The Fisherman And His Wife

A fisherman lives in a humble pigsty with his ambitious wife, Ilsabill. After catching a talking enchanted prince, he foolishly lets the fish go without asking for anything. The angry wife forces him to return and ask the fish for a cozy cottage. They happily move into their new home, but soon Ilsabill demands more space. She insists on having a large stone castle, so the reluctant husband makes another trip to the sea. He finds the water gloomy but returns to find them living in grandeur with servants. Yet, Ilsabill is never satisfied and declares she must be king. The fisherman obeys her command despite his growing unease about troubling the magical creature again. Soon after becoming king, she demands to be emperor, escalating her greed further. Each time the husband visits the shore, the sea grows darker and stormier in response to her demands. He returns home as a pope sitting on an impossibly high throne, surrounded by pomp. However, his wife remains unsatisfied with her power over just the church. She wakes up angry that she cannot control the sun rising and commands him to make her lord of the sun and moon. The fisherman is terrified by this final request and crawls to the shore in fear. The sea rages violently as he delivers her impossible wish to the enchanted fish. Without hesitation, the fish grants the wish by stripping away all their recent blessings. The couple finds themselves back in their original, dirty pigsty. They remain there, having lost everything due to Ilsabill's endless greed.