Prythee, hearken unto me:
My wife, Ilsebil, will have her own way
Whatever I wish, whatever I say.”
“Now, what does she want?” asked the flounder.
“Alas,” he said, “she wants to be Lord of the Universe.”
“Now she must go back to her old hovel,” said the flounder; “and there you will find her.”
And there they are to this very day!
The Nose-tree
Did you ever hear the story of the three poor soldiers who, after having fought hard in the wars, set out on their road home, begging their way as they went?
They had journeyed on a long time, sick at heart with their bad luck at thus being turned loose on the world in their old days, when one evening they reached a deep, gloomy wood, through which lay their road. Night came fast upon them, and they found that they must, however unwillingly, sleep in this wood; so, to make all safe as they could, it was agreed that two should lie down and sleep, while a third sat up and watched, lest wild beasts should break in and tear them to pieces. When he was tired he was to wake one of the others, and sleep in his turn; and so on with the third, so as to share the work fairly among them.