The Three Wishes

THE THREE WISHES

~ by Cordites Tun

Once upon a time, surely it was a long time ago, there was a poor centuar male woodcutter who lived in a village near a great forest. Every day of his life he went out to fell timber in the great forest. He worked hard to earn the little money he could for him and his mother.

So one day he started out, and his mother packed his midday meal in his pack and filled the his bottle which he slung on his back, so 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. When he was come to it, he took his sharpened axe in his hand and swung it round his head as though he were minded to fell the tree at one stroke.

The centuar had not given placed one blow, when what should he hear but the pitifullest entreating. There stood before him a very pretty fey fairy who prayed and beseeched him to spare the tree. He was dazed, as expected at sight of a fey, with wonderment and affright, and he could not open his mouth to utter a word.

At last, the centuar found his tongue, "Of course," said he, "I will do as you request."

"You have done better for yourself than you know," answered the fairy, "and to show I am so grateful, I will grant you three wishes, be they what they may. The first in exactly a year. The second exactly a year after that. The third exactly a year after that."

After which, the fairy vanished, and the woodman slung his pack over his shoulder and his bottle at his side, and off he started home.

The walk home felt so quick, as along the track the centaur was regularly dazed with the wonderful thing that had befallen him, and when he got home there was nothing in his mind, except the wish to sit down and rest.

As he settled by the fire, after eating a meal with his mother, another thought surfaced, about whether the fey was being a trickster. He was uncertain if he would get those three wishes promised.

"Ma, if you were to have a wish, what would it be?" said he to his mother.
"I would like to know what it is to be human, and walk on two human legs, not four hooved ones," said she.
"How interesting." said the woodman.

Then a week later, he went to visit the local tavern, to sit with his friend who too was a centuar. His friend was grieving the death of his wife and child to a terrible illness.
"So if you were to have a wish, what would it be?" said he to his friend.
"I would like to know what it is to be a pegasus, and be a full horse - and feel what it is to fly," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
"How interesting." said the woodman.

A month later, he visited the sharman of the centuar village. He told the Sharman that he had meet a fey who was going to grant him three wishes, for not chopping down a huge old oak tree in the great forest.

"So if you were to have a wish, what would it be?" said he asked the sharman.
The Sharman looked at him, "Why ask me something that is being offered to you? What do you want to wish for?"
"I am unsure." said the woodcutter.
"What is it you need then?" asked the Sharman.
The woodcutter thought and finally said, "Food, shelter, and happiness."
The Sharman finally said "As my ma taught me, I would wish to leave the world better than when I entered it."

After leaving the Sharman, the woodcutter returned home. He cleaned as he thought of what to wish for. The house was spotless and his mother was pleased. He had found coins that added up to two pieces, and they were able to afford to fix a nice supper to share with his friend and the Sharman.

The year went quickly. So he returned to the oak tree where the fey fairy sat waiting for him. She was twice the size she had been the last time he saw her. He was silence by how pretty she was.

"So have you chosen your first wish?" she asked.
"I have." said the woodcutter, "I wish ... I wish for my mother to be Human."
"Done!" said the fairy.

When the woodcutter returned home. His mother was packing her belonging. She was Human, with long Human legs. He recognised her, because her top half remained similar to her centuar self.

His mother left the village a few days later. A month past, before he would receive a message by magpie from her. She had gone to Jeyton City to become a dancer, and to teach dance. She was so happy.

A year later to the every day, the woodcutter returned to the tree where the fey fairy sat waiting for him. This tme he took his friend with him. The fairy again was twice the size she had been the last time he saw her. He was silence by how even prettier she seemed.

"So have you chosen your second wish?" she asked.
"I have." said the woodcutter, "I wish ... I wish for my friend here to be a mighty pegasus."
"Done!" said the fairy.

In that moment, his friend transformed into a strong, winged horse. The pegasus whinny and nicker with pleasure, then took flight. Although it took a few tries for the friend to get use to his wings, soon enough he was airboure. He flew off into the blue sky. Sometimes over the next year, the woodcutter saw that pagasus flyinf happily above the village.

The following year, the woodcutter travelled to the big oak tree. Along the way, he changed his mind over his wish a half dozen times. When he finally reached the tree, the fey fairy sat waiting for him. The fairy again was twice the size she had been the last time he saw her. She was actually the beautiful Mielikki.

"So have you chosen your final wish?" she asked.
"I have not." said the woodcutter, "I am uncertain which wish would be tthe best one."
"I can only give you one." said Mielikki.

The Centuar thought hard about the best wish. He nearly spoke four time. Each time just stopping himself.
Mielikki came close to his face, looking deep into his eyes.
He stared into those green eyes and smiled.
"I wish ..." he said, "I wish to become a fey fairy and protect the centuar village and this great forest."

"Done!" said Mielikki, as she kissed him, his wish came true.







He gave a pull but it stuck, and she gave a pull but it stuck, and they both pulled till they had nigh pulled the nose off, but it stuck and stuck.
"What's to be done now?" said he.
"'T isn't so very unsightly," said she, looking hard at him.
Then the woodman saw that if he wished, he must need wish in a hurry; and wish he did, that the black pudding might come off his nose. Well! there it lay in a dish on the table, and if the goodman and goodwife didn't ride in a golden coach, or dress in silk and satin, why, they had at least as fine a black pudding for their supper as the heart of man could desire.