Pada zaman dahulu, hiduplah petani miskin dan istrinya. Mereka mempunyai kebun kecil. Di kebun itu, mereka menanam sayur-sayuran untuk dimakan sebagai lauk pauk untuk sehari-hari. Terkadang, si petani menangkap ikan di sungai untuk tambahan lauk.
Suatu hari, ia menangkap seekor ikan emas. Petani itu sangat gembira. Ternyata, ikan itu dapat bicara. "Kembalikan aku ke sungai. Jika kau perlu sesuatu, panggillah aku. Semua keinginanmu akan aku penuhi," kata ikan ajaib itu.
Petani itu lalu memasukkan ikan emas itu kembali ke sungai. Sesampainya di rumah, diceritakannya pengalaman itu kepada istrinya. Istrinya mendengar cerita itu, akan tetapi ia menganggap suaminya berbohong.
Akhirnya, si petani mengajak istrinya ke sungai untuk membuktikan ceritanya. Sesampainya di tepi sungai, si petani memanggil-manggil sang ikan. Tiba-tiba, ikan itu pun muncul ke permukaan. Petani pun tidak buang-buang waktu untuk meminta kepada sang ikan.
"Aku menginginkan sebuah rumah mewah serta yang kebun luas yang sudah ditanami kentang, wortel, dan buah-buahan, lengkap dengan kandang kuda dan sapi," pinta si petani kepada sang ikan.
“Kupenuhi keinginanmu,” sahut ikan emas. Si petani dan istrinya bergegas pulang. Setelah tiba mereka di kediamannya, teryata gubuk reyot mereka telah berubah menjadi rumah mewah. Kemudian,terdapat pula kebun yang sangat luas, persis seperti permintaan si petani itu. Terlihat Keduanya tampak sangat gembira..
Beberapa lama kemudian, keduanya datang lagi ketepi sungai. Kini mereka ingin meminta sebuah istana. Sekali lagi, sang ikan mengabulkan permintaan mereka. Di bekas rumah sebelumnya, berdirilah sebuah istana megah. Rupanya, si istri belum juga puas. Kini, ia menginginkan surga. Maka pergilah kembali keduanya menemui sang ikan di sungai.
Sang ikan merasa sangat marah karena keserakan mereka. Ia tidak mau mengabulkan keinginan mereka itu. Maka, dikembalikannya semua seperti semula. Istana megah telah musna, kini mereka kembalilah ke gubuk reyot dan sepetak kebun sayuran kecil kepada suami istri itu..
[Eng-translate]
In ancient times, there lived a poor peasant and his wife. They have a small garden. In the garden, they grow vegetables to eat as side dishes for everyday. Sometimes, the farmer catches fish in the river for extra side dishes.
One day, he caught a golden fish. The farmer was very happy. Apparently, the fish can talk. "Give me back to the river, if you need anything, call me, all your wishes I will fulfill," said the magical fish.
The farmer then put the gold fish back into the river. Arriving at home, he told the experience to his wife. His wife heard the story, but he considered her husband to lie.
Finally, the farmer took his wife to the river to prove his story. Arriving at the riverbank, the farmer called out to the fish. Suddenly, the fish came to the surface. The farmer did not waste time asking the fish.
"I want a mansion and a large garden planted with potatoes, carrots and fruits, complete with stables and cows," the farmer told the fishman.
"I have your wishes," said the golden fish. The farmer and his wife rushed home. Upon arriving at their residence, it turns out their rickety shack has turned into a mansion. Then, there is also a vast garden, just like the farmer's request. Visible Both looked very happy ..
Some time later, the two came back to the river. Now they want to ask for a palace. Once again, the fish granted their request. In the former house before, there stood a magnificent palace. Apparently, the wife has not been satisfied yet. Now, he wants heaven. So they went back to meet the fish in the river.
The fish is very angry because of their hoarseness. He refused to grant their wishes. So, return it all as before. The magnificent palace is gone, now they return to the rickety shack and a patch of small vegetable gardens to the couple's husband.