Then he was afraid, and went; but he was quite faint, and shivered and shook, and his knees and legs trembled.  And a high wind blew over the land, and the clouds flew, and toward evening all grew dark, and the leaves fell from the trees, and the water rose and roared as if it were boiling, and splashed upon the shore; and in the distance he saw ships which were firing guns in their sore need, pitching and tossing on the waves.  And yet in the midst of the sky there was still a small bit of blue, though on every side it was as red as in a heavy storm.  So, full of despair, he went and stood in much fear and said—­

  “Flounder, Flounder, in the sea,
  Come, I pray thee, here to me;
  For my wife, good Ilsabil,
  Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, then?” asked the Flounder.  “Alas,” said the man, “she wants to be Pope.”  “Go to her then,” said the Flounder; “she is Pope already.”

So he went, and when he got there, he saw what seemed to be a large church surrounded by palaces.  Inside, however, everything was lighted up with thousands and thousands of candles, and his wife was clad in gold, and she was sitting on a much higher throne, and had three great golden crowns on, and around about her there was much ecclesiastical splendor; and on both sides of her was a row of candles the largest of which was as tall as the very tallest tower, down to the very smallest kitchen candle, and all the emperors and kings were on their knees before her, kissing her shoe.  He pushed his way through the crowd.  “Wife,” said the man, and looked attentively at her, “are you now Pope?” “Yes,” said she, “I am Pope.”  So he stood and looked at her, and it was just as if he was looking at the bright sun.  When he had stood looking at her thus for a short time, he said, “Ah, wife, if you are Pope, do let well alone!” But she looked as stiff as a post, and did not move or show any signs of life.  Then said he, “Wife, now that you are Pope, be satisfied; you cannot become anything greater now.”  “I will consider about that,” said the woman.  Thereupon they both went to bed, but she was not satisfied, and greediness let her have no sleep, for she was continually thinking what there was left for her to be.

The man slept well and soundly, for he had run about a great deal during the day; but the woman could not fall asleep at all, and flung herself from one side to the other the whole night through, thinking always what more was left for her to be, but unable to call to mind anything else.  At length the sun began to rise, and when the woman saw the red of dawn, she sat up in bed and looked at it.  And when, through the window, she saw the sun thus rising, she said, “Cannot I, too, order the sun and moon to rise?” “Husband,” said she, poking him in the ribs with her elbow, “wake up! go to the Flounder, for I wish to be even as God is.”  The man was still half asleep, but he was so horrified that he fell out of bed.  He thought he must have heard amiss, and rubbed his eyes, and said, “Alas, wife, what are you saying?” “Husband,” said she, “if I can’t order the sun and moon to rise, and have to look on and see the sun and moon rising, I can’t bear it.  I shall not know what it is to have another happy hour, unless I can make them rise myself.”