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Hansel And Grethel
Hansel And Grethel
[See Hansel And Grethel: Hansel and Grethel playing in the woods.]
[Hear Hansel And Grethel]
The "Witch Valse" from the opera "Hansel and Gretel" by Adelheid Wette, music
by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 - 1921).
Look there, the Witch is dead,
real-ly dead, turned to gin-ger-bread!
Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his
two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Grethel. He had little to
bite and to break, and once when great scarcity fell on the land, he could no
longer procure daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed,
and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife, "What is to
become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have
anything even for ourselves?" "I`ll tell you what, husband," answered the
woman, "early to-morrow morning we will take the children out into the
forest to where it is the thickest, there we will light a fire for them, and
give each of them one piece of bread more, and then we will go to our work and
leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid
of them." "No, wife," said the man, "I will not do that; how can I bear to
leave my children alone in the forest? - the wild animals would soon come and
tear them to pieces." "O, thou fool!" said she, "then we must all four die of
hunger, thou mayest as well plane the planks for our coffins," and she left
him no peace until he consented. "But I feel very sorry for the poor children,
all the same," said the man.
The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had
heard what their step-mother had said to their father. Grethel wept bitter
tears, and said to Hansel, "Now all is over with us." "Be quiet, Grethel,"
said Hansel, "do not distress thyself, I will soon find a way to help us." And
when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat,
opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the
white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver
pennies. Hansel stooped and put as many of them in the little pocket of his
coat as he could possibly get in. Then he went back and said to Grethel, "Be
comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,"
and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had
risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying, "Get up, you
sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood." She gave each a little
piece of bread, and said, "There is something for your dinner, but do not eat
it up before then, for you will get nothing else." Grethel took the bread
under her apron, as Hansel had the stones in his pocket. Then they all set out
together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel
stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His
father said, "Hansel, what art thou looking at there and staying behind for?
Mind what thou art about, and do not forget how to use thy legs." "Ah,
father," said Hansel, "I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting
up on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to me." The wife said, "Fool, that
is not thy little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the
chimneys." Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been
constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the
road.
When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said, "Now,
children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be
cold." Hansel and Grethel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little
hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high
the woman said, "Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we
will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come
back and fetch you away."
Hansel and Grethel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little
piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the woodaxe they believed
that their father was near. It was, however, not the axe, it was a branch
which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards
and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes shut
with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was
already dark night. Grethel began to cry and said, "How are we to get out of
the forest now?" But Hansel comforted her and said, "Just wait a little, until
the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way." And when the full
moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the
pebbles which shone like newlycoined silver pieces, and showed them the way.
They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to
their father`s house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it
and saw that it was Hansel and Grethel, she said, "You naughty children, why
have you slept so long in the forest? - we thought you were never coming back
at all!" The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to
leave them behind alone.
Not long afterwards, there was once more great scarcity in all parts, and
the children heard their mother saying at night to their father, "Everything
is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and after that there is an end.
The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they
will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving
ourselves!" The man`s heart was heavy, and he thought "it would be better for
thee to share the last mouthful with thy children." The woman, however, would
listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who
says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to
do so second time also.
The children were, however, still awake and had heard the conversation.
When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and
pick up pebbles, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get
out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said, "Do not cry,
Grethel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us."
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their
beds. Their bit of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the
time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and
often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground. "Hansel, why dost thou
stop and look around?" said the father, "go on." "I am looking back at my
little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to
me," answered Hansel. "Simpleton!" said the woman, "that is not thy little
pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney." Hansel,
however, little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had
never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the
mother said, "Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may
sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening
when we are done, we will come and fetch you away." When it was noon, Grethel
shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then
they fell asleep and evening came and went, but no one came to the poor
children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his
little sister and said, "Just wait, Grethel, until the moon rises, and then we
shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our
way home again." When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs,
for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had
picked them all up. Hansel said to Grethel, "We shall soon find the way," but
they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too
from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were
very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew
on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no
longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.
It was now three mornings since they had left their father`s house. They
began to walk again, but they always got deeper into the forest, and if help
did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid -
day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so
delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when it had
finished its song, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they
followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it
alighted; and when they came quite up to the little house they saw that it was
built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear
sugar. "We will set to work on that," said Hansel, "and have a good meal. I
will eat a bit of the roof, and thou, Grethel, canst eat some of the window,
it will taste sweet." Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the
roof to try how it tasted, and Grethel leant against the window and nibbled at
the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the room,
"Nibble, nibble, gnaw,
Who is nibbling at my little house?"
The children answered,
"The wind, the wind,
the heaven-born wind,"
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who thought the roof
tasted very nice, tore down a great piece of it, and Grethel pushed out the
whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it.
Suddenly the door opened, and a very, very old woman, who supported herself on
crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Grethel were so terribly frightened
that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however,
nodded her head, and said, "Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here?
Do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you." She took them both
by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before
them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty
little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Grethel lay
down in them, and thought they were in heaven.
The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a
wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little
bread house in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power,
she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches
have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts,
and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Grethel came into
her neighbourhood, she laughed maliciously, and said mockingly, "I have them,
they shall not escape me again!" Early in the morning before the children were
awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking
so pretty, with their plump red cheeks, she muttered to herself, "That will be
a dainty mouthful!" Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried
him into a little stable, and shut him in with a grated door. He might scream
as he liked, that was of no use. Then she went to Grethel, shook her till she
awoke, and cried, "Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something
good for thy brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When
he is fat, I will eat him." Grethel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in
vain, she was forced to do what the wicked witch ordered her.
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Grethel got nothing
but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and
cried, "Hansel, stretch out thy finger that I may feel if thou wilt soon be
fat." Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman,
who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel`s finger, and
was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had
gone by, and Hansel still continued thin, she was seized with impatience and
would not wait any longer, "Hola, Grethel," she cried to the girl, "be active,
and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and
cook him." Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the
water, and how her tears did flow down over her cheeks! "Dear God, do help
us," she cried. "If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we
should at any rate have died together." "Just keep thy noise to thyself," said
the old woman, "all that won`t help thee at all."
Early in the morning, Grethel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with
the water, and light the fire. "We will bake first," said the old woman, "I
have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough." She pushed poor Grethel
out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. "Creep in,"
said the witch, "and see if it is properly heated, so that we can shut the
bread in." And when once Grethel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and
let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Grethel saw what she
had in her mind, and said, "I do not know how I am to do it; how do you get
in?" "Silly goose," said the old woman. "The door is big enough; just look, I
can get in myself!" and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then
Grethel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door,
and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Grethel
ran away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.
Grethel, however, ran as quick as lightning to Hansel, opened his little
stable, and cried, "Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!" Then Hansel
sprang out like a bird from its cage when the door is opened for it. How they
did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And
as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch`s house,
and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. "These are
far better than pebbles!" said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever
could be got in, and Grethel said, "I, too, will take something home with me,"
and filled her pinafore full. "But now we will go away," said Hansel, "that we
may get out of the witch`s forest."
When they had walked for two hours, they come to a great piece of water.
"We cannot get over," said Hansel, "I see no foot-plank, and no bridge."
"And no boat crosses either," answered Grethel, "but a white duck is swimming
there; if I ask her, she will help us over." Then she cried,
"Little duck, little duck, dost thou see,
Hansel and Grethel are waiting for thee?
There`s never a plank, or bridge in sight,
Take us across on thy back so white."
The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told
his sister to sit by him. "No," replied Grethel, "that will be too heavy for
the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other." The good
little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a
short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at
length they saw from afar their father`s house. Then they began to run, rushed
into the parlour, and threw themselves into their father`s arms. The man had
not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the
woman, however, was dead. Grethel emptied her pinafore until pearls and
precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another
out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they
lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, there runs a mouse,
whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.
The fisherman And His Wife^1
[Footnote 1: According to the late William Howitt, this story was communicated
to the Brothers Grimm by Mr. Henry Crabbe Robinson, who had it from an old
woman. See "Diary of H. C. Robinson." - Tr.]
[See The Lilies Bent Over: Suddenly one of the lilies bent over and fell to
the ground.]
There was once upon a time a Fisherman who lived with his wife in a
miserable hovel close by the sea, and every day he went out fishing. And once
as he was sitting with his rod, looking at the clear water, his line suddenly
went down, far down below, and when he drew it up again, he brought out a
large Flounder. Then the Flounder said to him, "Hark, you Fisherman, I pray
you, let me live, I am no Flounder really, but an enchanted prince. What good
will it do you kill me? I should not be good to eat, put me in the water
again, and let me go." "Come," said the Fisherman, "there is no need for so
many words about it - a fish that can talk I should certainly let go, anyhow,"
with that he put him back again into the clear water, and the Flounder went to
the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the Fisherman got
up and went home to his wife in the hovel.
"Husband," said the woman, "have you caught nothing to-day?" "No," said
the man, "I did catch a Flounder, who said he was an enchanted prince, so I
let him go again." "Did you not wish for anything first." said the woman.
"No," said the man; "what should I wish for?" "Ah," said the woman, "it is
surely hard to have to live always in this dirty hovel; you might have wished
for a small cottage for us. Go back and call him. Tell him we want to have a
small cottage, he will certainly give us that." "Ah," said the man, "why
should I go there again?" "Why," said the woman, "you did catch him, and you
let him go again; he is sure to do it. Go at once." The man still did not
quite like to go, but did not like to oppose his wife, and went to the sea.
When he got there the sea was all green and yellow, and no longer so
smooth; so he stood and said,
"Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Come, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,^2
Wills not as I`d have her will."
[Footnote 2.: Isabel. - Tr.]
Then the Flounder came swimming to him and said, "Well, what does she
want, then?" "Ah," said the man, "I did catch you, and my wife says I really
ought to have wished for something. She does not like to live in a wretched
hovel any longer; she would like to have a cottage." "Go, then," said the
Flounder, "she has it already."
When the man went home, his wife was no longer in the hovel, but instead
of it there stood a small cottage, and she was sitting on a bench before the
door. Then she took him by the hand and said to him. "Just come inside, look,
now isn`t this a great deal better?" So they went in, and there was a small
porch, and a pretty little parlour and bed-room, and a kitchen and pantry,
with the best of furniture, and fitted up with the most beautiful things made
of tin and brass, whatsoever was wanted. And behind the cottage there was a
small yard, with hens and ducks, and little garden with flowers and fruit.
"Look," said the wife, "is not that nice!" "Yes," said the husband, "and so we
must always think it, - now we will live quite contended." "We will think
about that," said the wife. With that they ate something and went to bed.
Everything went well for a week or a fortnight, and then the woman said,
"Hark you, husband, this cottage is far too small for us, and the garden and
yard are little; the Flounder might just as well have given us a larger house.
I should like to live in a great stone castle; go to the Flounder, and tell
him to give us a castle." "Ah, wife," said the man, "the cottage is quite good
enough; why should we live in a castle?" "What!" said the woman; "just go
there, the Flounder can always do that." "No, wife," said the man, "the
Flounder has just given us the cottage, I do not like to go back so soon, it
might make him angry." "Go," said the woman, "he can do it quite easily, and
will be glad to do it; just you go to him."
The man`s heart grew heavy, and he would not go. He said to himself, "It
is not right," and yet he went. And when he came to the sea the water was
quite purple and dark-blue, and grey and thick, and no longer so green and
yellow, but it was still quiet. And he stood there 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?" said the Flounder. "Alas," said the
man, half scared, "she wants to live in a great stone castle." "Go to it,
then, she is standing before the door," said the Flounder.
Then the man went away, intending to go home, but when he got there, he
found a great stone palace, and his wife was just standing on the steps going
in, and she took him by the hand and said, "Come in." So he went in with her,
and in the castle was a great hall paved with marble, and many servants, who
flung wide the doors; and the walls were all bright with beautiful hangings,
and in the rooms were chairs and tables of pure gold, and crystal chandeliers
hung from the ceilings, and all the rooms and bed-rooms had carpets, and
food and wine of the very best were standing on all the tables so that they
nearly broke down beneath it. Behind the house, too, there was a great court
yard, with stables for horses and cows, and the very best of carriages; there
was a magnificent large garden, too, with the most beautiful flowers and fruit
- trees, and a park quite half a mile long, in which were stags, deer, and
hares, and everything that could be desired. "Come," said the woman, "isn`t
that beautiful?" "Yes, indeed," said the man, "now let it be; and we will live
in this beautiful castle and be content." "We will consider about that," said
the woman, "and sleep upon it"; thereupon they went to bed.
[Hear A Faun]
Melody from "Prelude a L`Apres-Midi D`Un Faune" or "Prelude to the Afternoon
of a Faun" (1895), inspired by the poem by Stephane Mallarme, by Claude
Debussey.
Next morning the wife awoke first, and it was just daybreak, and from her
bed she saw the beautiful country lying before her. Her husband was still
stretching himself, so she poked him in the side with her elbow, and said,
"Get up, husband, and just peep out of the window. Look you, couldn`t we be
the King over all that land.? Go to the Flounder, we will be the King." "Ah,
wife," said the man, "why should we be King" I do not want to be King."
"Well," said the wife, "if you won`t be King, I will; go to the Flounder, for
I will be King." "Ah, wife," said the man, "why do you want to be King? I do
not like to say that to him." "Why not?" said the woman; "go to him this
instant; I must be King!" So the man went, and was quite unhappy because his
wife wished to be King. "It is not right; it is not right," though the. He did
not wish to go, but yet he went.
And when he came to the sea, it was quite dark-grey, and the water
heaved up from below, and smelt putrid. Then he went and stood by it, 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?" said the Flounder. "Alas!" said the
man, "she wants to be King." "Go to her; she is King already."
So the man went, and when he came to the palace, the castle had become
much larger, and had a great tower and magnificent ornaments, and the sentinel
was standing before the door, and there were numbers of soldiers with kettle -
drums and trumpets. And when he went inside the house, everything was of real
marble and gold, with velvet covers and great golden tassels. Then the doors
of the hall were opened, and there was the court in all its splendour, and his
wife was sitting on a high throne of gold and diamonds, with a great crown of
gold on her head, and a sceptre of pure gold and jewels in her hand, and on
both sides of her stood her maids-in-waiting in a row, each of them always
one head shorter than the last.
Then he went and stood before her, and said, "Ah, wife, and now you are
King." "Yes," said the woman, "now I am King." So he stood and looked at her,
and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said, "And now that you
are King, let all else be, now we will wish for nothing more." "Nay, husband,"
said the woman, quite anxiously, "I find time pass very heavily, I can bear it
no longer; go to the Flounder - I am King, but I must be Emperor, too." "Alas,
wife, why do you wish to be Emperor?" "Husband," said she, "go to the
Flounder. I will be Emperor." "Alas, wife," said the man, "he cannot make you
Emperor: I may not say that to the fish. There is only one Emperor in the
land. An Emperor the Flounder cannot make you! I assure you he cannot."
"What!" said the woman, "I am the King, and you are nothing but my
husband; will you go this moment? go at once! If he can make a king he can
make an emperor. I will be Emperor; go instantly." So he was forced to go. As
the man went, however, he was troubled in mind, and thought to himself, "It
will not end well; it will not end well! Emperor is too shameless! The
Flounder will at last be tired out."
With that he reached the sea, and the sea was quite black and thick, and
began to boil up from below, so that it threw up bubbles, and such a sharp
wind blew over it that it curled, and the man was afraid. Then he went and
stood by it, 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?" said the Flounder. "Alas, Flounder,"
said he, "my wife wants to be Emperor." "Go to her," said the Flounder; "she
is Emperor already."
So the man went, and when he got there the whole palace was made of
polished marble with alabaster figures and golden ornaments, and soldiers were
marching before the door blowing trumpets, and beating cymbals and drums; and
in the house, barons, and counts, and dukes were going about as servants. Then
they opened the doors to him, which were of pure gold. And when he entered,
there sat his wife on a throne, which was made of one piece of gold, and was
quite two miles high; and she wore a great golden crown that was three yards
high, and set with diamonds and carbuncles, and in one hand she had the
sceptre, and in the other the imperial orb; and on both sides of her stood the
yeomen of the guard in two rows, each being smaller than the one before him,
from the biggest giant, who was two miles high, to the very smallest dwarf,
just as big as my little finger. And before it stood a number of princes and
dukes.
Then the man went and stood among them, and said, "Wife, are you Emperor
now?" "Yes," said she, "now I am Emperor." Then he stood and looked at her
well, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said, "Ah, wife, be
content, now that you are Emperor." "Husband," said she, "why are you standing
there? Now, I am Emperor, but I will be Pope too; go to the Flounder." "Alas,
wife," said the man, "what will you not wish for? You cannot be Pope; there is
but one in Christendom; he cannot make you Pope." "Husband," said she, "I will
be Pope; go immediately, I must be Pope this very day." "No, wife," said the
man, "I do not like to say that to him; that would not do, it is too much; the
Flounder can`t make you Pope." "Husband," said she, "what nonsense! if he can
make an emperor he can make a pope. Go to him directly. I am Emperor, 2nd you
are nothing but my husband; will you go at once?"
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 towards 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?" said 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. He pushed his way through the crowd. 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 round about her there was much
ecclesiastical splendour; 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. "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 elbows, "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." Then she looked at
him so terribly that a shudder ran over him, and said, "Go at once; I wish to
be like unto God." "Alas, wife," said the man, falling on his knees before
her, "the Flounder cannot do that; he can make an emperor and a pope; I
beseech you, go on as you are, and be Pope." Then she fell into a rage, and
her hair flew wildly about her head, and she cried, "I will not endure this,
I`ll not bear it any longer; wilt thou go?" Then he put on his trousers and
ran away like a madman. But outside a great storm was raging, and blowing so
hard that he could scarcely keep his feet; houses and trees toppled over, the
mountains trembled, rocks rolled into the sea, the sky was pitch black, and it
thundered and lightened, and the sea came in with black waves as high as
church-towers and mountains, and all with crests of white foam at the top.
Then he cried, but could not hear his own words,
"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?" said the Flounder. "Alas," said he,
"she wants to be like unto God." "Go to her, and you will find her back again
in the dirty hovel." And there they are living still at this very time.
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