The Three Wishes

Project #1: The Folk Tale
Manual: AC - Storytelling
Aug 14, 2009

Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had a pretty wife. They were so poor that they had hardly enough to eat and hardly enough wood to make a fire. But one winter evening, the man found a shiny brass coal scuttle, piled high with coal by the door. He thought that must a gift from divine and brought it to his wife. She loved it and they both decided to at least have a good blaze that night.

As soon as they sat down to warm themselves, wife began her usual talk about the neighbors. “They are happier than we are only because they are richer,” said the wife. She wished that they could meet a fairy, who would grant “A” wish, then they would be happier and richer than all of them. No sooner the man concurred with her, a lightning stuck on their fireplace and a fairy appeared before them. Fairy flapped her wings, winker her eyes innocently and offered to grant a wish they desired for. But the wife greedily asked, “Three would be better.” Fairy smiled skillfully, granted just three wishes and she vanished away.

The man and his wife were delighted and settled down to decide what to wish for. His wife thought that an embroidered silk purse, full of gold would be a better wish. “What a silly wish,” said her husband. “Why one, you could wish for ten silk purses, 20, or even a hundred. But what use would they be to you if you were sick? It would be much better to wish for health, happiness, and a long life.”

Wife argued back that a long life would be horrible, if they remain poor. She told that fairy should have granted a dozen wishes; so that they could have everything they want. Her husband nodded and suggested that if they take time and think carefully, then they could make the most of the three wishes. They decided to think through all night and make the wishes next day.

The cold got bitter, so she poked the fire until it flared up nicely to warm them. Soon her stomach rumbled with hunger. She sighed, and without thinking, wished they had a length of sausage to cook for their supper. She had hardly said these words when a length of sausage, more than enough for two, came down the chimney. Her husband was furious with her foolish act. He shouted that she wasted a good wish for a sausage. He wished that ridiculous sausage got fastened to the end of her nose.

He soon felt sorry, but the sausage jumped immediately and stuck fast on the end of his pretty wife’s nose. The wife wailed in disgrace and they tried to separate the sausage from the nose. Her husband gave it a pull but it stuck. She gave it a pull but it stuck. They both pulled so hard that they nearly pulled her nose off, but it was really really stuck.

His wife cried in plan and the man apologized again. He asked whether he should after all wish for the silk purse to hide the sausage. She asked how she could hide the sausage dangling from the end of her nose with a silk purse. She wished that the sausage would drop off. The very instance, the sausage dropped off the nose and fell to the floor.

“There goes our last wish,” groaned her husband. His wife sobbed as well. Then they sat down and thought for a while, until at last they came to their senses. They asked for too much and the fairy has punished them appropriately. From then on they decided to count their blessings. They were glad that they had a scuttle half full of coal and a sausage. Which was more than they had to begin with. They decided to cook that delicious sausage for their supper and enjoy it by the warm fire.

Fellow Toastmasters, like the man and his wife, in certain moments we too forget to count our blessings. Instead, we spend our time and energy in worrying about the problems that pop up. Next time, if you worry about the issues at work, then think about the jobless person in this economy. If you complain about the bad weather, then think about the homeless person, who suffers from that bad weather throughout the year. If you fear about public speaking, then think about the person who cannot speak at all in his or her life. Also, think how blessed we are with this wonderful group of TGIF Toastmasters.