The Fisherman and His Wife

Once upon a time there was a fisherman who lived with his wife in a filthy little hovel close by the sea, and every day he went out fishing. He fished and he fished.

One day he sat by his line, gazing down into the clear water, and he sat and he sat. All at once his line went down, deep down below, and when he pulled it up again he had hooked a great flounder. And the flounder said to him, "Listen, fisherman, I beg you, let me live. I am no ordinary flounder — I am an enchanted prince. What good will it do you to kill me? I would not taste right anyway. Put me back in the water and let me swim away." "Well," said the man, "there's no need to make so many words about it. A fish that can talk I would surely have let go in any case." With that he put him back into the clear water, and the flounder sank to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the fisherman got up and went home to his wife in the hovel.

"Husband," said the wife, "have you caught nothing today?" "No," said the man. "I caught a flounder who said he was an enchanted prince, so I let him go again." "Didn't you wish for anything first?" said the wife. "No," said the man. "What should I wish for?" "Ah," said the wife, "it is a hard thing to live always in this dirty hovel; it stinks and it is horrid. You could have wished us a little cottage. Go back and call him. Tell him we would like a little cottage — he is sure to give it to us." "Ah," said the man, "why should I go there again?" "Why," said the wife, "you caught him and let him go again; he is sure to do it. Go at once." The man still did not much want to go, but he did not want to cross his wife either, so he went down to the sea.

When he got there the sea was all green and yellow, and no longer so clear. So he stood and said:

"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray you, up to me; for my wife, good Ilsabil, wants what is against my will."

Then the flounder came swimming up and said, "Well, what does she want, then?" "Ah," said the man, "I did catch you, and now my wife says I really ought to have wished for something. She does not like living in the hovel any more; she would like a cottage." "Go home, then," said the flounder. "She has it already."

So the man went home, and his wife was no longer sitting in the hovel. In its place stood a little cottage, and she was sitting on a bench before the door. She took him by the hand and said, "Just come inside — look, isn't this much better?" So they went in, and there was a little entry hall, and a pretty little sitting room and bedroom where their bed stood, and a kitchen and a pantry, all fitted with the best of furniture and set out most beautifully, with tin and brass ware, everything that could be wanted. And behind the cottage was a little yard with hens and ducks, and a little garden with vegetables and fruit. "Look," said the wife, "isn't that nice?" "Yes," said the man, "and so it shall stay. Now we shall live quite content." "We'll think about that," said the wife. Then they ate something and went to bed.

Everything went well for a week or two, and then the wife said, "Listen, husband, this cottage is far too cramped, and the yard and garden are so small. The flounder might just as well have given us a bigger house. I should like to live in a great stone castle. Go to the flounder and tell him to give us a castle." "Ah, wife," said the man, "the cottage is quite good enough. Why should we live in a castle?" "Oh, come," said the wife, "just go — the flounder can always do it." "No, wife," said the man, "the flounder has only just given us the cottage. I don't like to go back so soon; it might annoy him." "Go," said the wife, "he can do it easily and gladly. Just go." The man's heart grew heavy, and he did not want to go. "It is not right," he said to himself, but he went all the same.

When he came to the sea, the water was all purple and dark blue and grey and thick, no longer green and yellow, but it was still calm. So he stood and said:

"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray you, up to me; for my wife, good Ilsabil, wants what is against my will."

"Well, what does she want, then?" said the flounder. "Ah," said the man, half sorrowful, "she wants to live in a great stone castle." "Go home, then; she is standing before the door," said the flounder.

So the man went, meaning to go home, but when he got there he found a great stone palace, and his wife was just standing on the steps about to go in. She took him by the hand and said, "Come inside." So he went in with her, and in the castle was a great hall with a marble floor, and so many servants who threw the great doors wide. The walls were all bright with beautiful tapestries, and in the rooms stood chairs and tables of pure gold, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, and all the rooms and bedrooms had carpets, and food and the very best wine stood upon the tables until they nearly broke beneath it. Behind the house too was a great courtyard with stables for horses and cows, and the very finest of carriages; and there was a magnificent large garden with the loveliest flowers and fine fruit trees, and a pleasure park a good half mile long, with stags and deer and hares in it, and everything one could ever wish. "Well," said the wife, "isn't that beautiful?" "Oh, yes," said the man, "and so it shall stay. Now we shall live in this beautiful castle and be content." "We'll think about that," said the wife, "and sleep on it." With that they went to bed.

The next morning the wife woke first, just as day was breaking, and from her bed she saw the beautiful country lying before her. Her husband was still stretching himself, so she poked him in the side with her elbow and said, "Husband, get up and look out of the window. See — couldn't we be king over all that land? Go to the flounder; we shall be king." "Ah, wife," said the man, "why should we be king? I don't want to be king." "Well," said the wife, "if you won't be king, then I will. Go to the flounder; I will be king." "Ah, wife," said the man, "why do you want to be king? I don't like to tell him that." "Why not?" said the wife. "Go this instant; I must be king." So the man went, quite grieved that his wife wanted to be king. "It is not right, it is not right," he thought. He did not want to go, but he went all the same.

When he came to the sea, it was all dark grey, and the water heaved up from below and smelt foul. He stood and said:

"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray you, up to me; for my wife, good Ilsabil, wants what is against my will."

"Well, what does she want, then?" said the flounder. "Ah," said the man, "she wants to be king." "Go home; she is king already," said the flounder.

So the man went, and when he came to the palace, the castle had grown much larger, with a great tower and magnificent ornaments upon it. A sentinel stood before the door, and there were crowds of soldiers with kettledrums and trumpets. And when he went into the house, everything was of pure marble and gold, with velvet coverings and great golden tassels. Then the doors of the hall were flung open, and there was the whole court in its splendour, and his wife was sitting on a high throne of gold and diamonds, with a great golden crown on her head and a sceptre of pure gold and jewels in her hand. On either side of her stood six maids in a row, each one a head shorter than the last.

He went and stood before her and said, "Ah, wife, so now you are king?" "Yes," said the wife, "now I am king." He stood and looked at her, and when he had looked at her for a while, he said, "Ah, wife, how fine it looks now that you are king! Now we need wish for nothing more." "No, husband," said the wife, quite restless, "the time hangs heavy on me; I can bear it no longer. Go to the flounder. I am king, but now I must be emperor too." "Ah, wife," said the man, "why do you want to be emperor?" "Husband," said she, "go to the flounder. I will be emperor." "Ah, wife," said the man, "he cannot make you emperor. I don't like to tell the flounder that. There is only one emperor in the realm. The flounder cannot make you emperor — he cannot, and he cannot."

"What!" said the wife. "I am king, and you are only my husband. Will you go this instant? Go at once! If he can make a king, he can make an emperor. I will and I will be emperor. Go, this instant." So he had to go. But as the man went, he grew quite frightened, and as he walked he thought to himself, "This will not end well. Emperor is too shameless. The flounder will tire of it in the end."

With that he reached the sea, and the sea was all black and thick, and it began to heave up from below and throw up bubbles, and such a sharp wind blew over it that it churned and curdled, and a shudder ran through the man. He stood and said:

"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray you, up to me; for my wife, good Ilsabil, wants what is against my will."

"Well, what does she want, then?" said the flounder. "Ah, flounder," said he, "my wife wants to be emperor." "Go home," said the flounder; "she is emperor already."

So the man went, and when he got there the whole palace was of polished marble with alabaster figures and golden ornaments. Soldiers marched before the door, blowing trumpets and beating cymbals and drums; and inside the house, barons and counts and dukes went about as servants. They opened the doors to him, which were of pure gold. And when he entered, there sat his wife on a throne made from a single piece of gold, fully two miles high, and she wore a great golden crown three yards high, set with diamonds and carbuncles. In one hand she held the sceptre, and in the other the imperial orb, and on either side of her stood the guards in two rows, each one smaller than the one before, from the very biggest giant, who was two miles high, down to the tiniest dwarf, no bigger than my little finger. And before her stood a whole crowd of princes and dukes.

The man went and stood among them and said, "Wife, are you emperor now?" "Yes," said she, "I am emperor." He stood and looked at her well, and when he had looked at her for a while, he said, "Ah, wife, how fine it looks now that you are emperor." "Husband," said she, "why are you standing there? I am emperor now, but now I want to be pope too. Go to the flounder." "Ah, wife," said the man, "what will you not want next? You cannot be pope. There is but one pope in all Christendom. He cannot make you that." "Husband," said she, "I will be pope. Go this instant; I must be pope this very day." "No, wife," said the man, "I don't like to tell him that. It won't turn out well; it is too much. The flounder cannot make you pope." "Husband, what nonsense!" said the wife. "If he can make an emperor, he can make a pope. Go at once. I am emperor, and you are only my husband. Will you go?"

Then he was afraid and went, but he felt quite faint, and he shivered and shook, and his knees and calves trembled beneath him. A wind swept over the land, and the clouds flew, and towards evening it all grew dark. The leaves blew from the trees, and the water rose and roared as if it were boiling, and splashed upon the shore. Far off he saw ships firing their guns in their distress, pitching and tossing on the waves. And yet in the middle of the sky there was still a little patch of blue, though on every side it was turning as red as a heavy storm. So, quite despairing, he stood there in his fear and said:

"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray you, up to me; for my wife, good Ilsabil, wants what is against my will."

"Well, what does she want, then?" said the flounder. "Ah," said the man, "she wants to be pope." "Go home, then," said the flounder; "she is pope already."

So he went, and when he got there he saw what seemed a great church, surrounded by palaces. He pushed his way through the crowd. Inside, everything was lit with thousands upon thousands of candles, and his wife was clothed all in gold, sitting on a still higher throne, with three great golden crowns on her head, and all around her was much churchly splendour. On either side of her stood two rows of candles, the largest as thick and tall as the very tallest tower, down to the smallest kitchen candle. And all the emperors and kings knelt before her, kissing her slipper. "Wife," said the man, looking at her closely, "are you pope now?" "Yes," said she, "I am pope." He stood and looked at her, and it was as if he were looking straight into the bright sun. When he had looked at her for a while, he said, "Ah, wife, how fine it looks now that you are pope!" But she sat as stiff as a post and did not stir or move at all. Then he said, "Wife, now be content, now that you are pope; you cannot become anything greater." "I'll think about that," said the wife. With that they both went to bed, but she was not content, and her greed would not let her sleep, for she kept thinking what more she might yet become.

The man slept well and soundly, for he had run about a great deal that day; but the wife could not fall asleep at all, and tossed from one side to the other all night long, always thinking what more she might become, and unable to think of anything. At last the sun began to rise, and when she saw the red of dawn, she sat up in bed and looked at it. And as she watched the sun come up through the window, she thought, "Ah, could I not make the sun and moon rise too?" "Husband," she said, poking him in the ribs with her elbow, "wake up, go to the flounder. I want to be like God himself." The man was still half asleep, but he was so horrified that he fell out of bed. He thought he must have misheard, and rubbed his eyes and said, "Ah, wife, what did you say?" "Husband," said she, "if I cannot make the sun and moon rise, and have to sit and watch them rise without me, I cannot bear it, and I shall never have a peaceful hour again unless I can make them rise myself." Then she looked at him so dreadfully that a shudder ran over him. "Go this instant; I want to be like God." "Ah, wife," said the man, falling on his knees before her, "the flounder cannot do that. He can make an emperor and a pope; I beg you, be reasonable and stay pope." Then she flew into a rage, and her hair flew wildly about her head, and she tore open her bodice and gave him a kick and screamed, "I cannot bear it, I cannot bear it any longer — will you go?" So he pulled on his trousers and ran off like a madman.

But outside a storm was raging, blowing so hard that he could scarcely stay on his feet. Houses and trees were blown over, and the mountains trembled, and boulders rolled into the sea, and the sky was pitch black, and it thundered and lightened, and the sea rolled in great black waves as high as church towers and mountains, each with a white crown of foam on top. Then he cried out, though he could not hear his own words:

"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come, I pray you, up to me; for my wife, good Ilsabil, wants what is against my will."

"Well, what does she want, then?" said the flounder. "Ah," said he, "she wants to be like God himself." "Go home," said the flounder; "she is sitting in the dirty hovel again."

And there they are sitting to this very day.