ing, and from her bed she could see the beautiful country around her. Her husband was still asleep, but she pushed him with her elbow, and said, ‘Husband, get up and peep out of the window. See here, now, could we not be King over all this land? Go to the Flounder. We will be King.’
‘Alas, Wife,’ said the Man, ‘what should we be King for? I don’t want to be King.’
‘Ah,’ said his Wife, ‘if thou wilt not be King, I will. Go to the Flounder. I will be King.’
‘Alas, Wife,’ said the Man, ‘whatever dost thou want to be King for? I don’t like to tell him.’
‘Why not?’ said the Woman. ‘Go thou must. I will be King.’
So the Man went; but he was quite sad because his Wife would be King.
‘It is not right,’ he said; ‘it is not right.’
When he reached the sea, he found it dark, grey, and rough, and evil smelling. He stood there and said—
Prythee, hearken unto me:
My Wife, Ilsebil, must have her own will,
And sends me to beg a boon of thee.’
‘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