Once upon a time, a fisherman and his wife lived in a filthy shack near the sea. Every day, the fisherman went out fishing. One day, as he sat by the water, his hook sank deep, and he caught a large flounder.
The flounder spoke: "Listen, fisherman, I beg you to let me live. I am not an ordinary fish, but an enchanted prince. Killing me will do you no good. Put me back into the water."
"Well," said the man, "there's no need to say more. I can certainly let a talking fish swim away." He returned the flounder to the sea, and it disappeared, leaving a trail of blood.
The fisherman went home to his wife in the shack.
"Husband," she asked, "didn't you catch anything today?"
"I caught a flounder," he replied, "but he said he was an enchanted prince, so I let him go."
"Didn't you ask for a wish?" she exclaimed. "Living here is terrible! You should have asked for a cottage. Go back and tell him we want one."
Reluctantly, the man returned to the sea, which was now yellow and green. He called out:
"Flounder, flounder, in the sea!\
My wife, my wife Ilsebill,\
Wants not, wants not, what I will."
The flounder appeared. "What does she want?"
"She wants a cottage," said the fisherman.
"Go home," said the flounder. "She already has it."
The man returned to find a lovely cottage with a yard, garden, and all they needed.
"Look," said the wife. "Isn't this nice?"
"Yes," said the man. "This is enough. We can live well here."
"We will think about that," she said.
After a week or two, the wife grew dissatisfied. "This cottage is too small. Go back and ask for a stone palace."
The husband protested, but she insisted. With a heavy heart, he went back to the sea, now purple, dark blue, and gray. He called the flounder again.
"What does she want now?" asked the flounder.
"She wants a stone palace."
"Go home. She's already there."
The fisherman returned to find a magnificent stone palace with marble halls, golden furniture, servants, and vast gardens.
"Now," said the wife, "isn't this nice?"
"Oh, yes," said the man. "This is quite enough. We can be satisfied."
"We'll think about it," she replied.
The next morning, the wife looked out at the vast lands. "Husband, get up. Couldn't we be king over all this? Go ask the flounder."
"Why would we want to be king?" he asked.
"I want to be king. Go now!"
Saddened, the man went to the sea, now dark gray and foul-smelling. He called the flounder.
"She wants to be king," he said.
"Go home. She is already king."
He returned to find the palace grander, with sentries and soldiers. His wife sat on a high golden throne, wearing a crown and holding a scepter.
"Wife, are you now king?"
"Yes, now I am king."
He looked at her. "It is very nice that you are king. Now we don't need to wish for anything else."
"No," she said, restless. "I am bored. I must become emperor. Go tell the flounder."
"He cannot make you emperor!" the man cried.
"Go immediately!" she commanded.
Terrified, the fisherman went to the sea, now black and boiling. He called the flounder.
"She wants to become emperor."
"Go home. She is already emperor."
He returned to a palace of polished marble and gold. His wife sat on a throne two miles high, wearing a crown three yards tall, surrounded by princes and dukes.
"Wife, are you emperor now?"
"Yes, I am emperor."
"It is very nice that you are emperor."
"Why are you standing there?" she said. "Now I want to become pope. Go tell him."
"There is only one pope! He cannot do that!"
"If he made me emperor, he can make me pope. Go!"
In despair, the man went to a raging, stormy sea under a red sky. He called the flounder one last time.
"She wants to become pope."
"Go home. She is already pope."
He found a great church surrounded by palaces. Inside, his wife sat on the highest throne, clothed in gold, wearing three golden crowns, with emperors and kings kneeling before her.
"Wife, are you pope now?"
"Yes, I am pope."
He looked at her, brilliant as the sun. "Wife, it is good that you are pope! Be satisfied now. There is nothing else you can become."
"I have to think about that," said the woman.