The Three Wishes
Summer 1999
THE THREE WISHES
Once upon a time there was a woodcutter who lived with his wife in a log hut deep inside a great forest. Every day the woodcutter went out into the forest to fell trees. Then he would saw the trees into boards and sell them. That was how he made his living.
One day, the woodcutter saw a big oak tree growing in a distant part of the forest. "That's odd," he said to himself. "I've never noticed that tree there before."
He set his lunch down and grabbed his axe. But when he raised his axe to make the first cut, a shrill voice called out. "Stop!" A tiny wood-sprite shot out from inside the tree."Please don't cut down this tree. I wouldn't cut down your house. Please leave mine alone too."
The wood cutter scratched his head, unsure if he was dreaming. "All right," he said. "I won't cut down this tree." He picked up his axe and turned to go.
"Wait a minute," said the wood-sprite. "I'm grateful to you for not cutting down my house and to prove it I'll give you three wishes. Be sure to use them wisely."Then the wood-sprite disappeared and the woodcutter made his way home.
When he arrived home he was quite hungry. He called to his wife. "Let's have lunch. I am very hungry."
Now it happened that the woodcutter's wife had spent all morning cleaning and scrubbing and she didn't feel like stopping to make lunch. "Can't stop for lunch," she panted. "Anyway, what's wrong with the lunch you took with you this morning?"
"I don't feel like eating it," grumbled the wood cutter. "I wish I had a loaf of freshly baked bread instead."He had hardly finished speaking when there was a thump and a freshly baked loaf landed at his feet. There was the first wish gone.
"Oh what a fool I am," he cried and he told his wife about the wood-sprite and the three wishes. His wife became angry."Why don't you think before you speak," she shrilled. "Oh I wish that loaf of bread would attach itself to your nose." And it did. And that was the second wish gone.
There was nothing to do, but use the third wish to remove the loaf of bread from the woodcuter's nose and all three wishes were used up.
"Never mind," they said. "Let's eat the bread and forget about the whole thing." And that is what they did. The bread tasted better than any bread they had ever eaten before. Magic bread always does. So if anyone gives you three wishes, remember this story. Don't waste your wishes like the woodcutter and his wife.
THE END
THE THREE WISHES
Once upon a time there was a woodcutter who lived with his wife in a log hut deep inside a great forest. Every day the woodcutter went out into the forest to fell trees. Then he would saw the trees into boards and sell them. That was how he made his living.
One day, the woodcutter saw a big oak tree growing in a distant part of the forest. "That's odd," he said to himself. "I've never noticed that tree there before."
He set his lunch down and grabbed his axe. But when he raised his axe to make the first cut, a shrill voice called out. "Stop!" A tiny wood-sprite shot out from inside the tree."Please don't cut down this tree. I wouldn't cut down your house. Please leave mine alone too."
The wood cutter scratched his head, unsure if he was dreaming. "All right," he said. "I won't cut down this tree." He picked up his axe and turned to go.
"Wait a minute," said the wood-sprite. "I'm grateful to you for not cutting down my house and to prove it I'll give you three wishes. Be sure to use them wisely."Then the wood-sprite disappeared and the woodcutter made his way home.
When he arrived home he was quite hungry. He called to his wife. "Let's have lunch. I am very hungry."
Now it happened that the woodcutter's wife had spent all morning cleaning and scrubbing and she didn't feel like stopping to make lunch. "Can't stop for lunch," she panted. "Anyway, what's wrong with the lunch you took with you this morning?"
"I don't feel like eating it," grumbled the wood cutter. "I wish I had a loaf of freshly baked bread instead."He had hardly finished speaking when there was a thump and a freshly baked loaf landed at his feet. There was the first wish gone.
"Oh what a fool I am," he cried and he told his wife about the wood-sprite and the three wishes. His wife became angry."Why don't you think before you speak," she shrilled. "Oh I wish that loaf of bread would attach itself to your nose." And it did. And that was the second wish gone.
There was nothing to do, but use the third wish to remove the loaf of bread from the woodcuter's nose and all three wishes were used up.
"Never mind," they said. "Let's eat the bread and forget about the whole thing." And that is what they did. The bread tasted better than any bread they had ever eaten before. Magic bread always does. So if anyone gives you three wishes, remember this story. Don't waste your wishes like the woodcutter and his wife.
THE END
posted by alex malcolm at 4:26 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home