The Fisherman and His Wife Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm http : / / www . pitt . edu / ~ dash / grimm 019 . htmlOnce upon a time there were a fisherman and his wife wholived together in a filthy shack near the sea . Every day the fisherman went outfishing , and he fished , and he fished . once he was sitting there fishing andlooking into the clear water , and he sat , and he sat . Then his hook went to thebottom , deep down , and when he pulled it out , he had caught a large flounder . Then the flounder said to him , " Listen , fisherman , I beg you to let me live . I am not an ordinaryflounder , but an enchanted prince . How will it help you to kill me ? I would nottaste good to you . Put me back into the water , and let me swim . " " Well , " said the man , " there ' s no need to say more . I can certainly let a fish swim away whoknows how to talk . " With that he put it back into theclear water , and the flounder disappeared to the bottom , leaving a long trailof blood behind him . Then the fisherman got up andwent home to his wife in the filthy shack . " Husband , " said thewoman , " didn ' t you catch anything today ? " " No , " said the man . " I caught a flounder , but he told me that he was an enchanted prince , so Ilet him swim away . " " Didn ' t you ask for anythingfirst ? " said the woman . " No , " said the man . " What should I have asked for ? " " Oh , " said the woman . " It is terrible living in this shack . It stinks and is filthy . You shouldhave asked for a little cottage for us . Go back and call him . Tell him that wewant to have a little cottage . He will surely give it to us . " " Oh , " said the man . " Why should I go back there ? " " Look , " said the woman , " you did catch him , and then you let him swim away . He will surely do thisfor us . Go right now . " The man did not want to go , butneither did he want to oppose his wife , so he went back to the sea . When he arrived there it was nolonger clear , but yellow and green . He stood there and said : Mandje ! Mandje ! Timpe Te ! Flounder , flounder , in the sea ! My wife , my wife Ilsebill , Wants not , wants not , what I will The flounder swam up and said , " What does she wantthen ? " " Oh , " said the man , " I did catch you , and now my wife says that I really should have asked forsomething . She doesn ' t want to live in a filthy shack any longer . She wouldlike to have a cottage . " " Go home , " said theflounder . " She already has it . " The man went home , and his wifewas standing in the door of a cottage , and she said to him , " Come in . See , now isn ' t this much better ? " There was a little front yard , and a beautiful little parlor , and a bedroom where their bed was standing , anda kitchen , and a dining room . Everything was beautifully furnished and suppliedwith tin and brass utensils , just as it should be . And outside there was alittle yard with chickens and ducks and a garden with vegetables and fruit . " Look , " said the woman . " Isn ' t this nice ? " " Yes , " said the man . " This is quite enough . We can live here very well . " " We will think aboutthat , " said the woman . Then they ate something and wentto bed . Everything went well for a weekor two , and then the woman said , " Listen , husband . This cottage is toosmall . The yard and the garden are too little . The flounder could have given usa larger house . I would like to live in a large stone palace . Go back to theflounder and tell him to give us a palace . " " Oh , wife , " said theman , " the cottage is good enough . Why would we want to live in apalace ? " " I know why , " said thewoman . " Now you just go . The flounder can do that . " " Now , wife , the flounder hasjust given us the cottage . I don ' t want to go back so soon . It may make theflounder angry . " " Just go , " said thewoman . " He can do it , and he won ' t mind doing it . Just go . " The man ' s heart was heavy , and hedid not want to go . He said to himself , " This is not right , " but hewent anyway . When he arrived at the sea thewater was purple and dark blue and gray and dense , and no longer green andyellow . He stood there and said : Mandje ! Mandje ! Timpe Te ! Flounder , flounder , in the sea ! My wife , my wife Ilsebill , Wants not , wants not , what I will " What does she want then ? " said the flounder . " Oh , " said the mansadly , " my wife wants to live in a stone palace . " " Go home . She ' s alreadystanding before the door , " said the flounder . Then the man went his way , thinking he was going home , but when he arrived , standing there was a largestone palace . His wife was standing on the stairway , about to enter . Taking him by the hand , she said , " Come inside . " He went inside with her . Inside thepalace there was a large front hallway with a marble floor . Numerous servantsopened up the large doors for them . The walls were all white and covered withbeautiful tapestry . In the rooms there were chairs and tables of pure gold . Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings . The rooms and chambers all hadcarpets . Food and the very best wine overloaded the tables until they almostcollapsed . Outside the house there was a large courtyard with the very bestcarriages and stalls for horses and cows . Furthermore there was a magnificentgarden with the most beautiful flowers and fine fruit trees and a pleasureforest a good half mile long , with elk and deer and hares and everything thatanyone could possibly want . " Now , " said the woman , " isn ' t this nice ? " " Oh , yes " said the man . " This is quite enough . We can live in this beautiful palace and besatisfied . " " We ' ll think about it , " said the woman . " Let ' s sleep on it . " And with that they went to bed . The next morning the woman wokeup first . It was just daylight , and from her bed she could see the magnificentlandscape before her . Her husband was just starting to stir when she poked himin the side with her elbow and said , " Husband , get up and look out thewindow . Look , couldn ' t we be king over all this land ? " " Oh , wife , " said theman , " why would we want to be king ? I don ' t want to be king . " " Well , " said the woman , " even if you don ' t want to be king , I want to be king . " " Oh , wife , " said theman , " why do you want to be king ? I don ' t want to tell him that . " " Why not ? " said thewoman , " Go there immediately . I must be king . " So the man , saddened because hiswife wanted to be king , went back . " This is not right , notright at all , " thought the man . He did not want to go , but he went anyway . When he arrived at the sea it wasdark gray , and the water heaved up from below and had a foul smell . He stoodthere and said : Mandje ! Mandje ! Timpe Te ! Flounder , flounder , in the sea ! My wife , my wife Ilsebill , Wants not , wants not , what I will " What does she want then , " said the flounder . " Oh , " said the man , " she wants to be king . " " Go home . She is alreadyking , " said the flounder . Then the man went home , and whenhe arrived there , the palace had become much larger , with a tall tower andmagnificent decorations . Sentries stood outside the door , and there were somany soldiers , and drums , and trumpets . When he went inside everything was ofpure marble and gold with velvet covers and large golden tassels . Then thedoors to the great hall opened up , and there was the entire court . His wife wassitting on a high throne of gold and diamonds . She was wearing a large goldencrown , and in her hand was a scepter of pure gold and precious stones . oneither side of her there stood a line of maids - in - waiting , each one a headshorter than the other . " Oh , wife , are you nowking ? " " Yes , " she said , " now I am king . " He stood and looked at her , andafter thus looking at her for a while he said , " Wife , it is very nice thatyou are king . Now we don ' t have to wish for anything else . " " No , husband , " shesaid , becoming restless . " Time is on my hands . I cannot stand it anylonger . Go to the flounder . I am king , but now I must become emperor . " " Oh , wife " said theman , " Why do you want to become emperor ? " " Husband , " she said , " go to the flounder . I want to be emperor . " " Oh , wife , " said theman , " he cannot make you emperor . I cannot tell the flounder to do that . There is only one emperor in the realm . The flounder cannot make you emperor . He cannot do that . " " What ! " said the woman . " I am king , and you are my husband . Are you going ? Go there immediately . If he can make me king then he can make me emperor . I want to be and have to beemperor . Go there immediately . " So he had to go . As he went onhis way the frightened man thought to himself , " This is not going to endwell . To ask to be emperor is shameful . The flounder is going to get tired ofthis . " With that he arrived at the sea . The water was all black and dense and boiling up from within . A strong windblew over him that curdled the water . He stood there and said : Mandje ! Mandje ! Timpe Te ! Flounder , flounder , in the sea ! My wife , my wife Ilsebill , Wants not , wants not , what I will " What does she want then ? " said the flounder . " Oh , flounder , " hesaid , " my wife wants to become emperor . " " Go home , " said theflounder . " She is already emperor . " Then the man went home , and whenhe arrived there , the entire palace was made of polished marble with alabasterstatues and golden decoration . Soldiers were marching outside the gate , blowingtrumpets and beating tympani and drums . Inside the house , barons and counts anddukes were walking around like servants . They opened the doors for him , whichwere made of pure gold . He went inside where his wife was sitting on a thronemade of one piece of gold a good two miles high , and she was wearing a largegolden crown that was three yards high , all set with diamonds and carbuncles . In the one hand she had a scepter , and in the other the imperial orb . Bodyguards were standing in two rows at her sides : each one smaller than theother , beginning with the largest giant and ending with the littlest dwarf , whowas no larger than my little finger . Many princes and dukes were standing infront of her . The man went and stood among themand said , " Wife , are you emperor now ? " " Yes , " she said , " I am emperor . " He stood and looked at her , andafter thus looking at her for a while , he said , " Wife , it is very nicethat you are emperor . " " Husband , " she said . " Why are you standing there ? Now that I am emperor , and I want to becomepope . " " Oh , wife ! " said theman . " What do you not want ? There is only one pope in all Christendom . Hecannot make you pope . " " Husband , " she said , " I want to become pope . Go there immediately . I must become pope this veryday . " " No , wife , " he said , " I cannot tell him that . It will come to no good . That is too much . Theflounder cannot make you pope . " " Husband , whatnonsense ! " said the woman . " If he can make me emperor , then he canmake me pope as well . Go there immediately . I am emperor , and you are myhusband . Are you going ? " Then the frightened man went . Hefelt sick all over , and his knees and legs were shaking , and the wind wasblowing over the land , and clouds flew by as the darkness of evening fell . Leaves blew from the trees , and the water roared and boiled as it crashed ontothe shore . In the distance he could see ships , shooting distress signals asthey tossed and turned on the waves . There was a little blue in the middle ofthe sky , but on all sides it had turned red , as in a terrible lightning storm . Full of despair he stood there and said : Mandje ! Mandje ! Timpe Te ! Flounder , flounder , in the sea ! My wife , my wife Ilsebill , Wants not , wants not , what I will " What does she want then ? " said the flounder . " Oh , " said the man , " she wants to become pope . " " Go home , " said theflounder . " She is already pope . " Then he went home , and when hearrived there , there was a large church surrounded by nothing but palaces . Heforced his way through the crowd . Inside everything was illuminated with thousandsand thousands of lights , and his wife was clothed in pure gold and sitting on amuch higher throne . She was wearing three large golden crowns . She wassurrounded with church - like splendor , and at her sides there were two banks ofcandles . The largest was as thick and as tall as the largest tower , down to thesmallest kitchen candle . And all the emperors and kings were kneeling beforeher kissing her slipper . " Wife , " said the man , giving her a good look , " are you pope now ? " " Yes , " she said , " I am pope . " Then he stood there looking ather , and it was as if he were looking into the bright sun . After he had lookedat her for a while he said , " Wife , It is good that you are pope ! " She stood there as stiff as atree , neither stirring nor moving . Then he said , " Wife , besatisfied now that you are pope . There is nothing else that you canbecome . " " I have to think aboutthat , " said the woman . Then they both went to bed , butshe was not satisfied . Her desires would not let her sleep . She kept thinkingwhat she wanted to become next . The man slept well and soundly , for he had run about a lot during the day , but the woman could not sleep atall , but tossed and turned from one side to the other all night long , alwaysthinking about what she could become , but she could not think of anything . Then the sun was about to rise , and when she saw the early light of dawn she sat up in bed and watched throughthe window as the sun came up . " Aha , " she thought . " Could not I cause the sun and the moon to rise ? " " Husband , " she said , poking him in the ribs with her elbow , " wake up and go back to theflounder . I want to become like God . " The man , who was still mostlyasleep , was so startled that he fell out of bed . He thought that he hadmisunderstood her , so , rubbing his eyes , he said , " Wife , what did yousay ? " " Husband , " she said , " I cannot stand it when I see the sun and the moon rising , and I cannotcause them to do so . I will not have a single hour of peace until I myself cancause them to rise . " She looked at him so gruesomelythat he shuddered . " Go there immediately . Iwant to become like God . " " Oh , wife , " said theman , falling on his knees before her , " the flounder cannot do that . He canmake you emperor and pope , but I beg you , be satisfied and remain pope . " Anger fell over her . Her hairflew wildly about her head . Tearing open her bodice she kicked him with herfoot and shouted , " I cannot stand it ! I cannot stand it any longer ! Gothere immediately ! " He put on his trousers and ranoff like a madman . Outside such a storm was ragingthat he could hardly stand on his feet . Houses and trees were blowing over . Themountains were shaking , and boulders were rolling from the cliffs into the sea . The sky was as black as pitch . There was thunder and lightning . In the seathere were great black waves as high as church towers and mountains , all cappedwith crowns of white foam . Mandje ! Mandje ! Timpe Te ! Flounder , flounder , in the sea ! My wife , my wife Ilsebill , Wants not , wants not , what I will " What does she want then ? " said the flounder . " Oh , " he said , " she wants to become like God . " " Go home . She is sitting inher filthy shack again . " And they are sitting there even today .