90 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIPE.
palace, he saw a troop of soldiers, and heard the sounds of drums and trumpets ; and when he entered in, he saw his wife sitting on a high throne of gold and diamonds, with a golden crown upon her head ; and on each side of her stood six beautiful maiden^, each a head taller than the other. « Well, wife," said the fisherman, " are you kin^ ?" " Yes," said she, " I am king." And when he had looked at her for a long time, he said, " Ah, wife ! what a fine thing it is to be king ! now we shall never have anything more to wish for." " I don't know how that may* be," said she ; " never is a long time. I am king, *tis true, but I begin to be tired of it, and I think I should like to be emperor." " Alas, wife ! why should you wish to be emperor ?" said the fisherman. " Hus- band," said she, "go to the fish ; I say I will be emperor." " Ah, wife !" replied the fisherman, " the fish cannot make an emperor^ and I should not like to ask for such a thing." "I am king," said Alice, " and yom are my slave, so go directly!" So the fisherman was obliged 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 repent of what we have done." He soon arrived at the sea, and the water was quite black and muddy, and a mighty whirlwind blew over it ; but he went to the shore, and said,
- ' O man of the sea !
Oooie listen to me,
For Alice my wife,
The plague of my life, Hath sent me to b«g a boon of thee f
"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."
So he went home again; and as he came near he saw his wife sitting on a very lofty throae made of solid gold, with a great cnwivn
