"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 diamonds, 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! 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 emperor."
"Ah, wife!" replied the fisherman, "the fish cannot make an emperor, and I should not like to ask for such a thing."