22 THE FISHERMAN AND HI3 WIF&
and on each idde were two rows of burning lights, of all sices, the
greatest as large as the highest and big^st tower in the world, and the
least no larger than a small rashlightw " Wife," said the fisherman as
he looked at all this grandeur, " are you pope ?" " Yes," said she, " 1
am pope." " Well, wife," replied he, it is a grand thing to be pope .
and now you must be content, for you can be nothing greater." " I
will consider of that," said the wifa Then they went to bed : but
Dame Alice could not sleep all night for thinking what she should be
next. At last morning came, and the sun rose. " Ah !" thought she as
she looked at it through the window, " cannot I prevcait the sun rising ?"
At this she was very angry, and wakened her husband, and said,
" Husband, go to the fish and teU him I want to be lord of the sun and
moon." The fisherman was half asleep, but the thought frightened him
so much, that he started arid fell out of bed. "Alas, wife!" said he,
"cannot you be content to be pope?" "No," said she, "I am very
uneasy, and cannot bear to see the sun and moon rise without my leave.
Go to the fish directly."
Then the man went trembling for fear ; and as he was going down
to the shore a dreadful storm arose, so that the trees and the i*ocks
shook ; and the heavens became black, and the lightning played, and
the thunder rolled ; and you might have seen in the sea great black
waves like mountains with a white crown of foam upon them ; and the
fisherman said,
" O man of the aea 1 Come listen to me, For Alice my wife, The plagne of my life, Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
- What does she want now ? " said the fish. " Ah I" said he, " she
wants to be lord of the sun and moon." " Go home," said the fish, " to your ditch again I'* And there they live to this v^ day.
