Stranica 140 [140]
104 GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.
“Go home with you, she is so already,” said the fish.
So the man went back, and as he came to the palace he
saw it was very much larger, and had great towers and splendid
gateways ; the herald stood before the door, and a number
of soldiers with kettle-drums and trumpets.
And when he came inside everything was of marble and
gold, and there were many curtains with great golden tassels.
Then he went through the doors of the saloon to where the
great throne-room was, and there was his wife sitting upon a
throne of gold and diamonds, and she had a great golden crown
on, and the sceptre in her hand was of pure gold and jewels,
and on each side stood six pages in a row, each one a head
shorter than the other. So the man went up to her and said,
“Well, wife, so now you are king!”
“Yes,” said the wife, "now I am king.”
So then he stood and looked at her, and when he had
gazed at her for some time he said,
“Well, wife, this is fine for you to be king! now there 1s
nothing more to wish for.”
“O husband!” said the wife, seeming quite restless, “ I am
tired of this already. Go to your fish and tell him that now I
am king I must be emperor.”
“Now, wife,” said the man, “what do you want to be
emperor for?” 7
‘* Husband,” said she, “go and tell the fish I want to be
emperor.”
“Oh dear!” said the man, “he could not do it—I cannot
ask him such a thing. ‘There is but one emperor at a time;
the fish can’t possibly make any one emperor—aindeed he
can't.” :
“ Now, look here,” said the wife, “ I am king, and you are
only my husband, so will you go at once? Go along! for if
he was able to make me king he is able to make me emperor ; .
and I will and must be emperor, so go along!”
So he was obliged to go; and as he went he felt very un¬
comfortable about it, and he thought to himself,
“Tt is not at all the right thing to do; to want to be em¬
peror is really going too far; the flounder will soon be begin¬
ning to get tired of this.”
With that he came to the sea, and the water was quite