The Fisherman and his Soul

One day a fisherman catches a beautiful mermaid in his net. He lets her go on the condition that she comes to him when he calls her and sings because her songs attract the fish. He falls in love, but to be with her he must first send his soul away. He consults a witch on how to do this and she tells him she will help if he dances with her that night on the mountain. She tells him he must cut away his shadow as the shadow is the body of the soul. His soul protests but is cut away and the fisherman is free to join the mermaid in the sea. After a year, the soul returns and tells the fisherman about a magic mirror he has to offer him in return for the fisherman taking back his soul. The fisherman refuses. A year later, the soul returns again and offers the fisherman a priceless ring. Again, the fisherman declines. In the third year, the soul offers him a dancing girl. Knowing the mermaid has no feet and can’t dance, he accepts the offer and man and soul are reunited. On their way to see the girl, the soul tells the fisherman to do bad things and to kill a man. He tries to cut his soul away for a second time, but this is impossible. He waits by the sea for years but the mermaid does not come. Then, one day the dead body of the mermaid is washed ashore. The grieving fisherman’s heart breaks, the soul enters his heart, and the sea covers the fisherman.