English Original
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.
中文翻译
从前，渔夫和他的妻子住在海边一间肮脏的小屋里。渔夫每天出去打鱼。一天，他坐在水边，鱼钩沉入深处，钓到了一条大比目鱼。
比目鱼开口说：“听着，渔夫，我求你放我一条生路。我不是普通的鱼，而是一位中了魔法的王子。杀了我对你没好处。把我放回水里吧。”
“好吧，”渔夫说，“不用多说了。我当然会放走一条会说话的鱼。”他把比目鱼放回海里，它消失了，留下一道血痕。
渔夫回到小屋里的妻子身边。
“丈夫，”她问，“今天没钓到东西吗？”
“我钓到一条比目鱼，”他回答，“但他说他是中了魔法的王子，所以我放了他。”
“你没许个愿吗？”她叫道，“住在这里太糟了！你该要一座小别墅。回去告诉他我们要一座。”
渔夫不情愿地回到海边，海水已变得黄绿交织。他呼唤道：
“比目鱼啊，你在大海里！\
我的妻子，我的妻子伊尔莎比尔，\
想要的不是我想要的。”
比目鱼出现了。“她想要什么？”
“她想要一座小别墅，”渔夫说。
“回家吧，”比目鱼说，“她已经有了。”
渔夫回去看到一座可爱的小别墅，带院子、花园，应有尽有。
“瞧，”妻子说，“这不漂亮吗？”
“是的，”渔夫说，“这足够了。我们可以在这里好好生活。”
“这个嘛，我们还得想想，”她说。
一两周后，妻子不满足了。“这别墅太小了。回去要一座石头宫殿。”
丈夫反对，但她坚持。他心情沉重地回到海边，海水已变成紫色、深蓝和灰色。他再次呼唤比目鱼。
“她现在想要什么？”比目鱼问。
“她想要一座石头宫殿。”
“回家吧。她已经在那里了。”
渔夫回去看到一座宏伟的石头宫殿，有大理石厅堂、黄金家具、仆人和广阔的花园。
“喏，”妻子说，“这不漂亮吗？”
“哦，是的，”渔夫说，“这完全足够了。我们可以满足了。”
“我们还得想想，”她回答。
第二天早晨，妻子望着广阔的领地。“丈夫，起床。我们难道不能成为这一切的国王吗？去告诉比目鱼。”
“我们为什么要当国王？”他问。
“我想当国王。现在就去！”
渔夫悲伤地来到海边，海水变得灰暗恶臭。他呼唤比目鱼。
“她想当国王，”他说。
“回家吧。她已经是国王了。”
他回去发现宫殿更加宏伟，有了卫兵和军队。妻子坐在高高的黄金宝座上，头戴王冠，手握权杖。
“老婆，你现在是国王了吗？”
“是的，我现在是国王了。”
他看着她。“你当了国王，这很好。现在我们不需要再要别的了。”
“不，”她烦躁地说，“我无聊了。我必须当皇帝。去告诉比目鱼。”
“他没法让你当皇帝！”丈夫喊道。
“马上去！”她命令道。
渔夫惊恐地来到海边，海水乌黑沸腾。他呼唤比目鱼。
“她想当皇帝。”
“回家吧。她已经是皇帝了。”
他回到一座由抛光大理石和黄金建成的宫殿。妻子坐在两英里高的宝座上，头戴三码高的王冠，被王公贵族环绕。
“老婆，你现在是皇帝了吗？”
“是的，我是皇帝了。”
“你当了皇帝，这很好。”
“你还站在那儿干嘛？”她说，“现在我想当教皇。去告诉他。”
“教皇只有一个！他做不到！”
“他能让我当皇帝，就能让我当教皇。快去！”
渔夫绝望地来到波涛汹涌、天空血红的海边。他最后一次呼唤比目鱼。
“她想当教皇。”
“回家吧。她已经是教皇了。”
他看到一座大教堂，周围是宫殿。里面，妻子坐在最高的宝座上，身穿金衣，头戴三重金冠，皇帝和国王们跪在她面前吻她的鞋。
“老婆，你现在是教皇了吗？”
“是的，我是教皇。”
他看着她，灿烂如太阳。“老婆，你当了教皇，这很好！现在该满足了吧。你不可能再成为更高的了。”
“这个嘛，我还得想一想，”女人说。