Jacobs- The Fish and The Ring

The Fish and The Ring
by: Joseph Jacobs
English Fairy Tales
1890

and
Teeny-Tiny
The Rose Tree
Johnny- Cake

The Fish and The Ring is a story of a Baron who is a great magician, who can predict the future. So one day when his little boy was only four years old, he looked into his future and saw that he was to marry a poor maid. So he sets off to change the future, he goes to the maid's house when she is still a baby. And he offers to take the child to take the burden off the family. Relieved they family gives the baby to him, he soon throws her into a river to die. However she doesn't and floats down and becomes a beautiful daughter of a fisherman. Soon the Baron stumbles on to the fishing hut, during his hunting and finds that the girl is still alive. So he hatches another plan. His plan falls fails, by extraordinary means. And the girl and his son are wed. The Baron soon visits and find that the very thing he tried so hard to prevent, had occurred. Furious he takes the girl on a walk to a cliff, and threatens to throw her over. The poor girl pleads for her life, and the Baron makes a deal. He takes his ring and throws it into the ocean, and says “Never let me see your face till you can show me that ring”.
So the girl leaves and finds work at a neighboring castle. One day the Baron and his son come to dinner at this very castle. In side the girl is preparing a large fish for supper, and as she is cleaning it she sees a shiny object. She soon sees it is the ring the Baron had thrown over years before. Happily she prepared the fish and served it to the Baron and his son. When the Baron sees it is her, he is beyond furious and became violent. But before he could do anything she showed the Baron his ring. He realized he could not fight fate, and allowed them to live happily ever after.

Recommended to: Older children, who would understand the concept of fate.
Problems: Violence towards babies.
My Reaction: This was my favorite of Jacobs, it not only has one trial but many that the girl has to overcome to be with her prince. I also love the theme of fate, and think it is beautifully show in this story.