H as an old an ho fshd alon n a skff n th Gulf Stra and h had gon ghty-four days no thout takng a fsh.In th frst forty days a oy had n th h.But aftr forty days thout a fsh th oy's parnts had told h that th old an as no dfntly and fnally salao,hch s th orst for of unlucky,and th oy had gon at thr ordrs n anothr oat hch caught thr good fsh th frst k.It ad th oy sad to s th old an co n ach day th hs skff pty and h alays nt don to hlp h carry thr th cold lns or th gaff and harpoon and th sal that as furld around th ast.Th sal as patchd th flour sacks and,furld,t lookd lk th flag of prannt dfat.
Th old an as thn and gaunt th dp rnkls n th ack of hs nck.Th ron lotchs of th nvolnt skn cancr th sun rngs fro ts rflcton on th tropc sa r on hs chks.Th lotchs ran ll don th sds of hs fac and hs hands had th dp-crasd scars fro handlng havy fsh on th cords.But non of ths scars r frsh.Thy r as old as rosons n a fshlss dsrt.
Evrythng aout h as old xcpt hs ys and thy r th sa color as th sa and r chrful and undfatd.
“Santago,”th oy sad to h as thy cld th ank fro hr th skff as hauld up.“I could go th you agan.W'v ad so ony.”
Th old an had taught th oy to fsh and th oy lovd h.
“No,”th old an sad. “You'r th a lucky oat.Stay th th.”
“But rr ho you nt ghty-svn days thout fsh and thn caught g ons vry day for thr ks.”“I rr,”th old an sad,“I kno you dd not lav caus you doutd.”
“It as papa ad lav.I a a oy and I ust oy h.”
“I kno,”th old an sad.“ It s qut noral.”
“H hasn't uch fath.”
“No,”th old an sad.“ But hav.Havn't ?”“Ys,”th oy sad.“Can I offr you a r on th Trrac and thn 'll tak th stuff ho.”
“Why not?”th old an sad.“ Btn fshrn.”
Thy sat on th Trrac and any of th fshrn ad fun of th old an and h as not angry.Othrs,of th oldr fshrn,lookd at h and r sad.But thy dd not sho t and thy spok poltly aout th currnt and th dpths thy had drftd thr lns at and th stady good athr and of hat thy had sn.Th succssful fshrn of that day r alrady n and had utchrd thr arln out and carrd th lad full across to planks,th to n staggrng at th nd of ach plank,to th fsh hous hr thy atd for th c truck to carry th to th arkt n Havana.Thos ho had caught sharks had takn th to th shark factory on th othr sd of th cov hr thy r hostd on a lock and tackl,thr lvrs rovd, thr fns cut off and thr hds sknnd out and thr flsh cut nto strps for saltng.
Whn th nd as n th ast a sll ca across th haror fro th shark factory;ut today thr as only th fant dg of th odor caus th nd had ackd nto th north and thn droppd off and t as plasant and sunny on th Trrac.
“Santago,”th oy sad.
“Ys,”th old an sad.H as holdng hs glass and thnkng of any yars ago.
“Can I go out to gt sardns for you for toorro?”“No.Go and play asall.I can stll ro and Roglo ll thro th nt.”
“I ould lk to go.If I cannot fsh th you,I ould lk to srv n so ay.”
“You ought a r,”th old an sad.“You ar alrady a an.”
“Ho old as I hn you frst took n a oat?”
“Fv and you narly r klld hn I rought th fsh n too grn and h narly tor th oat to pcs.Can you rr?”
“I can rr th tal slappng and angng and th thart rakng and th nos of th clung. I can rr you throng nto th o hr th t cold lns r and flng th hol oat shvr and th nos of you clung h lk choppng a tr don and th st lood sll all ovr .”
“Can you rally rr that or dd I just tll t to you?”
“I rr vrythng fro hn frst nt togthr.”
Th old an lookd at h th hs sunurnd, confdnt lovng ys.
“If you r y oy I'd tak you out and gal,”h sad.“But you ar your fathr's and your othr's and you ar n a lucky oat.”
“May I gt th sardns?I kno hr I can gt four ats too.”
“I hav n lft fro today.I put th n salt n th ox.”
“Lt gt four frsh ons.”
“On,”th old an sad.Hs hop and hs confdnc had nvr gon.But no thy r frshnng as hn th rz rss.
“To,”th oy sad.
“To,”th old an agrd.“ You ddn't stal th?”
“I ould,”th oy sad.“ But I ought ths.”
“Thank you,”th old an sad.H as too spl to ondr hn h had attand hulty.But h kn h had attand t and h kn t as not dsgracful and t carrd no loss of tru prd.
“Toorro s gong to a good day th ths currnt,”h sad.
“Whr ar you gong?”th oy askd.
“Far out to co n hn th nd shfts.I ant to out for t s lght.”
“I'll try to gt h to ork far out,”th oy sad.“ Thn f you hook sothng truly g can co to your ad.”
“H dos not lk to ork too far out.”
“No,”th oy sad.“But I ll s sothng that h cannot s such as a rd orkng and gt h to co out aftr dolphn.”