The Three Wishes


Once upon a time, and be sure 't was a long time ago, there lived a poor
woodman in a great forest, and every day of his life he went out to fell
timber. So one day he started out, and the goodwife filled his wallet
and slung his bottle on his back, that he might have meat and drink in
the forest. He had marked out a huge old oak, which, thought he, would
furnish many and many a good plank. And when he was come to it, he took
his axe in his hand and swung it round his head as though he were minded
to fell the tree at one stroke. But he hadn't given one blow, when what
should he hear but the pitifullest entreating, and there stood before
him a fairy who prayed and beseeched him to spare the tree. He was
dazed, as you may fancy, with wonderment and affright, and he couldn't
open his mouth to utter a word. But he found his tongue at last, and,
"Well," said he, "I'll e'en do as thou wishest."

"You've done better for yourself than you know," answered the fairy,
"and to show I'm not ungrateful, I'll grant you your next three wishes,
be they what they may." And therewith the fairy was no more to be seen,
and the woodman slung his wallet over his shoulder and his bottle at his
side, and off he started home.

But the way was long, and the poor man was regularly dazed with the
wonderful thing that had befallen him, and when he got home there was
nothing in his noddle but the wish to sit down and rest. Maybe, too, 't
was a trick of the fairy's. Who can tell? Anyhow down he sat by the
blazing fire, and as he sat he waxed hungry, though it was a long way