, 1865-06-16
The Three Wishes.


The eastern origin of this tale seems evident;
had it been originally composed in northern
land, it is probable that the king would have
been represented as dethroned by means of bribes
obtained from his own treasury. In eastern
country, the storyteler would, most likely, have
experienced the fate intended for his hero, a
warning to others how they suggested such reas-
enable ideas. Herr Simrock, however, says it
is a German tale; but it may have had its origin
in the east for all that Nothing is more diff
cult indeed than to trace popular tale to its
source; Cinderella, for example, belongs to nearly
all nations; even among the Chinese, people
different to all European nations, there "a pop
ular story which reads almost almost exactly
like it. Here is the tale of the Three Wishes:
There was once wise emperor who made a
law, that to every stranger that came to his
court fried fish should be served. The servants
were directed to take notice, if, when the stran-
ger had eaten the fish to the bone on one side,
he turned it over and began on the other side.
If he did he was to be Immediately seized, and
on the third day thereafter he to be put to
DEATH But by stretch of imperial clemency
the culprit permitted to utter one wish each
day, which the emperor pledged himself to grant,
provided it was not to spare his life. Many had
already perished in consequence of this edict,
when, one day, count and his young pre-
sented themselves at court The fish were served
the fish from one side, he turned it over and was
about to commence on the other, when he was
suddenly seized and thrown into prison, and was
told of his approaching doom. Sorrow-stricken,
the counts young son besought the emperor to
allow him to die in the room his father; fa-
yor which the monarch was pleased to accord
him. The count was accordingly released from
prison, and his son was thrown into the cell in
his stead. AS soon this had been done, the
young man said to his iaiors:
"You know that have the right to make
three demands before die go tell the emperor
to send me his daughter and priest to marry
u.s."
The first demand was not much to the empe-
ror's taste, nevertheless he felt bound to keep
his word, and he therefore complied with the re-
quest, to which the princess had no kind of OBJ
lection. This occurred in the times when kings
kept their treasu in cave, or in tower set
apart for that purpose, like the Emperor of Mo-
rocco in these days, and on the second day of
his confinement, the young man demanded
the kings treasures. If his first demand was a
bold one, the second was not less so; still, an
emperor's word is sacred, and having made the
promise he was forced to keep it; and the treas
ures of gold and silver and Jewels were placed at
the prisoners disposal. On getting possession
ofthem, he distributed them profusely among his
courtiers, and soon he had made hosts of friends
by his liberality.
The emperor began now to feel exceeding
ly uncomfortable Unable to sleep he arose early
on the third morning and went, with fear in his
heart, to the prison to hear what the third wish
was to be.
'Now, said he to his prisoner, "tell me what
your third demand is, that it may be granted at
once, and you may be hung out ofhand for am
tired of your demands -
"Sir, answered the prisoner, az have but one
more favor to request of your majesty, which,
when you have granted l shall die content 1t
is merely that you will cause the eyes Of those
who saw my father turn the fish over to be put
out.
every good" replied the emperor, "your de-
mand is but natural, and springs from a good
heart. Let the chamberlain be seized, +" turning
to his guards.
81 srel" exclaimed the chamberlain; ~ did
not see anything-it was the steward e"
"Let the steward be seized them said the
king
But the steward protested with tears in his ewes
that he had not witnessed anything of what had
been reported and said it was the butler. The
butler declared he had seen nothing of the mat
ter, and that it must have been one oftt1e valets
But they protested that they were utterly igno-
rant of what had been charged against the count
in short, it turned out that nobody could be found
who had seen the count commit the offence up
on which the princess said:
81 appeal to you, my father, as to another
Solomon. If nobody saw the offense committed,
the count cannot be guilty, and my husand is
innocent"
The emperor frowned, and forthwith the cour-
tiers began to murmur; then he smiled and i'm
their visages became radiant
Let it be so, said his majesty; s'let him live,
though have put. many man to death for a
lighter offense than his But ifhe is not hung,
be is married. Justice has been done"