A fairy’s gift

By Prisha Choudhury

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Mary. She had two sisters, the elder one named Beth, and the younger one named Amy. Mary was younger than Beth but older than Amy. One day, an old woman came to their house. At that time, the girls’ parents were out for work. Beth opened the door and asked, “How can I help you, Miss?”

“Can you give me some water? I am really thirsty,” said the old woman.

“Please come in, Miss,” replied Beth. The woman came into the house, and Mary asked her to sit. Then Beth gave the old woman some water.

The old woman asked the girls, “Can you give me something to eat? I am really hungry.” Mary said, “Sure. Will it be okay if we give you some fresh fruits to eat?” The old woman nodded. Then Amy and Mary went to their garden and picked some fresh fruits, which they washed. Beth gave the fruits to the woman. After she finished eating, she said a spell and transformed into a beautiful fairy. The girls were surprised to see her.

The fairy introduced herself saying, “My name is Anna. I have come from the fairy land. I am here to pass my test. My test is to be helped by three human beings, and in exchange, they can make one wish each. Because you helped me, I will grant you one wish each. You can use this wish when you need it, but only once. To use your wish, you first need to say the words ‘I wish’ and then state your wish.” Then the fairy vanished into thin air.

Beth said, “I don’t think this wish will work. Fairies are just stories. These things are not real.” But Amy said, “I believe in fairies and magic. Anything is possible if you believe in it.” Mary agreed with Amy.

Their parents returned from work. The girls helped their mother in the kitchen. At dinner time, the girls told their parents what had happened that day.

Mother said, “You must use your wishes wisely and when it is important.” “I am really proud of my girls. You have done a great deed and you deserve a reward from us too,” said their father. “As you know, tomorrow is our holiday; we can plan a picnic at the park,” added their mother. The girls quickly nodded and were very excited for the following day. The next day, the whole family went to the park for a picnic.

Suddenly, a man who was badly hurt appeared. Mary used her wish, saying, “I wish that this man gets healed and stays healthy throughout his life.” Then he was healed, and the man thanked Mary for saving his life.

The family continued their picnic and on their way home, they encountered a little girl crying. Amy asked, “Why are you crying? Maybe I can help.”

“My puppy has been lost for a month, and I can’t find him. Can you help me find him?” The little girl asked.

“Sure, I can,” said Amy. She spoke the following words, “I wish that this little girl finds her puppy and never loses him.” Suddenly, the puppy came running and barking toward the little girl. She thanked Amy and gave her a few candies.

Back at home, while chopping vegetables, the mother accidentally cut her finger. Beth used her wish saying, “I wish that my mother’s finger gets healed and she never hurts herself again.” Her mother’s finger was immediately healed. The family had a great dinner and went to bed.

The fairy watched everything and was pleased that the girls used their wishes for good. In the fairy land, Anna passed her test. She gave a letter to the girls, telling them the same. And they all lived happily ever after.