An old man and his wife lived on the shores of a blue sea in a ramshackle hut. One day the old man cast his net into the sea and when he pulled it out there was only one little fish in it. But it was not an ordinary fish. It was a goldfish and it spoke in a human voice: "Let me go back into the sea, old man, and I'll return your kindness by doing everything you wish."
The old man was amazed then thought for a while and said: "God bless you, little goldfish! Thank you kindly. I don't need anything. Go back to the blue sea," and threw it back into the water.
Once home he told his wife what had happened to him. The old woman started scolding him: "You simpleton! You failed to get a reward from the fish. You might at least have asked for a wash-tub! Ours is falling apart." She scolded and scolded till the old man could not bear it any longer. He went to the sea, called out loud to the goldfish. The goldfish swam up to the shore and asked: "Good old man, what do you want?"
With a deep bow the old man said: "Forgive me, mighty Goldfish. My wife's scolding gives me no peace. She wants a new wash-tub." "Don't worry, good old man, go home. You'll have a new wash-tub when you get there."
He hastened home and indeed saw a new tub lying near the threshold. Hardly could he express his surprise than the old woman jumped on him: "Oh, you simpleton! To ask for a mere tub! Go back and ask the goldfish to build us a new house."
The old man returned to the sea, called aloud for the goldfish and when it swam up, he bowed low and said: "Forgive me, mighty Goldfish! My dear wife is scolding me unmercifully; she wants a new house."
"Don't worry, good old man. Be on your way home," answered the fish. "God bless you!"
So back he hurried and again to his amazement he saw a new house and the old woman sitting in front of it cursing her husband, as she was tired of being a peasant woman and wanted to become a fine lady.
The goldfish did fulfill that wish of the old woman's, too. Instead of the log house there stood a tall palace in its place, his wife was wearing a rich sable coat, there were pearls around her neck, gold rings on her fingers and her boots were of the softest red leather. "Greetings, Your Ladyship! Now I should think you have all your heart could desire," said the fisherman. But she screamed at him and sent him to work in the stables.
A week passed by and another. The old woman sent for the old man and announced to him her further wish: "I don't want to be a fine lady any more. I want to be a tsarina." The old man became frightened: "Old woman, you have surely gone crazy! You can neither walk nor talk like tsarinas do. You would be mocked throughout the tsardom."
"How dare you argue with me, you peasant! Go and do as you are told!" she replied.
The blue sea was very rough when the old man reached it. "My wife has become even more foolish…," he said to the goldfish as an introduction to his request. The goldfish listened to him and as usual answered: "Don't worry, good old man. Be on your way home. God be with you!"
What he saw he could not believe. A lofty castle with a golden roof, his wife sitting at a huge table dressed like a real tsarina and nobles serving her. He tried to speak to her but, without giving him a glance, she ordered the servants to remove him and keep him away.
A week passed and another, and the old woman grew prouder than ever and summoned her husband: "Go to the sea and tell the fish that I don't want to be Tsarina any more. I want to be mistress of all the seas and to have the goldfish at my service."
The old man did not dare to contradict her. He went back to the sea and found it rolling, roaring and growing blacker and blacker. The goldfish listened to the old man, said nothing, turned around and disappeared into the depths. In vain the fisherman waited for an answer… On returning home he could see neither the castle nor the palace. In their place stood his old hut and his old wife was sitting on the threshold with the broken wash-tub before her.
Since that time there has been a Russian saying which goes: "To find yourself with a broken wash-tub," meaning "to lose everything you have acquired."

(Based on Pushkin's poem. English language retelling was done by Vadim Shchanitsyn)