CONNECTION WITH ASTROLOGY, ETC. 153 



want to be king. The sea looked a dark grey colour, and 

 was covered with foam as he cried out, 



" O man of the sea ! 

 Come listen to me, 

 For Alice my wife, 

 The plague of my life, 

 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee !" 



" Well, what would she have now ?" said the fish, 

 "Alas!" said the man, "my wife wants to be king." 

 " Go home," said the fish ; " she is king already." 



Then the fisherman went home ; and as he came close 

 to the palace, he saw a troop of soldiers, and heard the 

 sound of drums and trumpets ; and when he entered in, 

 he saw his wife sitting on a high throne of gold and dia- 

 monds, with a golden crown upon her head ; and on each 

 side of her stood six beautiful maidens, each a head taller 

 than the other. " Well, wife/' said the fisherman, " are 

 you king ?" " Yes," said she, " I am king." And when he 

 had looked at her for a long time, he said, " Ah, wife 1 

 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. "Husband," said 

 she, " go to the fish ; I say I will be ernperor." He soon 

 arrived at the sea, and the water was quite black and 

 muddy, and almighty whirlwind blew oyer it ; but he went 

 to the shore, and said, 



