"Alas, wife!" said the man; "the cottage is good enough for us; what should we do with a castle?"
"Never mind," said his wife; "do thou but go to the flounder, and he will manage it."
"Nay, wife," said the man; "the flounder gave us the cottage. I don't want to go back; as likely as not he'll be angry."
"Go, all the same," said the woman. "He can do it easily enough, and willingly into the bargain. Just go!"
The man's heart was heavy, and he was very unwilling to go. He said to himself: "It's not right." But at last he went.
He found the sea was no longer green; it was still calm, but dark violet and gray. He stood by it 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 do you want?" said the flounder.
"Alas," said the man, half scared, "my wife wants a big stone castle."
"Go home again," said the flounder; "she is standing at the door of it."
Then the man went away, thinking he would find no house, but when he got back he found a great stone palace, and his wife standing at the top of the steps, waiting to go in.
She took him by the hand and said, "Come in with me."
With that they went in and found a great hall paved with marble slabs, and numbers of servants in attendance, who opened the great doors for them. The walls were hung with beautiful tapestries, and the rooms were furnished with golden chairs and tables, while rich carpets covered the floors, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings. The tables groaned under every kind of delicate food and the most costly wines. Outside the house there was a great courtyard, with stabling for horses, and cows, and many fine carriages. Beyond this there was a great garden filled with the loveliest flowers, and fine fruit trees. There was also a park, half a mile long, and in it were stags and hinds, and hares, and everything of the kind one could wish for.
"Now," said the woman, "is not this worth having?"
"Oh, yes," said the man; "and so let it remain. We will live in this beautiful palace and be content."
"We will think about that," said his wife, "and sleep upon it."
Next morning the wife woke up first; day was just dawning, 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."
