渔夫和他的妻子英语故事(5)

　　"Oh, wife, are you now king?"

　　"Yes," she said, "now I am king."

　　He stood and looked at her, and after thus looking at her for a while he said, "Wife, it is very nice that you are king. Now we don't have to wish for anything else."

　　"No, husband," she said, becoming restless. "Time is on my hands. I cannot stand it any longer. Go to the flounder. I am king, but now I must become emperor."

　　"Oh, wife" said the man, "Why do you want to become emperor?"

　　"Husband," she said, "go to the flounder. I want to be emperor."

　　"Oh, wife," said the man, "he cannot make you emperor. I cannot tell the flounder to do that. There is only one emperor in the realm. The flounder cannot make you emperor. He cannot do that."

　　"What！" said the woman. "I am king, and you are my husband. Are you going? Go there immediately. If he can make me king then he can make me emperor. I want to be and have to be emperor. Go there immediately."

　　So he had to go. As he went on his way the frightened man thought to himself, "This is not going to end well. To ask to be emperor is shameful. The flounder is going to get tired of this."

　　With that he arrived at the sea. The water was all black and dense and boiling up from within. A strong wind blew over him that curdled the water. He stood there and said:

　　Mandje！ Mandje！ Timpe Te！ Flounder, flounder, in the sea！ My wife, my wife Ilsebill, Wants not, wants not, what I will

　　"What does she want then?" said the flounder.

　　"Oh, flounder," he said, "my wife wants to become emperor."

　　"Go home," said the flounder. "She is already emperor."

　　Then the man went home, and when he arrived there, the entire palace was made of polished marble with alabaster statues and golden decoration. Soldiers were marching outside the gate, blowing trumpets and beating tympani and drums. Inside the house, barons and counts and dukes were walking around like servants. They opened the doors for him, which were made of pure gold. He went inside where his wife was sitting on a throne made of one piece of gold a good two miles high, and she was wearing a large golden crown that was three yards high, all set with diamonds and carbuncles. In the one hand she had a scepter, and in the other the imperial orb. Bodyguards were standing in two rows at her sides: each one smaller than the other, beginning with the largest giant and ending with the littlest dwarf, who was no larger than my little finger. Many princes and dukes were standing in front of her.　　The man went and stood among them and said, "Wife, are you emperor now?"

　　"Yes," she said, "I am emperor."

　　He stood and looked at her, and after thus looking at her for a while, he said, "Wife, it is very nice that you are emperor."

　　"Husband," she said. "Why are you standing there? Now that I am emperor, and I want to become pope."

　　"Oh, wife！" said the man. "What do you not want? There is only one pope in all Christendom. He cannot make you pope."

　　"Husband," she said, "I want to become pope. Go there immediately. I must become pope this very day."

　　"No, wife," he said, "I cannot tell him that. It will come to no good. That is too much. The flounder cannot make you pope."

　　"Husband, what nonsense！" said the woman. "If he can make me emperor, then he can make me pope as well. Go there immediately. I am emperor, and you are my husband. Are you going?"