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Fairy Tales and Fables: The Fisherman and His Wife Multi-cache

Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


I don't think you've ever seen a cache quite like this. 

The following is the tale of the Fisherman and his Wife.

 

Once upon a time A poor Fisherman and his wife lived in a shanty on a clifftop overlooking the sea. It wsan't much,but it was theirs and they made an honest living, just enough for them to drive the 23 miles into town a couple times every week and buy supplies. It was a a small fishing town somewhere on the Whales coast. The Fisherman, like all good humble fishermen do, had his special fishing spot which he would go to every day and catch what he could. Like all copious yet secretive spots that fishermen have, his invloved a bit of peril. He climbed down his cliff and would scramble along the rocks with his pole and bucket, dangerously close to the surf, until behind one last large spire of granite, lay a tiny little beach, just large enough for him to stand on, yet it was shielded from the wind and spray that inevitably dashed the rocks every once and a while by the granite spire on one end, and the other which had a a massive,boulder, creating a ravine big enough for the fisherman to fish comfortably giving shade while also allowing an ample amount of sunlight in. The fisherman was happy. He loved spending the day lost in his thoughts as he fished away on clear bluegreen ocean water. When he caught an especially big one, he kept it and it would usually last them the week, otherwise he sold the rest  to buy other foodstuffs or whatever else they needed. He fished happily and lived happily with his wife.

One day,he was fishing, and he forgot to set the catch on the spool, and the line let out much longer than he anticipated, the lure flying way out into the ocean, and then sinking deep down. When he hauled it back in, he was not surprised to pull out a flounder, but he nearly jumped out of his little ravine when the fish spoke to him.

"Oh good Fisherman. I am not a flounder, but an Enchanted Prince. Please throw me back in for what good does a talking fish do you?"

The Fisherman agreed a talking fish does him no good and threw the flounder back into the sea. The rest of the day was not very profitable as he caught only a few meager seatrout and one small grouper. His wife asked him how the day went and he said, "I caught next to nothing, except for a talking flounder who claimed he was an enchanted prince, but what good does that do me so I threw him back in." 

"Well did you wish for anything?"

"No."

"Go back there and make a wish. I am tired of living in this hovel. I would like to live in a lovely seaside cottage with terraces and a garden."

So the Fisherman went back to his spot and called out, 

"O man, O man, if you be,
Or Flounder, Flounder in the sea.
Such a tiresome wife I've got
For she wants what I do not!"

The Flounder swam up, "Well what does she want?" And the man replied, "My wife said I should wish for a cottage."

"Go to her," spoke the Flounder, "She has it already."

When the Fisherman got home, he saw a lovely cottage with the sun illuminating its pristine whitewash and teh beautiful garden of red roses, blue violets, and yellow daisies out front. A week passed as the couple enjoyed their new cottage, but the wife soon became discontented and asked her husband to go back down and ask the Flounder for another wish.

"I want to live in a castle," she remarked one day. "I'm done with this cottage, I want a huge castle with a moat, and stone walls, and turrets to strut about on."

So the Fisherman went down to his fishing spot, as he made his way, he nopticed thee water was not clear anymore, but a frothy, cloudy grey. He made it to his cove and called out,

"O man, O man, if you be,
Or Flounder, Flounder in the sea.
Such a tiresome wife I've got
For she wants what I do not!"

The Flounder swam up. "What is it that she wants this time?"

"Oh Flounder, my wife wishes to live in a glorious castle made of stone."

"Go to her," spoke the Flounder, "She has it already."

And when the Fisherman crested the cliff face, off in the distance he could see a mighty castle. As he approached, there stood before him the mighty draw bridge, with a portcullis, and turrets all around. The Fisherman and his wife now had a multitude of lavish rooms. Too many to know what to do with. A massive library adorned with ancient tomes, a globe 6 ft in diameter, and a map of the world made in different woods to show the different countries large enough to blanket their old cottage. The kitchens had enough stores to last the two of them for years, and their rooms held the softest beds with the finest silk pillows and sheets imaginable. For weeks his wife lived contented until the Fisherman saw her staring out the window and asked her what was wrong.

"Look at all this land. What good is having a castle on it if you cannot rule it? Go to the Flounder and tell him I want to be king."

The Fisherman knew he could not dissuade his wife and forlornly made his way to his old fishing spot. The waves were not kind at all as he made his way. They were whipped up and the spray even reached his little path he always took along the rocks. 

"O man, O man, if you be,
Or Flounder, Flounder in the sea.
Such a tiresome wife I've got
For she wants what I do not!"

The Flounder swam up. "What is it that she wants this time?"

"Oh Flounder, my wife wishes to be king."

"Go to her," spoke the Flounder, "She has it already."

And when the Fisherman got back there sat his wife with a golden scepter among a glorious throne. Subjects bowed, and servants hurried about. 

"Wife, now you are king, and we may rest."

"Husband, now that I am king, I wish to be Emperor," replied the wife. "But my darling . . ." "I am king, and you are mereely my husband, now off with you." So the Fisherman went.

The sea was more whitecaps and surf than water, and what was once almost clear was now a tumultuous gray.

"O man, O man, if you be,
Or Flounder, Flounder in the sea.
Such a tiresome wife I've got
For she wants what I do not!"

The Flounder swam up. "What is it that she wants this time?"

"Oh Flounder, my wife wishes to be Emperor."

"Go to her," spoke the Flounder, "She has it already."

And when he got back, there were even more subjects and the castle had nearly doubled in size. Yet his wife did not have the jubilation he expected but wore a terrible frown. 

"My dear, what is wrong?"

"Being Emperor is the same as being king but with more subjects and a bigger castle. I want moree power, not simply more assets. I wish to be Pope. 

"But my wife, what use will being Pope do when you are already Emperor. "I will have everyone under my authority, now go."

And with theat the Fisherman, with a languidness that stemmed from dispair, made the now treacherous journey to his spot.

"O man, O man, if you be,
Or Flounder, Flounder in the sea.
Such a tiresome wife I've got
For she wants what I do not!"

The Flounder swam up. "What is it that she wants this time?"

"Oh Flounder, my wife wishes to be Pope."

"Go to her," spoke the Flounder, "She has it already."

And he went, and there sat his wife with the cross and mitre, kings and emperors alike bowing down to her. As they slept that night, his wife was restless and the fisherman turned to ask heer what the matter was, and she replied, "I cannot sleep for I feel as if I can be greater."

The Fisherman heaved an exasperated sigh. "Wife, you cannot be anything greater. You are Pope, and that is –"

"Aha, go to the Flounder and tell him I wish to be God. Then I shall be above all of humanity as well as all of the earth!"

"Wife you cannot be serious!"

"Go with you!" 

So the Fisherman made his way in teh night to his fishing spot, and a miracle it wsa that he did for the greatest storm he had ever seen was abrew. Waves were crashing all around him, drenching him. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. But make it he did.

"O man, O man, if you be,
Or Flounder, Flounder in the sea.
Such a tiresome wife I've got
For she wants what I do not!"

The Flounder swam up. "What is it that she wants this time?"

"Oh Flounder, my wife wishes to be akin to God."

"Go to her," spoke the Flounder, "She is living in your hut."

And there they live to this day.

 

The Cache

Like all the caches in this series, it ties into the tale. This one in more ways than one. Please place everything back exactly as you found it! At posted coordinates you will be provideed with a TOTT that you will have to bring with you. Please DO NOT give away anything in your log that could ruin the adventure for others.

Now go to it, You have it already. (Not really)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

F1: Ubyyl onfr F2: Arne gur ubyybj objyrq thneqvna F3: FJ bs gur pheir F4: Fgnaqnybar

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)