The Fisherman and His Wife

Then the man went, and his wife was no longer sitting in a dugout, but a small hut was standing there, and his wife was sitting on a bench in front of the door. Then his wife took him by the hand and said to him, "Come on in, look, it's much better now." So they went in, and in the hut there was a little porch and a splendid parlor and chamber, where there was a bed for each one, and a kitchen and pantry, all beautifully furnished with utensils, pewter and brass, and everything that belonged there. In the back there was also a small yard with chickens and ducks and a small garden with vegetables and fruit. "Look," said the woman, "isn't this nice?" "Yes," said the man, "let's keep it that way, now let's live quite happily." "Let us consider that," said the woman. And then they ate and went to bed.

This went on for eight or fourteen days, and then the woman said, "Listen, man, the hut is too small, and the yard and garden are so small. The fish could have given us a bigger house. I would like to live in a big stone castle. Go to the fish, let him give us a castle." "Oh, woman," said the man, "the hut is good enough, what do we want to live in a castle." "Ei what," said the woman, "you go ahead, the fish can do it." "No, woman," said the man, "the fish has only given us the hut, I may not come again now, it would annoy the fish." "Go on," said the woman, "he is quite good at it and likes to do it. You go ahead." The man's heart was so heavy and he did not want to go; he said to himself, "That is not right," but he did go.

When he came to the sea, the water was all purple and dark blue and gray and thick, and not so green and yellow anymore, but it was calm. There he stood and said:

"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje" Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want the way I like to want."

"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man half sadly, "she wants to live in a big stone castle." "Go ahead, she's right outside the door," said the fish.

So the man went, thinking to go home, but when he got there, there was a great stone palace, and his wife was standing at the top of the stairs, about to go in. Then she took him by the hand and said:

"Come in." And so he went in with her, and in the castle there was a great hall with a marble floor, and there were so many servants, who pulled open the great doors, and the walls were all bare and with beautiful wallpaper, and in the rooms all golden chairs and tables, and crystal chandeliers hung down from the ceiling. And in all the parlors and chambers there were foot rugs. Food and the very best wines stood on the tables as if they were about to break. And behind the house there was also a large yard with stables for horses and cows and carriages of the very best, also there was a large, magnificent garden with the most beautiful flowers and the finest fruit trees, and a "pleasure forest" probably half a mile long, with deer and hares in it and everything one might wish for. "Well," said the woman, "isn't that beautiful now?" "Oh yes," said the man, "that's how it shall stay, now we want to live in the beautiful castle, too, and we want to be content. " - "Let's think about that," said the woman, "and sleep on it." With that they went to bed.

The other morning, the woman woke up first. It had just become daytime, and from their beds everyone could see the glorious land lying before them. The man was still stretching when she elbowed him in the side and said, "Man, get up and look out the window! Look, can't we become king over all this land? Go to the fish, we want to be king." "Oh, woman," said the man, "what do we want to be king of! I don't like being king."

"Well," said the woman, "if you don't want to be king, I will be king. Go to the fish, I will be king." "Oh, woman," said the man, "what do you want to be king for, I don't want to tell him." "Why not?" said the woman, "go at once, I must be king." So the man went and was quite grieved that his wife wanted to be king. "This is not right and is not right," thought the man. He did not want to go, but went anyway.

And when he came to the sea, there was the sea completely black-grey" and the water fermented so from the inside and smelled completely rotten. Then he stood and said:

"Manntje" Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje" Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want the way I like to want."

"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man, "she wants to be king." "Go" ahead, she already is," said the fish.

So the man went, and when he came to the palace, the castle had grown much larger, with a great tower and splendid ornaments on it. And the shield-guard stood before the gate, and there were so many soldiers with kettledrums and trumpets. And when he came into the house, everything was of pure marble with gold and velvet covers and great golden tassels. His wife was seated on a high throne of gold and diamond, and had a great golden crown on, and the scepter in her hand - of pure gold and precious stone, and on either side of her stood six virgins in a row, always one a head shorter than the other. Then he stood and said, "Ah woman, are you now king?" "Yes," said the woman, "now I am king." Then he stood and looked at her, and when he had looked at her like that for a while, he said, "Ah, woman, what a beautiful thing it is when you are king! Now let us wish for nothing more." "No, man," said the woman, becoming quite restless, "the time has become so long for me, I can't stand it any longer. Go to the fish, king I am, now I must also become emperor." "Ah, woman," said the man, "why do you want to become emperor?" "Man," she said, "go to the fish, I want to be emperor." "Ah, woman," said the man, "he can't make emperor, I don't like to tell the fish that. There is an emperor only once in the empire. Emperor, after all, the fish can't make, he can't and can't." "What," said the woman, "I am king, and you are only my husband, will you go right away? Go straight away! If he can make king, he can also make emperor, I want to be emperor now. Go at once!" So he had to go. But when the man went, he was quite afraid, and as he went, he thought to himself, "This will not go well, the emperor is too insolent, the fish will get tired in the end.

With that, he came to the sea. There the sea was still completely black and thick and began to ferment so from the inside out that it threw only so bubbles. And a gust of wind went over it, which stirred it up, and the man felt a horror. Then he stood and said:

"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje" Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want the way I like to want."

"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh, fish," he said, "my wife wants to be emperor." - "Go" ahead," said the fish, "she already is."

So the man went, and when he got there, the whole castle was of polished marble with golden figures and golden ornaments. Before the gate the soldiers marched, and they blew trumpets and beat kettledrums and drums. But in the house, where the barons and earls and dukes went about as servants, they opened for him the doors, which were of all gold. And when he entered, there sat his wife on a throne, which was of one piece of gold, and was six cubits high, and she had a mighty, great golden crown on, which was set with diamonds and carbuncles. In one hand she had the scepter and in the other hand the orb And on either side of her stood the satellites in two rows, always one smaller than the other, from the very tallest giant, who was over six cubits high, to the very smallest dwarf, who was only as big as my little finger. And before her stood so many princes and dukes. Then the man shyly stood and said, "Woman, are you now emperor?" "Yes," she said, "I am emperor." Then he went nearer and looked at her so rightly, and when he had looked at her so for a while, he said, "Ah, woman, what a beautiful thing it is when you are emperor." "Man," she said, "what are you standing there for? I am now emperor, but now I want to be pope. Go to the fish." "Ah, woman," said the man, "what don't you want. You can't become pope, there is only one pope in Christendom, he can't do that." Man," she said, "I want to be pope! Go right away, I have to become pope today".

"No, woman," said the man, "I don't like to say that, it won't do, it's too rough, the fish can't make pope." "Man, what nonsense!" said the woman, "he can make emperor, he can make pope. Go there at once, I am emperor, and you are only my husband. Will you go." Then he was afraid and went, but he felt very miserable, he trembled and shook, and his knees and calves trembled. Then a wind blew across the land, and the clouds flew as it grew dark toward evening. The leaves blew from the trees, and the water rushed and roared as if it were boiling, and splashed against the shore. And in the distance he saw the ships, shooting in distress, dancing and leaping on the waves. But the sky was still a little blue in the middle, but on the sides it was coming up like a heavy thunderstorm. There he stood in the fear quite despondently and said:

"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje" Buttje in the sea,
My wife, lisebill,
Doesn't want the way I like to want."

"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish. "Oh," said the man, "she wants to be pope." "Go ahead, she already is."

So he went, and when he got there, it was like a great church surrounded by palaces. There he pushed his way through the people. But within, all was lighted with a thousand and a thousand lights, and his wife was clothed in all gold, and sat upon a still much higher throne, and had three great golden crowns upon her, and round about her so much of the spiritual state, and on either side of her were two rows of lights, the greatest as thick and tall as the very tallest tower, even to the very smallest kitchen light. And all the emperors and the kings were on their knees before her, kissing her slipper. "Woman," asked the man, looking at her so rightly, "are you now pope?" "Yes," said she, "I am pope." Then he stood and looked at her so rightly, and that was as if he were looking into the bright sun. When he had looked at her like that for a while, he said:

"Oh, woman, what a pleasure it is when you are Pope!" But she sat as stiff as a log and did not move or stir. Then he said, "Woman, now be content, now you are pope, now you can become nothing more." "I will think about that," said the woman. With that they both went to bed, but she was not satisfied, and greed did not let her sleep, she was always thinking what else she wanted to become.

The man slept quite well and soundly, he had walked a lot during the day. The woman, however, could not fall asleep at all and threw herself from one side to the other the whole night, always thinking what she might become and could not think of anything. Meanwhile the sun was about to rise, and when she saw the dawn, she sat up in bed and looked in there, and when she saw the sun coming up out of the window like that - "ha," she thought, "can't I make the sun and the moon rise, too?" "Man," she said, poking him in the ribs with her elbow, "wake up, go to the fish, I want to become like the good Lord." The man was still half asleep, but he was so frightened that he fell out of bed. Thinking he had misheard, he rubbed his eyes and asked, "Oh, woman, what did you say?"

"Man," she said, "if I can't make the sun and the moon rise and have to watch the sun and the moon rise like this, I can't stand it and I won't have a quiet hour if I can't make them rise myself. Then she looked at him so quite large that a shudder ran over him. "In a moment I'll go, I want to be like the good Lord." "Ah, woman," said the man, falling on his knees before her, "the fish can't do that; emperor and pope he can do. I beg you, go within yourself and remain pope." Then she came into a bright rage, her hair flew so wildly about her head, she tore open her bodice, gave him one with her foot, and cried, "I can't stand it, and can't stand it any longer. Will you go right now." Then he slipped on his pants and ran away like mad.

But outside the storm went and roared so that he could hardly stand on his feet. The houses and the trees were blown over, and the mountains shook, and the rocks rolled into the sea, and the sky was all pitch black, and there was thunder and lightning, and the sea went in such high black waves like steeples and like mountains, and all had a white crown of foam on top. Then he cried out and could not hear his own word:

"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te,
Buttje" Buttje in the sea,
My wife, the Ilsebill,
Doesn't want the way I like to want."

"Well, what does she want?" asked the fish." Oh," said the man, "she wants to become like the good Lord." "Go ahead, she's already back in the old dugout."

There they both still sit to this day.