A little fisherman goes out to fish and nets a mermaid. After the man gives in to her pleas to be let go, the mermaid is willing to grant him wishes for his kindness. After she mends his net, he tells his wife about it all. The fisherman's wife asks him to ask the mermaid for a new apron. This then snowballs into grander wishes till his wife attains Queen-like status. Overcome with power, she demands that her husband wish her to be a goddess. Upon meeting the mermaid again, she asks if he himself has any wish of his own. His one wish is that his wife be happy. His last wish spent, he returns to his ordinary little home and lives happily ever after.

A fisherman and his wife are very poor, and he is happy. The wife, however, is unhappy, and wishes that he would catch more fish in order to make a better living. While fishing, he catches a talking fish and takes it home to prove to his wife what he had found. The fish does not want to leave and gives the couple three wishes if they let him stay. They fumble around and get mad at the fish, telling him that they wish he would shut up- thus destroying all their hopes of getting rich. Eventually, they end up poor and back to square one.