Tale #46 -- If your wishes could come true . . .

WHAT WOULD YOU DO

IF YOUR WISHES

COULD COME TRUE?

traditional stories
re-told byDancing Bear (from Spellbound)

THE WISHING CHAIR (Irish)

It was a dark day for Roisin MacFadden when her aunt came to live with her, along with her two daughters. Sickness had broken out in the neighbourhood and taken Roisin's parents.

"I will be a mother to you," the aunt promised, "And Mella and Gobnait will be your sisters."

Those three were so lazy that they left all the work to Roisin. While their mother dozed the day away, the girls passed their time bickering. Gobnait told Mella that she would never find a husband because she was as thin as a pole and her complexion was yellow. Mella retaliated by criticizing Gobnait's fat figure and huge feet. When Roisin tried to make peace between them, they both turned on her, telling her that their problems were her fault because her beauty, education and good manners gave her an unfair advantage.

One new moon night, Ana Criona, the wise woman, came to stay for a night or two. Her wonderful stories of the olden days made her welcome everywhere she wandered. This night, she told the three girls that they could get good luck for themselves by visiting a wood where the trees grew in a circle around a stone chair. "It is a long walk from here," she said, "but anyone who sits in the Wishing Chair can wish three times."

Before she went on her way, she told Roisin, "Your face is your fortune, but it is your kind heart that will bring you the good luck."

Mella, the eldest, left early the next morning. She soon tired of the unusual exercise. By the time she reached the wood, her steps were lagging, and she was parched with thirst.

"Oh, I wish I had a drink of clear, cold water!" she cried as she collapsed on the Wishing Chair.

The leaves overhead rustled, and seemed to sing, "Your wish will be granted."

At well of sparkling water appeared, with a cup beside it. Mella took a long drink, and then realized, too late, that the first of her three wishes was gone.

Mella wanted to have a beautiful complexion like Roisin. "I wish I had roses in my cheeks," she said. The leaves sang once more, and lovely pink roses appeared -- real roses, with thorns that pricked. They were so painful that she quickly wished them away, and came home no better off than she had left.

The next morning Gobnait tried her luck. The fresh air made her very hungry. She wished for a good dinner, and a beautiful meal appeared. Next, she asked for a slender figure like Roisin's. Her body shrank and shrank, but her feet remained the same. They looked so enormous compared to her thin body that she wished her old figure back. It was a disappointed girl who came home that night.

Finally, it was Roisin's turn. She got up very early, did all the housework, and left while the others were still sleeping. By the time she sat down on the Wishing Chair, the bright sunshine had made her very sleepy. She wished that she could rest and slumber for a while. While she slept, she dreamed of a tall, handsome man, who smiled at her.

"Oh, I wish I could have a man like that for my husband," she said, "and a happy home far away from my aunt and cousins!"

"Your wishes will be granted," the leaves sang.

On her way home, Roisin climbed a steep bank to rescue a bird which had become entangled in the branches of a tree. As she was making her way back to the road, she stumbled over a rock and sprained her ankle. Ana, who happened to be walking in the neighbourhood, found her crying by the roadside, unable to walk.

Just then, a splendid carriage came round the curve. "Have pity!" Ana called, waving her arms. "Help this poor girl!"

The carriage stopped. A footman opened the door for the young lord inside. It was the man Roisin had seen in her dream!

Soon after, Roisin's wishes came true, and she lived splendidly in Dunbawn Castle with her true love Brian.


THE TRANSFORMATION OF ISSUNBOSHI (Japan)

"Oh, divine Empress Jingo!" the old couple prayed at the ancestral Shinto shrine. "Grant us a son, even though he be no bigger than one of our fingers!"

From behind the bamboo curtain, a voice whispered that they would have what they asked. In due time, the old woman gave birth to a baby the size of her little finger.

His parents named him Issunboshi ("One-Inch-Priest"). "He will grow up in no time," his father said confidently. But, thirteen years later, Issunboshi was still exactly the same size. His parents became so annoyed by the teasing of the neighbours that they decided to send their son away.

Issunboshi asked his mother for a needle, a soup bowl, and a chop-stick. Using the soup bowl as a boat, he propelled himself along the river with his chop-stick until he reach Kyoto.

Issunboshi walked through a large roofed gate to the porch of a splendid house, and began shouting for attention. The owner, Prince Sanjo, was delighted with the little man and made him his eldest daughter's page.

Issunboshi went everywhere with the Princess Sanjo. Although he was small, he performed his duties with great dignity.

One day, the Princess Sanjo visited the Temple of Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy. As she was leaving, two oni -- evil spirits -- ambushed her. Issunboshi drew his needle-sword and dashed forward to defend his mistress.

Laughing at the "funny little bean seed", the first spirit swallowed him whole. Issunboshi slipped down into the darkness of the creature's stomach, but he did not lose heart. He immediately started boring into the wall of flesh with his needle sword.

The oni roared with pain and coughed up his tormentor. Before the second oni could attack, Issunboshi leaped into its nostril and began piercing its eyes. Both creatures ran away, yelping with pain.

The princess picked up a small wooden mallet the oni had dropped. "Look -- it's a lucky mallet!" she told Issunboshi. "Tell me your heart's deepest desire."

"Honourable princess," Issunboshi said, "I want to be as big as other people."

The princess tapped the mallet on the ground and called out the wish. A moment later, Issunboshi was the same size as other youths his age.

The wonderful story of Issunboshi was told everywhere in the kingdom. When the emperor heard it, he summoned him to his palace. He gave the brave lad many gifts and made him an important official. In time, Issunboshi became a great lord and married Prince Sanjo's youngest daughter.



THE FISHERMAN AND THE JINNI

This story is from the "Thousand and One Nights" -- a collection of Oriental stories compiled about a thousand years ago. Legend has it that queen Scheherazade of Samarkand, who had been condemned to die, told these stories to her husband night after night, always stopping at an exciting point so that he would postpone the execution one more day. On the thousand and first night, the king pardoned her.

A poor fisherman had thrown out his nets three times, but had caught only garbage and a dead donkey. On the fourth try, he found an ancient brass jar in his net, with a lead cap stamped with the seal ring of King Solomon.

"At least I can sell this at the marketplace and buy food for today," he said to himself. Hoping to find something more valuable inside, he pried off the cap with his knife.

Smoke began to pour from the jar, whirling upwards into a giant pillar. Gradually, the smoke became solid, revealing a powerful jinni -- an Efrit -- who stood with his head in the clouds and his feet planted on the waves. Black fire danced in his eyes, and his mouth was as big as a cave.

"How do you wish to die?" the jinni asked in a voice that shook the earth.
"Is that how you repay me for setting you free?" the fisherman asked. "What harm have I done you?"

The jinni told the fisherman how the king of the jinn had imprisoned him in the jar 1800 years ago. At first, he had planned great rewards for anyone who set him free; but he had grown impatient over time, and had sworn to kill the first person he saw when he was released. "I will grant you only one favour," he roared. "You may choose the manner of your death."

"Before I choose, O Exalted and Generous Lord," said the fisherman, "I beg you to answer just one small question. Where did you come from?"

"From that jar you hold in your hand, of course."

"This little jar? You mock me. You are so huge -- how could you ever fit into this jar?"

"You saw me come out with your own eyes."

"I was blinded by the smoke -- I saw nothing of the sort, my lord. Surely even you are not powerful enough to make yourself so small."

"Very well -- I will show you this one thing before you die," the jinni said, eager to show off his superiority. He dissolved into smoke and passed through the narrow neck of the bottle. The fisherman lost no time in replacing the cap and the seal.

The imprisoned spirit bellowed with rage, threatening the fisherman with an assortment of dire punishments. Later, he begged and pleaded, promising every reward he could think of.

After a time, he and the fisherman came to an understanding. The jinni swore a solemn oath not to harm his benefactor, but to bring him wealth and good fortune. When the fisherman released him, the jinni took him to a lake filled with magic fish, and told him to catch one of each colour and take them to the king. But that is another story. . . .