Once upon a time there lived an old woman and an old man. Their little house was situated right on the seashore, and in that house was old, worn furniture. They lived poorly, without luxury or wealth. Grandpa was a fisherman, and Grandma kept house. Their children lived far away abroad and only occasionally wrote letters. And so one fine day, when it was already dawn outside, a courier knocked on the door:
Good day, you have a parcel!
Grandpa, come here quickly! Some young lad has brought us a parcel. Should we take it or not?
The old woman worried.
Who is it from, this parcel?
The old man was surprised.
Your parcel is from distant lands, it came across the sea and through cities.
Replied the courier.
Did our children send us exotic delicacies? Of course we'll take it, leave our parcel!
Exclaimed the old man.
As soon as the door closed behind the courier, the old man and woman began to open the parcel. They open a large box, and there is a brand new, beautiful laptop of the latest generation.
Oh my goodness, what is this box? And what are these little cords and holes in it?
The old woman was amazed.
You're something else! This is a real computer. You can play games on it, watch films and even print a book!
The old man was delighted and began to take the laptop out of the box.
And how do you know what this fancy thing is?
The old woman cried out in surprise.
Well, the blokes at fishing told me how they watch interesting films on such computers and play 'tanks'.
What tanks? What kind of game is that? Are they huge, metal, real ones that shoot and drive?
The old woman nearly fell over in surprise.
You old woman, you're so out of touch with modern life! 'Tanks' is a game, I'll go fishing and ask the blokes how to play it. We'll have such fun together. Instead of staring out the window in the evenings and being bored, we'll play 'tanks' whenever we want!
Grandpa scratched his head and began to plug in the laptop.
He read the instructions for a long time, turning the laptop this way and that. And the package had everything needed: a modem, a wi-fi router, and even speakers to listen to music louder.
The old man connected everything and went fishing to meet the blokes and ask them everything. He came to the shore, but there was no one there. He had to go back home.
Night fell, the old man and woman were getting ready for bed. And suddenly they heard strange sounds from the room where they'd put the laptop: 'beep-beep'. Grandpa and Grandma were terrified, jumped up and ran to the room. There, the screen lit up, music was playing, and on the monitor was an image of their own children, who live far away abroad.
How do you turn this thing on? Maybe press this blue button?
The old man decided to try his luck and pressed the button with all his might.
Mum, Dad, finally you're online. You just sit in your backwater and don't know what's happening in the world. So we decided to give you a gift – a new, beautiful laptop so you could stay in touch with us anytime. We want to come visit you soon, we've really missed you.
What joy!
Cried the old woman.
Our dear children will come, but we have nothing to feed them with. Come on, Grandpa, go down to the shore for some fish, maybe we'll have a good catch today.
The old man took his fishing gear and went fishing. He sat on the shore, an hour passed, then another, but there were no bites at all. And suddenly he felt the line on his rod tighten, the bell rang. The old man began to pull with all his might, and he pulled out a fish.
Just as he was about to throw it in the bucket, he heard the fish speak in a human voice:
Don't eat me, old man. I'm small and not tasty. Let's do this – you let me go, and I'll grant your wish. Make a wish!
Grandpa didn't think long and decided to take this chance.
Can you fill my fridge with food? My children are coming from far away, and I have nothing to treat them with.
That's no problem at all. You'll have a full fridge of food, the tastiest and most wholesome.
Replied the fish.
And so they did. Grandpa went home, and the fish swam off into the vast seas. Grandpa comes home, and there's a full fridge of food: red caviar, black caviar, trout and salmon. Various tropical fruits, fragrant, and in the middle of the table lobsters, langoustines and a small roasted piglet.
Where did all this come from?
Asked the old woman in bewilderment.
This, Grandma, is our salvation. I caught a golden fish while fishing, not an ordinary one, but a truly magical one. And we made a deal – I let her go into the sea, and she grants any wish I make.
The old man told her with shining eyes.
The old woman grabbed her head and cried out:
So nothing but food came into that old head of yours? Why don't you ask her for a sausage factory right away? You need to make wishes so that we both benefit. We'll get rich, buy furs, a car, go into business. Go to that fish and ask her for a factory!
Grandpa came to the shore, and there, right by the sand, the golden fish was already waiting for him and asked in a human voice:
Well, are you happy with the food? The best products are now in your fridge.
My old woman is not satisfied. She wants a sausage factory now so we can have our own business and live richly.
No problem! Your old woman will have a factory.
The old man came home, and there, next to his little house, was a tall fence and buildings on two hectares of land. Inside everything was humming, making noise, lots of people working there, pigs and cows living in the enclosure.
Wow! And it really is a real factory! And a farm next to it!
The old man nearly crashed into the fence in surprise.
Well, old woman, what do you think? Are you happy now?
The old woman thought and said:
Let's go together to this golden fish. Let her look at me more carefully, remember my face, and now every time I ask her, she'll grant my wish.
The old woman quickly got ready and went to the shore.
Hey fish, come out! I've brought you the old woman so you can grant her wishes.
Cried the old man.
The fish swam up to the very shore and said:
What do you want? What wish should I grant?
I want you to always serve me and grant all my wishes instantly. Right now, for example, I want my own island in the middle of the ocean, a fancy aeroplane so we can fly to this island, and all your sea where lots of fish swim, I'll build a city on the water so all the sea creatures obey me.
But how can that be? If you build a city on the water, where will all the other sea creatures live?
I'll put them in special aquariums.
The old woman laughed.
And suddenly, the fish flicked her tail, waves rose in the sea, wind swirled everything around. The old man and woman ran home, and decided they'd come back when the storm died down. But instead of the factory next to the house, a thick forest suddenly appeared, with wild animals, so that Grandpa and Grandma couldn't even leave the house. The fridge was empty again, just one crust of bread on the shelf. And so the old man and woman were left with nothing, and they greeted their children with a piece of bread, without butter and even without salt.
Read fairy tales and you'll always know what to wish for and what not to do!
