The Fisherman and His Wife

There was once a fisherman and his wife who lived in a hovel by the sea. Every day the fisherman went out fishing, and he fished and fished.

One day he sat with his rod and looked at the clear blue water, and he sat and sat. Then his line was pulled deep underwater, and when he pulled it up, he had caught a great flounder. The flounder said to him, 'Listen, fisherman, I pray you, let me live. I am not a real flounder, but an enchanted prince. What good would it do you to kill me? I would not taste good to you. Put me back into the water, and let me live.' With that, he put the flounder back into the clear water, and it sank to the bottom, leaving a trail of blood behind it.

Then the fisherman got up and went home to his wife in their hovel. 'Husband,' said the wife, 'didn't you catch anything today?' 'No,' said the man. 'I caught a flounder, but it said it was an enchanted prince, so I let it swim away.' 'Didn't you wish for anything?' asked the wife. 'No,' said the man. 'What should I wish for?' 'Ah,' said the wife, 'it is surely hard to live in this dirty hovel. You should have wished for a little cottage. Go back and call him. Tell him we want a little cottage. He will certainly do it.' 'But,' said the man, 'should I really go there again?' 'Why yes,' said the wife. 'You did catch him, and you did let him go. He will certainly do it. Go at once.' The man still did not quite want to go, but he did not want to contradict his wife either, so he went down to the sea.

When he got there, the water was quite yellow and green. He stood and called:

'Enchanted prince, flounder of the sea, Come, I pray you, and listen to me. My wife, Ilsabil, will not as I would have her will, she says I should wish for something.'

'Well, what does she want then?' said the flounder. 'Ah,' said the man, 'she says that I did wish for something. She does not want to live in our dirty hovel any longer. She wants a little cottage.' 'Go home,' said the flounder. 'She is already standing before the door.'

When the man got there, his wife was no longer in the hovel. Instead, there stood a little cottage, and she was standing on the doorstep. She took him by the hand and said, 'Come inside. Look, isn't this much better?' They went inside and had a little front yard with flowers and a garden with all kinds of vegetables and fruit trees, everything beautiful to look at. 'There,' said the wife, 'isn't this nice?' 'Yes,' said the man, 'and so we must be content. We now have this beautiful little cottage. We can be truly happy.' 'We'll think about that,' said the wife, and 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 too cramped. The yard and garden are too small. The flounder could have given us a larger house. I want to live in a great stone castle. Go back to the flounder and tell him I want a stone castle.' 'Ah, wife,' said the man, 'this cottage is good enough. Why do we need a stone castle?' 'What do you say!' said the wife. 'Just go. The flounder can do it.' 'No, wife,' said the man, 'the flounder gave us this cottage. I don't want to go back. Perhaps the flounder will be angry.' 'Just go,' said the wife. 'He can do it, and he certainly will like to do it. Why should we be content with this cottage when we can have a stone castle?' The man sighed and was reluctant, but he went.

When he got to the sea, the water was purple and dark blue and gray and thick, and no longer green and yellow. He stood and called:

'Enchanted prince, flounder of the sea, Come, I pray you, and listen to me. My wife, Ilsabil, will not as I would have her will, she says I should wish for something.'

'Well, what does she want now?' said the flounder. 'Ah,' said the man sadly, 'she wants a great stone castle.' 'Go home,' said the flounder. 'She is already standing before the door.'

When he arrived, there stood a great stone castle. His wife was standing on the stairs, about to go in. She took him by the hand and said, 'Come inside.' He went in with her, and inside the castle was a great hall paved with marble. Servants moved about, lighting the great chandeliers and opening the doors, which were of gold and silver. Tables were laden with all the finest foods and wines. Outside the castle was a great courtyard with stables full of horses and carriages. The garden was magnificent and stretched as far as the eye could see. 'There,' said the wife, 'isn't that nice?' 'Ah, yes,' said the man. 'This is quite enough. We can live in this beautiful castle and be happy.' 'We'll think about that,' said the wife, and they went to bed.

The next morning, the wife woke up first. It was a beautiful morning, and she could see the magnificent gardens from her window. But her husband was still sleeping, so she poked him in the side and said, 'Husband, get up and look out the window. Look, couldn't we be king of all this land? Go to the flounder. I want to be king.' 'Ah, wife,' said the man, 'why do you want to be king? I don't want to tell him that.' 'Well,' said the wife, 'if you won't go, I will. I want to be king!' So the man, sighing heavily, went.

'I don't like this,' he said. 'It is too presumptuous. The flounder will be annoyed.' 'What do you say?' said the wife. 'Go at once. He can do it.' So he went, feeling very uneasy.

When he got to the sea, the water was dark gray and blue and black, and it was swirling and boiling. He stood and called:

'Enchanted prince, flounder of the sea, Come, I pray you, and listen to me. My wife, Ilsabil, will not as I would have her will, she says I should wish for something.'

'Well, what does she want now?' said the flounder. 'Ah,' said the man, 'she wants to be king.' 'Go home,' said the flounder. 'She is already king.'

When he got there, the castle was much larger and had magnificent towers and decorations. Before the castle stood sentries, and many princes and counts were waiting to serve him. They opened the golden doors for him, and there sat his wife on a throne made of gold and diamonds, wearing a great golden crown. She held a scepter in one hand and the orb in the other. On either side of her stood two rows of maids of honor, each one a head shorter than the next, from the tallest to the smallest. The man went and stood before her and said, 'Ah, wife, now you are king.' 'Yes,' she said. 'Now I am king.' He stood and looked at her, and when he had looked at her for a while, he said, 'Ah, wife, be satisfied. Now you are king. Don't wish for anything more.' 'No,' she said, very restless. 'Time is on my hands, and I cannot stop myself from thinking. Go to the flounder. I am king, but now I must become emperor.'

And so she continued, wishing to be emperor, then pope, and finally to command the sun and moon to become like God Himself. Each time the fisherman reluctantly returned to the sea, which grew darker and more stormy with each visit. Finally, when she demanded to be like God, the flounder said, 'Go home. She is sitting in your old hovel again.' And there they sit to this very day.