The Three Wishes

Short tale: The Three Wishes

Enjoy it! Here’s the audio story!

Once upon a time there was a man who, sitting by the fireplace with his wife, commented on the happiness of their neighbors who were richer than they were.

The wife wished she had everything she wanted and so did the husband. The woman was lamenting that she had not been born in the time of the fairies when suddenly a fairy appeared before them. The fairy offered to grant them three wishes and then disappeared.

The man and the woman were very confused and thoughtful.

The woman knew very well what her three wishes would be. She wanted to be beautiful, rich and fine.

The man, hearing his wife’s wishes, replied, that even if she had all those things, she might get sick, be sad or die young.

So the husband thought it best to ask for joy, health and a long life.

The woman replied that why would she want a long life without being rich, that would be to be unhappy longer.

The husband, seeing that they could not agree, asked his wife to think it over before deciding. They set a deadline of the next day to decide which three things they needed most.

While they were warming up in front of the fire, the wife took some tongs to move the charcoal and, without thinking, said that the fire could be used to roast a good black pudding. Instantly a large black pudding fell down the chimney.

The husband, astonished and angry, growled at her about the desire his wife had just wasted, and with the same anger, he wished that the black pudding would stick to the tip of his nose. He had not finished uttering the sentence, when the blood sausage jumped to the tip of his wife’s nose and he could not remove it. After the second wish was granted, the husband thought he had been even dumber than his wife.

The even angrier wife told the husband that he was wicked for that wish. Her husband apologized, saying he didn’t think it could really happen.

Now they had only one wish left. The husband, out of concern and in order to please his wife, told her that he could wish for a lot of wealth and that he would make her a gold case to cover the blood sausage.

The wife just wanted to get rid of that horrible nightmare that was hanging from her nose and wished without thinking that the blood sausage would fall to the ground. At that moment the third and last wish was fulfilled.

The two looked at each other and the woman told her husband that the fairy had made fun of them. They realized that they could have been more miserable if they had been richer. And without adding anything else, they happily dined on the black pudding, which was all that remained of their three wishes.

END

Reflection on the story: The story shows us that people often focus on what they don’t have instead of appreciating what they already have. It also teaches us that selfish and superficial desires do not always lead to happiness and that sometimes it is better to be satisfied with what you have.
The story also emphasizes the importance of thinking carefully before making a decision and how impulsive actions can have unintended consequences.
Ultimately, the moral of the story could be that true happiness is not found in wealth or beauty, but in gratitude and joy for the little things in life.

Frequently asked questions about the story The Three Wishes

¿Who were the main characters in the story?

The main characters were a man and his wife.

¿What did the fairy offer the main characters?

The fairy offered to grant them three wishes.

¿What were the three wishes the wife wanted?

The wife wanted to be beautiful, rich, and fine.

¿What were the three wishes the husband wanted?

The husband wanted joy, health, and a long life.

¿What did the husband suggest to his wife after they could not agree on their wishes?

The husband suggested to his wife that they think hard before deciding which three things they needed most, and that they set a deadline for making a decision.