g there for? Now I am
emperor, I mean to be pope! Go back to the flounder."

"Alas, wife," said the man, "what wilt thou not want? Pope thou canst
not be. There is only one pope in Christendom. That's more than the
flounder can do."

"Husband," she said, "pope I will be; so go at once. I must be pope
this very day."

"No, wife," he said, "I dare not tell him. It's no good; it's too
monstrous altogether. The flounder cannot make thee pope."

"Husband," said the woman, "don't talk nonsense. If he can make an
emperor, he can make a pope. Go immediately. I am emperor, and thou
art but my husband, and thou must obey."

So he was frightened, and went; but he was quite dazed. He shivered
and shook, and his knees trembled.

A great wind arose over the land, the clouds flew across the sky,
and it grew as dark as night; the leaves fell from the trees, and the
water foamed and dashed upon the shore. In the distance the ships were
being tossed to and fro on the waves, and he heard them firing signals
of distress. There was still a little patch of blue in the sky among
the dark clouds, but toward the south they were red and heavy, as in a
bad storm. In despair, he stood 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 pope."

"Go back. Pope she is," said the flounder.

So back he went, and he found a great church, surrounded with palaces.
He pressed through the crowd, and inside he found thousands and
thousand of lights, and his wife, entirely clad in gold, was sitting
on a still higher throne, with three golden crowns upon her head, and
she was surrounded with priestly state. On each side of her were two
rows of candles, the biggest as thick as a tower, down to the tiniest
little taper. Kings and emperors were on their knees before her,
kissing her shoe.

"Wife," said the man, looking at her, "art thou now pope?"

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

So there he stood gazing at her, and it was like looking at a shining
sun.

"Alas, wife," he said, "art thou better off for being pope?" At first
she sat as stiff as a post, without stirring. Then he said, "Now,
wife, be content with being pope; higher thou canst not go."

"I will think about that," said the woman, and with that they both
went to bed. Still she was not content, an