THE SNAKE AND THE FISH (AN ARMENIAN FOLKTALE)

THE SNAKE AND THE FISH (AN ARMENIAN FOLKTALE)

The snake became friends with the fish.

- My young sister- said the snake to the fish-, carry me on your back and take me for boating in the sea.

- Oh! With pleasure- answered the fish-, sit on my back, I will carry you, so that you will see how our sea is.

- The snake curled around the fish and they went to swim in the sea. They had hardly swam a bit when the snake bit the fish’s back.

- Oh my elder sister , why do you bite me? – asked the fish.

- Oh, it was just by mistake- answered the snake.

Again they swam for a while and then again the snake bit the fish’s back.

-My elder sister, why do you keep on biting me?- asked the fish.

- Oh the sunlight was coming into my forehead- answered the snake.

Again they swam for a while and again the snake bit the fish.

- My elder sister, why do you continue to bite me?

- Well this is my characteristic – answered the snake.

- Well then I also have a characteristic- answered the fish and it went down deep into the sea with the snake.

The snake started to suffocate and it sank.

- Well I am like this! – said the fish.

Translated by me from Hungarian