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Three Wishes

By Ricardo E. Alegría

 

Many years ago, there lived a woodsman and his wife.

They were very poor but very happy in their little house in

the forest. Poor as they were, they were always ready to

share what little they had with anyone who came to their

door. They loved each other very much and were quite

content with their life together. Each evening, before eating,

they gave thanks to God for their happiness.

One day, while the husband was working far off in the

woods, an old man came to the little house and said that he

had lost his way in the forest and had eaten nothing for

many days. The woodsman’s wife had little to eat herself,

but, as was her custom, she gave a large portion of it to the

old man. After he had eaten everything she gave him, he

told the woman that he had been sent to test her and that,

as a reward for the kindness she and her husband showed

to all who came to their house, they would be granted a

special grace. This pleased the woman, and she asked what

the special grace was.

The old man answered, “Beginning immediately, any

three wishes you or your husband may wish will come

true.”

When she heard these words, the woman was overjoyed

and exclaimed, “Oh, if my husband were only here to hear

what you say!”

The last word had scarcely left her lips when the woodsman

appeared in the little house with the ax still in his

hands. The first wish had come true.

The woodsman couldn’t understand it at all. How did it

happen that he, who had been cutting wood in the forest,

found himself here in his house? His wife explained it all as

she embraced him. The woodsman just stood there, thinking

over what his wife had said. He looked at the old man

who stood quietly, too, saying nothing.

Suddenly he realized that his wife, without stopping to

think, had used one of the three wishes, and he became

very annoyed when he remembered all of the useful things

she might have asked for with the first wish. For the first

time, he became angry with his wife. The desire for riches

had turned his head, and he scolded his wife, shouting at

her, among other things, “It doesn’t seem possible that you

could be so stupid! You’ve wasted one of our wishes, and

now we have only two left! May you grow ears of a donkey!”

He had no sooner said the words than his wife’s ears

began to grow, and they continued to grow until they

changed into the pointed, furry ears of a donkey.

When the woman put her

hand up and felt them, she

knew what had happened and

began to cry. Her husband was

very ashamed and sorry,

indeed, for what he had done in

his temper, and he went to his

wife to comfort her.

The old man, who had stood

by silently, now came to them

and said, “Until now, you have

known happiness together and

have never quarreled with each

other. Nevertheless, the mere

knowledge that you could have

riches and power has changed

you both. Remember, you have

only one wish left. What do you

want? Riches? Beautiful

clothes? Servants? Power?”

The woodsman tightened his

arm about his wife, looked at

the old man, and said, “We

want only the happiness and

joy we knew before my wife

grew donkey’s ears.”

No sooner had he said these

words than the donkey ears

disappeared. The woodsman and his wife fell upon their

knees to ask forgiveness for having acted, if only for a

moment, out of covetousness1 and greed. Then they gave

thanks for all their happiness.

The old man left, but before going, he told them that they

had undergone this test in order to learn that there can be

happiness in poverty just as there can be unhappiness in

riches. As a reward for their repentance, the old man said

that he would bestow upon them the greatest happiness a

married couple could know. Months later, a son was born

to them. The family lived happily all the rest of their lives.