THE THREE WISHES
by Katharine Pyle · from Mother's Nursery Tales
Adapted Version
Once there was a man. He liked to cut wood. But he was a little lazy. He went to the forest. He looked for an easy tree. He found a tree. It was easy to cut.
The Man hit the tree. He hit it with his ax. The tree opened. A small Fairy came out. The Fairy was very angry. "This is my house!" he cried.
The Man said sorry. "I did not know," he said. "I will cut another tree." Fairy smiled. "That is good," he said.
The Fairy wanted to give a gift. "You both get three wishes," he said. "They will all come true." Fairy went inside.
The Man went home. He told The Woman. "We have three wishes," he said. They sat by the fire. They talked and talked. They did not choose a wish.
They talked for a long time. The Man felt hungry. "I wish for a black pudding," he said. He said it very fast. He did not think.
Suddenly, a noise came. It came from the chimney. A big black Pudding fell down. It landed on the floor. It was the wish.
The Woman was very angry. "Oh, you fool!" she cried. "You wasted a wish!" She got more angry. "I wish it was on your nose!"
The Pudding flew up. It stuck to The Man's nose. He pulled and pulled. The Woman pulled too. It did not move. It stayed on his nose.
The Man did not like it. "We must use the last wish," he said. "I want it off my nose." This mattered.
The Woman was not happy. But she said yes. "Okay," she said. The Man closed his eyes. "I wish the Pudding was off my nose!"
The Pudding fell off. It was on the floor again. The three wishes were gone. They had no more wishes. They had only the Pudding for dinner.
The Man ate the Pudding. It was very good. He felt happy. "Full tummy is a good wish." He said. He was content.
Original Story
THE THREE WISHES
Once upon a time a poor man took his ax and went out into the forest to cut wood. He was a lazy fellow, so as soon as he was in the forest he began to look about to see which tree would be the easiest to cut down. At last he found one that was hollow inside, as he could tell by knocking upon it with his ax. “It ought not to take long to cut this down,” said he to himself. He raised his ax and struck the tree such a blow that the splinters flew.
At once the bark opened and a little old fairy with a long beard came running out of the tree.
“What do you mean by chopping into my house?” he cried; and his eyes shone like red hot sparks, he was so angry.
“I did not know it was your house,” said the man.
“Well, it is my house, and I’ll thank you to let it alone,” cried the fairy.
“Very well,” said the man. “I’d just as lieve cut down some other tree. I’ll chop down the one over yonder.”
“That is well,” said the fairy. “I see that you are an obliging fellow, after all. I have it in my mind to reward you for sparing my house, so the next three wishes you and your wife make shall come true, whatever they are; and that is your reward.”
Then the fairy went back into the tree again and pulled the bark together behind him.
The man stood looking at the tree and scratching his head. “Now that is a curious thing,” said he. Then he sat down and began to wonder what he should wish for. He thought and he thought, but he could decide on nothing. “I’ll just go home and talk it over with my wife,” said he; so he shouldered his ax, and set off for home. As soon as he came in at the door he began to bawl for his wife, and she came in a hurry, for she did not know what had happened to him.
He told his story and his wife listened. “This is a fine thing to have happen to us,” said she. “Now we must be very careful what we wish for.”
They sat down one on each side of the fire to talk it over. They thought of ever so many things they would like to have—a bag of gold, and a coach and four, and a fine house to live in, and fine clothes to wear, but nothing seemed just the right thing to choose.
They talked so long that they grew hungry. “Well, here we sit,” said the man, “and not a thing cooked for dinner. I wish we had one of those fine black puddings you used to make.”
No sooner had he spoken than there was a great thumping and bumping in the chimney and a great black pudding fell down on the hearth before him.
“What is this?” cried the man staring.
“Oh, you oaf! you stupid!” shrieked his wife. “It’s the pudding you wished for. There’s one of our wishes wasted. I wish the pudding were stuck on the end of your nose! It would serve you right!”
The moment she said this the pudding flew up and stuck to the man’s nose, and there it was and he couldn’t get it off; the man pulled and tugged, and his wife pulled and tugged, but it was all of no use.
“Well, there’s no help for it,” said the husband; “we’ll have to wish it off again.”
His wife begun to cry and bawl. “No, no,” she cried. “We only have one wish left, and we can’t waste it that way. Let’s wish ourselves the richest people in the world.”
But to this the man would not agree. He wanted the pudding off his nose whatever it cost. So at last the wife was obliged to let him have his own way. “I wish the pudding was off my nose again,” said the man, and that was the third of their wishes. So all the good they had of the fairy’s gift was a black pudding for dinner; but then it was the best black pudding they had ever eaten. “And after all,” said the man, “there’s nothing much better in the world to wish for than a full stomach.”
Story DNA
Moral
Be careful what you wish for, as impulsive desires can lead to regret and wasted opportunities.
Plot Summary
A lazy woodcutter disturbs a fairy's home and is granted three wishes as a reward for sparing it. He returns home to his wife, and after much deliberation, they impulsively waste their first wish on a black pudding. Angered, the wife wishes the pudding onto her husband's nose, wasting the second wish. With only one wish left, they are forced to use it to remove the pudding, leaving them with nothing but a simple meal, though the man finds contentment in a full stomach.
Themes
Emotional Arc
hope to frustration to resignation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story reflects a common folk tale motif about the dangers of poorly used wishes, often found across various European cultures.
Plot Beats (13)
- A lazy woodcutter seeks an easy tree to chop in the forest and finds a hollow one.
- He strikes the tree, revealing an angry fairy who lives inside.
- The man apologizes and agrees to chop a different tree, appeasing the fairy.
- The fairy rewards the man by granting him and his wife three wishes.
- The man returns home and tells his wife about the wishes, and they discuss what to wish for, but cannot decide.
- Hungry, the man impulsively wishes for a black pudding.
- A black pudding immediately appears, falling down the chimney.
- The wife, furious at the wasted wish, impulsively wishes the pudding onto her husband's nose.
- The pudding instantly sticks to the man's nose, and they cannot remove it.
- The man insists on using the last wish to remove the pudding from his nose.
- His wife reluctantly agrees, and the man wishes the pudding off his nose.
- The pudding detaches, and they are left with only the black pudding for dinner.
- The man expresses contentment, stating a full stomach is a good thing to wish for.
Characters
The Poor Man ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, likely lean from a life of poverty and manual labor, though his laziness might suggest a softer physique. His hands would be calloused from using an ax, but perhaps not as rough as a diligent woodcutter's.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing typical of a European setting, likely made of coarse wool or linen in muted, earthy tones (browns, greys). A patched tunic, practical trousers, and sturdy, well-worn boots suitable for forest work. No embellishments.
Wants: To avoid hard work, to satisfy immediate desires (like hunger), and to live a comfortable life, though he struggles to define what that means.
Flaw: Lack of foresight, impulsiveness, inability to plan, and a general laziness that prevents him from truly improving his situation.
He starts lazy and ends content, having learned a lesson about the pitfalls of impulsive wishes, but ultimately finding satisfaction in a simple meal.
Lazy, simple-minded, easily distracted, somewhat obliging (when it's easy), pragmatic, ultimately content with simple pleasures.
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged European peasant man standing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has an unkempt brown beard and hair, a simple, weary face, and calloused hands. He wears a patched, faded grey linen tunic, loose brown trousers, and sturdy, scuffed leather boots. A large, dark black pudding is comically stuck to the end of his nose. He has a bewildered and slightly frustrated expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Poor Man's Wife ◆ supporting
A woman of average height and build, likely thin from a life of poverty and hard work, contrasting with her husband's laziness. Her hands would be rough from household chores.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing typical of a European setting, likely made of coarse linen or wool in muted, earthy tones. A long, plain dress, a practical apron, and sturdy, comfortable shoes. Her clothes would be clean but worn.
Wants: To improve their impoverished circumstances, to acquire wealth and comfort, and to manage their resources wisely (though she fails with the wishes).
Flaw: Impulsiveness, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to scold, which directly leads to one of their wishes being wasted.
She starts hopeful and ambitious for wealth, but her impulsiveness leads to a wasted wish. She ends up resigned to their fate, accepting the simple black pudding.
Practical, critical, ambitious (initially), quick-tempered, exasperated by her husband's foolishness, ultimately resigned.
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged European peasant woman standing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a stern, practical face, with her brown hair pulled back tightly in a simple bun. She wears a long, plain dark blue linen dress, a clean white apron tied at her waist, and sturdy, flat brown leather shoes. Her expression is one of exasperation and frustration, with her mouth slightly open as if scolding. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Little Old Fairy ◆ supporting
A very small, ancient-looking fairy, no taller than a child's doll, with a wizened, wrinkled face. His body is likely gnarled and thin, like an old tree branch.
Attire: Simple, naturalistic attire, perhaps made of leaves, bark, or moss, blending with his forest home. It would be earthy green and brown tones, possibly with a small, pointed cap made of a mushroom or acorn.
Wants: To protect his home from harm and to maintain the natural order of the forest.
Flaw: His quick temper, which makes him initially confrontational.
He appears, grants the wishes, and disappears, serving as a catalyst for the story's events without undergoing personal change.
Protective of his home, quick to anger, but also fair and obliging once his anger subsides, and generous in his rewards.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tiny, ancient male fairy, no taller than a child's doll, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a deeply wrinkled, wizened face, small eyes that glow like red hot sparks, and an exceptionally long, flowing white beard that reaches the ground. He wears a simple tunic made of green leaves and brown bark, with a small, pointed cap resembling a mushroom. His expression is initially stern, then softens slightly. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Black Pudding ○ minor
A large, dark, cylindrical sausage, plump and glistening, appearing freshly cooked. It would have a slightly rough, casing-like texture.
Wants: N/A
Flaw: N/A
It appears, causes conflict by sticking to the man's nose, and then disappears, serving as the central magical item of the story.
N/A (It is an inanimate object, albeit magically animated.)
Image Prompt & Upload
A single, large, dark black pudding, cylindrical in shape, plump and glistening as if freshly cooked. It is suspended in mid-air, as if having just fallen or about to fly. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Forest
A dense forest where a lazy woodcutter seeks the easiest tree to fell. One particular tree is hollow inside, revealing itself to be the home of a fairy.
Mood: Initially mundane and a bit lazy, then shifts to surprise and a touch of magic.
The man encounters the fairy and receives the three wishes.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-dappled forest interior with tall, ancient oak and beech trees, their canopies filtering soft morning light onto a mossy, root-tangled forest floor. In the foreground, a massive, gnarled oak tree with a visible hollow opening in its trunk, surrounded by ferns and wild brambles. The air is still and slightly humid. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Poor Man's Cottage Interior
A humble, cozy interior of a poor man's cottage, centered around a hearth where a fire burns. It's a place for discussion and where the wishes manifest.
Mood: Initially hopeful and cozy, then descends into chaos and exasperation, finally settling on a resigned contentment.
The man and his wife discuss their wishes, make all three, and experience the consequences, including the black pudding appearing and sticking to the man's nose.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rustic, dimly lit interior of a humble 17th-century English cottage, with rough-hewn timber beams supporting a low ceiling and whitewashed wattle-and-daub walls. A large, open stone hearth dominates one wall, with a small, crackling fire casting warm, flickering light. Simple, sturdy wooden stools are placed on either side of the hearth on a packed earth floor. Above the hearth, a dark, sooty chimney opening is visible. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
