18 THE FISHERMAN AND EIS WIFE.
Then the fish came swimming to him, and said, " Well, what does she want ?" " Ah !" answered the fisherman, * my wife says that when I had caught you, I ought to have asked you for something before I let you CO again; she does not like living any longer in the ditch, and wants a little cottage." " Go home, then," said the fish ; ** she is in the cottage already." So the man went home, and saw his wife standing at the door of a cottage. " Come in, come in," said she ; " is not this much better than the ditch ?" And there was a parlour, and a bed- chamber, and a kitchen; and behind the cottage there was a little garden with all sorts of flowers and fruits, and a courtyard full rf ducks and chickens. " Ah !" said the fisherman, " how happily we shall live !" " We will try to do so at least," said his wife.
Everything went right for a week or two, and then Dame Alice said, " Husband, there is not room enough in this cottage, the court- yard and garden are a great deal too small ; I should like to have a large stone castle to live in ; so go to the fish again, and tell him to give us a castle." " Wife," said the fisherman, " I don't like to go to him again, for perhaps he will be angry ; we ought to be content with the cottage." "Nonsense!" said the wife; "he will do it very willingly ; go along and try."
The fisherman went ; but his heart was very heavy : and when he came to the sea it looked blue and gloomy, though it was quite calm, aad he went close to it, and said,
^ O man of the sea I
Come listen to me.
For Alice my wife,
The plague of my life. Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee I *
• Well, what doe& she want mow ?" said the fish. " Ah !" said the man very sorrowfully, "my wife wants to live in a stone castle." "Go
