Sabrina Feldman 9/15/15 The Wizard and the Wishing Stones Do not take advantage of kindness. There once was a young wizard who resided in a small village. He was a skillful wizard, having been trained in the magical arts from a young age. Unfortunately, his mother had fallen ill last winter, so he had to drop out of school to care for her. With his education incomplete, he never learned how to heal illnesses. The young wizard could not find anyone to willing help his mother because he did not have the money to afford a doctor. Having dropped out of school during his second-to-last year, not a single person in the village wanted to hire him for a job. One evening, the wizard went wandering near the forest, searching for herbs he could possibly use to create a healing remedy for his mother. Feeling discouraged, he went to rest by the river that passed through the area. He kneeled by the bank, but as time passed, it soon began to grow dark. The young wizard became disoriented, for he could not tell which direction led back to his home with the tall, dark trees blocking his view. Even worse, he had accidentally left his wand at his house, so he had no means of light. He eventually decided to sleep by the river, and he could venture back to the village in daylight. The next morning, when he awoke, the young wizard noticed a scrawny cloaked figure hobbling towards the forest. He was about to head the other direction back to his
house, especially since his mother was definitely wondering where he was, but his curiosity got the best of him, so he started following the mysterious person. As he trailed behind, the wizard cautiously tiptoed across the forest floor, hoping not to make any sounds that would reveal his presence. The cloaked figure finally arrived at its destination - a jagged, rocky wall. The wizard was confused, for he expected a cottage of some sorts. The person lifted its hood, revealing an old witch, so frail looking that a gust of wind might knock her over. She pulled her wand out from her pocket and moved it in a fluid wiping motion, eventually revealing a dark tunnel that ran through the rocky wall. After she passed though, the young wizard hurried after her, afraid that the entrance might close in front of him. The passageway led to a torch-lit room, the walls covered with shelves filled to the brim with glass bottles holding various objects. In the center of the room was a massive cauldron, and the golden mixture inside it was bubbling slightly. The wizard continued forward, but stopped suddenly when he stepped on a dried leaf. The crunching sound echoed throughout the whole room, and to his horror, the old witch turned around and stared at him with piercing blue eyes. "You followed me here," she stated mater-of-factly. "Why did you do so?" "P-please don't p-punish me," the young wizard stuttered. "I was just by the river, searching for herbs to help heal my mother, for she is terribly ill. I just happened to see you walking towards the forest, and I decided to follow you here." "Okay then," the witch replied. She started browsing through a shelf of bottles, and she eventually grasped one containing tiny gemstones in different colors. "Since you seem in need, I will help you the best I can. I will give you a wish to improve your
circumstances," she explained to the wizard. "This is powerful magic, far beyond a wizard like you. Once you have made your wish, it cannot be undone. Understand?" The wizard nodded jerkily, then slowed down a little, but he kept on nodding. He had heard about wishes gone bad, how a careless wish could turn into a nightmare. The young wizard vowed to be cautious with this rare and valuable gift, especially because it was meant to make his life undoubtedly easier. The witch twisted open the jar, reached in, and grabbed a single emerald stone. Without any hesitation, she tossed it over to the wizard, who clumsily reached out to catch it. He whispered, "Thank you," turned towards the way he came, and scurried out of the tunnel. As soon as he exited, the entrance sealed, and what was once a gaping hole was now a rocky wall again. The young wizard ran all the way home, filled with glee. He believed that this one wish could fix all of his problems, and he didn't try to hide his excitement when he arrived home. As he walked inside, he thought, I wish that mother was there to see that old witch. The wizard froze. He became frantic as he searched for the stone that had been in his pocket, but it was nowhere to be found. He came to the conclusion that he had accidentally used up his wish. Oh no!, he thought. What am I going to do? After thinking for a while, the wizard finally decided to disguise himself as another man. With skill and concentration, he successfully made himself appear as a completely different person. The young wizard then tramped back to the forest, trying to retrace his steps to the witch's cave. He concealed himself behind the trunk of a massive tree, and to his delight, the witch emerged from the entrance.
"Hello there," the now disguised wizard shouted at the witch. "I was just traveling from my village about fifteen miles away, but I have gotten lost. Could you please assist me in my journey by giving me directions to the main city?" He found that the more he lied, the easier it felt, even though deep down he knew that what he was doing was wrong. "I know just the thing you need," the witch replied amiably. "Just hold on one minute." She briskly walked through the tunnel, and just as she said, about a minute later she returned to the young wizard, this time holding a sapphire stone in her wrinkly hand. "This is a wish, far beyond any magic you have ever encountered in your lifetime. Once you have made your wish, though, it cannot be undone. Good luck on your travels!" Just like their first meeting, the witch tossed the wizard the stone, then returned to her cave once more. This time, the young wizard walked carefully home, being sure to not accidentally use up his wish. He successfully wished for his mother to be rid of her illness, and after the immediate joy, an idea popped into his head. If I just disguised myself to get a wish, he thought enthusiastically, why can't I get more? So the wizard, now for the third time, received a stone from the witch, this time wishing for unlimited wealth. Encouraged by the amazing turn his life took, he went to the witch yet again for a wish, and again, and again. The young wizard just kept coming, each time in a different disguise, but the witch soon became suspicious of all of these young men in need of some help. Even with all the happiness wishes could get him, the wizard returned once again to the witch and her bounty of wishing stones. This time, he was given a blood-red stone. Without thinking twice, the young wizard wished for the most majestic owl in the
whole world, but to his surprise, no such bird appeared. Instead, he began to feel extremely sick. To his horror, he realized that he had developed the same illness that his mother had been healed of not so long ago. The wizard figured out that it was the witch who cursed him, getting revenge on him deceiving her so many times. From then on, the young wizard knew not to take advantage of caring people ever again.