The Fisherman and His Soul by Oscar Wilde

A young fisherman falls in love with a mermaid and seeks to join her beneath the sea, but he must first cast off his soul. Once separated, the soul gains its own life, returning each year with temptations drawn from the world above. Eventually, the fisherman’s love and suffering lead him to a tragic but transcendent end. The plot explores the tension between desire, spiritual longing, and worldly temptation. It’s one of Wilde’s most mystical and haunting tales.