And it spoke like a real human being:

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"Put me back, old man, into the ocean!

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I will pay you a right royal ransom,

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I will give you whatever you ask me."

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The old man was astonished and
frightened -

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He'd been fishing for thirty-three
summers,

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But had not heard of any fish
talking.

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So with care he untangled the
goldfish

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And tenderly said as he did so:

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"God bless you, my dear little
goldfish!

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Thank you kindly, I don't want your
ransom.

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Go back to your home in the ocean,

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And roam where you will without
hindrance."

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To his wife the old fisherman
hastened

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To tell her about this great marvel.

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"I caught only one fish this morning -

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A goldfish it was, most uncommon;

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It spoke like a Christian, and begged
me

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To put it back into the ocean,

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And promised to pay a rich ransom,

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To give me whatever I asked for.

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But how could I ask for a ransom?

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I released it without any payment."

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His wife started scolding her husband:

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"Oh you simpleton! Oh you great silly!

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Couldn't make a mere fish pay
a ransom!

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You at least might have asked for
a wash-tub -

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For ours is all falling to pieces!"

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The old man returned to the seashore,

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Where the blue waves were frolicking
lightly.

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He called out aloud for the goldfish,

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And the goldfish swam up and
demanded:

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"What is it, old man, you are
wanting?"

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With a bow, the old man said
in answer:

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"Forgive me, Your Majesty Goldfish!

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My old woman has scolded me roundly,

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Won't leave me alone for a minute,

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She says that she wants a new
wash-tub,

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For ours is all falling to pieces."

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The goldfish murmured in answer:

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"Do not worry, go home, God be
with you -

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Very well, you shall have a new
wash-tub."

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To his wife the old fisherman
hastened,

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And behold - there it was, the new
wash-tub.

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But she scolded him louder than ever:

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"Oh you simpleton! Oh you great silly!

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To ask for a tub - a mere wash-tub!

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What good can you get from a wash-
tub?

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Return to the goldfish, you silly,

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Bow down low and ask for a cottage."

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Again he went back to the seashore.

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And this time the blue sea was
troubled.

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He called out aloud for the goldfish,

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And the goldfish swam up and
demanded:

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"What is it, old man, you are
wanting?"

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With a bow, the old man said in
answer:

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"Forgive me, Your Majesty Goldfish!

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My old woman is angrier than ever,

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Won't leave me alone for a minute -

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The old scold says she wants a new
cottage."

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The goldfish murmured in answer:

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"Do not worry, go home, God be with
you!

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So be it! You'll have a new cottage!"

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So back the old man turned his
footsteps;

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Not a sign did he see of his hovel.

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In its place stood a new gabled
cottage,

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With a chimney of brick, newly
whitewashed,

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A fence with oak gates stood around
it;

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And there sat his wife at a window;

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When she saw him, she scolded him
roundly:

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"Oh you simpleton! Oh you great silly!

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To ask for no more than a cottage!

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Go and bow to the goldfish, and tell
it

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That I'm tired of being a peasant,

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That I want to be made a fine lady."

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The old man then returned to
the seashore,

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Where the ocean was restlessly
foaming,

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He called out aloud for the goldfish.

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The goldfish swam up and demanded:

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"What is it, old man, you're wanting?"

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With a bow, the old man said in
answer:

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"Forgive me, Your Majesty Goldfish!

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My old woman is madder than ever,

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She gives me no rest for a second,

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Says she's tired of being a peasant,

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And wants to be made a fine lady."

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The goldfish murmured in answer:

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"Do not worry, go home, God be with
you."

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To his wife the old fisherman
hastened,

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And what did he see?

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A tall mansion;

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On its white marble stairs - his old
woman.

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She was wearing a rich sable jacket,

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And a head-dress, in gold all
embroidered;

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Her neck was with pearls heavy laden;

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She wore golden rings on her fingers;

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She was shod in the softest red
leather;

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Zealous servants bowed meekly before
her,

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As she cuffed them and rated them
roundly.

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The old man then approached his wife,
saying:

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"Greetings, your ladyship, greetings,
fine lady!

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Now I hope that your soul is
contented!"

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She angrily bade him be silent

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And sent him to serve in the stables.

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First a week slowly passed, then
another,

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The old woman grew prouder than ever.

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One morning she sent for her husband,

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And said: " Bow to the goldfish and
tell it

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I'm tired of being a lady,

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And I want to be made a Tsaritsa."

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Her husband implored her in terror,

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Saying: " Woman, you've surely gone
crazy!

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You can't even talk like a lady!

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You'd be mocked at all over the
kingdom!"

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His old woman grew madder than ever,

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Slapped his face and then shouted in
passion:

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"How dare you, muzhik, stand and
argue,

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Stand and argue with me, a fine lady?

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Go at once - if you don't , then I
warn you,

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You'll be dragged to the shore,
willy-nilly."

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The old man went down to the seashore.

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The ocean was swollen and sullen.

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He called out aloud for the goldfish,

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And the goldfish swam up and
demanded:

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"What is it, old man, you're wanting?"

00:20:49.038 --> 00:20:52.007
With a bow, the old man said in
answer:

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"Forgive me, Your Majesty Goldfish!

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Again my old woman's gone crazy!

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Now she's tired of being a lady!

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She wants to be made a Tsaritsa."

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The goldfish murmured in answer:

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"Do not worry, go home, God be with
you!

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Very well! She shall be a Tsaritsa!"

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To his wife the old fisherman
hastened,

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And what did he see? A grand palace;

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In the palace he saw his old woman,

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At the table she sat, a Tsaritsa,

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Attended by nobles and boyars;

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They were pouring choice wines in
her goblet,

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She was nibbling sweet gingerbread
wafers;

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Around her, grim guards stood in
silence,

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With halberds upon their broad
shoulders.

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The old man was aghast when he saw
this,

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He bowed to her feet and said humbly:

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"Greetings, Oh mighty Tsaritsa!

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Now I hope that your soul is
contented!"

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But she gave not a glance at her
husband -

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She ordered him thrust from her
presence.

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The boyars and nobles all hastened

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And drove him with blows from the
chamber;

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The guards at the door waved their
halberds

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And threatened to cut him to pieces.

00:24:20.078 --> 00:24:24.006
All the people derided him, saying:

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"Serves you right, now, you ill-bred
old fellow.

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You churl - this will teach you
a lesson,

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To keep to your station in future!"

00:24:56.003 --> 00:25:50.003
First a week slowly passed, then
another;

00:25:50.003 --> 00:25:54.046
The old woman grew prouder than ever.

00:25:54.046 --> 00:26:38.009
She sent for her husband one morning,

00:26:38.009 --> 00:26:42.062
And her chamberlain haled him before
her.

00:26:42.062 --> 00:26:45.038
The old woman spoke thus to her
husband:

00:26:45.038 --> 00:26:51.054
"Go, bow to the goldfish, and tell it

00:26:51.054 --> 00:26:56.046
That I'm tired of being Tsaritsa,

00:26:56.046 --> 00:27:03.078
Of the seas I want to be mistress,

00:27:03.078 --> 00:27:11.054
With my home in the blue ocean waters;

00:27:11.054 --> 00:27:19.003
The goldfish I want for my servant

00:27:19.003 --> 00:27:25.086
To do my commands and my errands."

00:27:25.086 --> 00:27:31.003
The old man durst not contradict her,

00:27:31.003 --> 00:27:36.046
Nor open his lips to make answer.

00:27:36.046 --> 00:27:41.014
He sadly set out for the seashore.

00:27:41.014 --> 00:27:45.098
A tempest raged over the ocean,

00:27:45.098 --> 00:27:50.086
Its waters were swollen and angry,

00:27:50.086 --> 00:27:57.007
Its billows were boiling with fury.

00:27:57.007 --> 00:28:02.062
He called out aloud for the goldfish.

00:28:02.062 --> 00:28:06.078
The goldfish swam up and demanded:

00:28:06.078 --> 00:28:11.026
"What is it, old man, you're wanting?"

00:28:11.026 --> 00:28:15.014
With a bow, the old man said in
answer:

00:28:15.014 --> 00:28:20.038
"Forgive me, Your Majesty Goldfish!

00:28:20.038 --> 00:28:23.078
What shall I do with my cursed old
woman?

00:28:23.078 --> 00:28:27.078
She is tired of being Tsaritsa,

00:28:27.078 --> 00:28:33.022
Of the seas she now wants to be
mistress,

00:28:33.022 --> 00:28:38.003
With her home in the blue ocean
waters;

00:28:38.003 --> 00:28:43.098
She wants you to be her own servant,

00:28:43.098 --> 00:29:10.022
To do her commands and her errands."

00:29:10.022 --> 00:29:13.098
Not a word spoke the goldfish in
answer,

00:29:13.098 --> 00:29:18.014
Itjust swished its tail, and in
silence

00:29:18.014 --> 00:29:22.098
Disappeared in the depths of
the ocean.

00:29:22.098 --> 00:29:27.007
He waited in vain for an answer,

00:29:27.007 --> 00:29:32.078
And at last turned his steps to
the palace;

00:29:32.078 --> 00:29:36.098
And behold - there again stood his
hovel;

00:29:36.098 --> 00:29:40.003
On the doorstep sat his old woman,

00:29:40.003 --> 00:30:07.098
With the same broken wash-tub before
her.

00:30:07.098 --> 99:59:59.999
The End