He stood there and said:
"Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Prythee, hearken unto me:
My wife, Ilsebil, will have her own way
Whatever I wish, whatever I say."
"Now, what does she want?" said the flounder.
"Alas," said the man, "she wants to be king now."
"Go back. She is king already," said the flounder.
So the man went back, and when he reached the palace he found that it
had grown much larger, and a great tower had been added, with handsome
decorations. There was a sentry at the door, and numbers of soldiers
were playing drums and trumpets. As soon as he got inside the house,
he found everything was marble and gold; and the hangings were of
velvet, with great golden tassels. The doors of the saloon were thrown
wide open and he saw the whole court assembled. His wife was sitting
on a lofty throne of gold and diamonds; she wore a golden crown, and
carried in one hand a scepter of pure gold. On each side of her stood
her ladies in a long row, each one a head shorter than the next.
He stood before her, and said, "Alas, wife, art thou now king?"
"Yes," she said; "now I am king."
He stood looking at her for some time, and then he said, "Ah, wife,
it is a fine thing for thee to be king; now we will not wish to be
anything more.
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