The Wasteful Wishes
A fairy tale by: Emma Frederiksen
Long, long ago in a small village, there lived a poor man. While the man was hunting one day, he noticed a brightly colored bird struggling in a trap.
"What is wrong little bird?" he asked.
"Please, sir, help me! I am stuck in this trap!" the bird exclaimed painfully."If you save me I will grant you three wishes."
The man carefully picked the bird up and untangled its wings. Once the bird was untangled, he let the man make his wishes. He wished for riches, power and a wife. The bird thought that these wishes were wastes, but he went along with it.
Years later, the man called upon the magical bird. His wife had fallen fatally ill, and all he wanted was for her to get better.
"Please, bird, help me! All I want is for my wife to be healthy again. Please grant me this one last wish!" the man pleaded.
" I am sorry," the bird said."You have wasted all your wishes already. The only way I can help you is if you take back two of your previous wishes."
"But that means that I would have to take back my wishes for riches and power," he said regretfully.
" You must,"the bird replied.
The man pondered this idea." I will do anything for the health of my wife," the man insisted. His wishes for riches and a palace were undone. Soon, his wife was healthy again, and they lived happily ever after.