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I say I will be emperor.' 'Ah, wife!' replied the fisherman, 'the

fish cannot make an emperor, I am sure, and I should not like to

ask him for such a thing.' 'I am king,' said Ilsabill, 'and you

are my slave; so go at once!'

So the fisherman was forced to go; and he muttered as he went

along, 'This will come to no good, it is too much to ask; the

fish will be tired at last, and then we shall be sorry for what

we have done.' He soon came to the seashore; and the water was

quite black and muddy, and a mighty whirlwind blew over the waves

and rolled them about, but he went as near as he could to the

water's brink, and said:

'O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her

own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'

'What would she have now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the

fisherman, 'she wants to be emperor.' 'Go home,' said the fish;

'she is emperor already.'