s
very heavy on my hands. I can't bear it any longer. Go back to the
flounder. King I am, but I must also be emperor."

"Alas, wife," said the man, "why dost thou now want to be emperor?"

"Husband," she answered, "go to the flounder. Emperor I will be."

"Alas, wife," said the man, "emperor he can't make thee, and I won't
ask him. There is only one emperor in the country; and emperor the
flounder cannot make thee, that he can't."

"What?" said the woman. "I am king, and thou art but my husband. To
him thou must go, and that right quickly. If he can make a king, he
can also make an emperor. Emperor I will be, so quickly go."

He had to go, but he was quite frightened. And as he went, he thought,
"This won't end well; emperor is too shameless. The flounder will make
an end of the whole thing."

With that he came to the sea, but now he found it quite black, and
heaving up from below in great waves. It tossed to and fro, and a
sharp wind blew over it, and the man trembled. So 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."

"What does she want now?" said the flounder.

"Alas, flounder," he said, "my wife wants to be emperor."

"Go back," said the flounder. "She is emperor."

So the man went back, and when he got to the door, he found that the
whole palace was made of polished marble, with alabaster figures and
golden decorations. Soldiers marched up and down before the doors,
blowing their trumpets and beating their drums. Inside the palace,
counts, barons, and dukes walked about as attendants, and they opened
to him the doors, which were of pure gold.

He went in, and saw his wife sitting on a huge throne made of solid
gold. It was at least two miles high. She had on her head a great
golden crown, set with diamonds, three yards high. In one hand she
held the scepter, and in the other the ball of empire. On each side of
her stood the gentlemen-at-arms in two rows, each one a little smaller
than the other, from giants two miles high, down to the tiniest dwarf
no bigger than my little finger. She was surrounded by princes and
dukes.

Her husband stood still, and said, "Wife, art thou now emperor?"

"Yes," said she; "now I am emperor."

Then he looked at her for some time, and said, "Alas, wife, how much
better off art thou for being emperor?"

"Husband," she said, "what art thou standin