Be Careful What You Wish For, Percy
Percy finds a well that grants wishes, but every wish has a surprise.
At the end of a winding lane, Percy found an old stone well covered in moss. Written on the side were the words: ‘Make a wish, but think it through.’ Percy grinned. ‘Easy!’ he said.
‘I wish for enough sweets to last a year!’ Percy cried, dropping a coin into the well. The water glowed gold. There was a splash, a sparkle and a puff of glittering smoke. And there it was, right in front of him.
It was wonderful for about an hour. After a day and a night of sweets, his tummy hurt so much that he never wanted to see another one. Percy frowned. ‘That didn’t go the way I thought,’ he said.
‘Try another wish,’ said Tomas. So Percy wished to fly like a bird. Whoosh! He soared into the air, but then he couldn’t get down, and it got very cold up in the clouds. ‘Help!’ he called.
Tomas fetched Nico the elephant, who looked after the well. Nico said a quiet word, and Percy floated down like a feather. ‘Wishes are powerful things,’ said Nico. ‘You must wish wisely.’
Percy sat and thought. Then he noticed the village was getting very dry. The river had shrunk and the crops were wilting. He got a coin and wished, ‘I wish for rain for everyone.’
The sky darkened. Rain came falling softly, the flowers lifted their heads, and the river sang again. The villagers came out dancing in the puddles. ‘That was a wish that worked,’ said Nico.
Percy smiled. He didn’t have a pile of treats or any magic powers. But he had a village full of happy faces, and that felt better than any wish he could have made for himself.
The little lesson
The best wishes are the ones that help others as well as ourselves.
Let’s talk about it
- Which of the wishes made the biggest problem?
- What would you wish for if you could help everyone?
Finish stories to collect Percy as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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