He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream* and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. Santiago was an old fisherman. He lived near the sea in a small village. His house was simple, and he owned very little. Every day, he went out in his small boat to fish.
For many days, Santiago did not catch any fish. The other fishermen caught fish, but Santiago did not. Some people said he was unlucky. Still, Santiago did not give up. He loved the sea, and he believed his luck would return.
A young boy named Manolin liked Santiago very much. The boy had learned how to fish from him. Manolin wanted to fish with Santiago, but his parents told him to work with another fisherman who caught more fish. Even so, Manolin helped Santiago after school. He brought him food and talked with him. They were good friends.
One morning, Santiago went far out into the sea. The water was deep and blue. Birds flew above him, and the sun rose in the sky. Santiago felt calm. He put his fishing lines into the water and waited.
Suddenly, something pulled very hard on one line. It was a fish—much bigger than any fish Santiago had ever felt. The fish did not jump. Instead, it swam away and pulled the boat with it.
“This fish is strong,” Santiago said to himself. “But I am strong too.”
The fish pulled the boat for many hours. Santiago held the line with his hands. His hands hurt, and his back hurt. He was tired and hungry, but he did not let go. He spoke kindly to the fish and respected it.
“We are both fighters,” he said. “We will see who is stronger.”
During the night and the next day, the fish kept pulling. Santiago did not sleep much. He thought of the boy and wished he were there. Still, he stayed brave and patient.
At last, the fish grew tired. Santiago pulled it closer to the boat. When he saw the fish, he was amazed. It was long and beautiful, shining in the sun. With great effort, Santiago caught the fish and tied it to the side of his boat.
“I have never seen such a great fish,” he said softly.
Santiago began to sail back to shore. He felt proud, but also very tired. The fish was so big that part of it stayed in the water.
Soon, sharks smelled the fish’s blood. One shark came and bit the fish. Santiago fought the shark and chased it away, but the shark took a large piece of meat.
More sharks came. Santiago fought them with all his strength. He used a knife, a stick, and even an oar. But the sharks kept coming. They ate more and more of the fish.
By the time Santiago reached the shore, only the fish’s skeleton was left. Santiago was sad, but he knew he had done his best. He walked slowly back to his house and lay down to rest.
The next morning, the villagers saw the great skeleton by the boat. They were surprised by its size. They knew Santiago had caught a very special fish.
Manolin came to see Santiago. The boy was sad to see the old man tired and hurt.
“I want to fish with you again,” Manolin said. “We will fish together.”
Santiago smiled. He was not defeated. He knew that even when you lose something, you can still be strong inside.
Vocabulary
- fisherman – pescador
- skiff - small boat
- boat – barco
- sea – mar
- shore – orilla / costa
- fish – pez / pescado
- big fish – pez grande
- fishing line – línea de pesca / sedal
- hook – anzuelo
- bait – carnada / cebo
- net – red
- rope – cuerda
- knot – nudo
- oar – remo
- to row – remar
- to sail – navegar
- sail – vela
- to steer – dirigir / maniobrar
- to catch (a fish) – atrapar / pescar
- to pull – jalar / tirar
- to tie – atar / amarrar
- to hold – sostener
- deep water – agua profunda
- waves – olas
- current – corriente
- wind – viento
- shark – tiburón
- skeleton – esqueleto
- luck – suerte
- strength – fuerza
- patience – paciencia
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
