s nice?"

"Yes," said the man; "and so let it remain. We can live here very
happily."

"We will see about that," said the woman, and with that they ate
something and went to bed.

Everything went well for a week or more, and then said the wife:
"Listen, husband; this cottage is too cramped, and the garden is too
small. The flounder might have given us a bigger house. I want to live
in a big stone castle. Go to the flounder, and tell him to give us a
castle."

"Alas, wife!" said the man; "the cottage is good enough for us; what
should we do with a castle?"

"Never mind," said his wife; "do thou but go to the flounder, and he
will manage it."

"Nay, wife," said the man; "the flounder gave us the cottage. I don't
want to go back; as likely as not he'll be angry."

"Go, all the same," said the woman. "He can do it easily enough, and
willingly into the bargain. Just go!"

The man's heart was heavy, and he was very unwilling to go. He said to
himself: "It's not right." But at last he went.

He found the sea was no longer green; it was still calm, but dark
violet and gray. He stood by it 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 do you want?" said the flounder.

"Alas," said the man, half scared, "my wife wants a big stone castle."

"Go home again," said the flounder; "she is standing at the door of
it."

Then the man went away, thinking he would find no house, but when he
got back he found a great stone palace, and his wife standing at the
top of the steps, waiting to go in.

She took him by the hand and said, "Come in with me."

With that they went in and found a great hall paved with marble slabs,
and numbers of servants in attendance, who opened the great doors for
them. The walls were hung with beautiful tapestries, and the rooms
were furnished with golden chairs and tables, while rich carpets
covered the floors, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings.
The tables groaned under every kind of delicate food and the most
costly wines. Outside the house there was a great courtyard, with
stabling for horses, and cows, and many fine carriages. Beyond this
there was a great garden filled with the loveliest flowers, and fine
fruit trees. There was also a park, half a mile long, and in it were
stags and hinds, and hares, and everything of the kind one could wish
for.

"Now," said