The Third Wish
Long ago there lived a king. He was a very religious and devout man, indeed! He erected a magnificent temple in his capital and issued a decree. The royal herald went to every corner of the realm, beating his drums: "Whosoever passes under the heavenly arch in front of the temple without offering prayers and without uttering the name of the God, shall be forthwith put to death." One day a washerman, riding a donkey, a cudgel in hand, passed under the arch. As he was not aware of the law, naturally he did not pray there. The guards at once pounced on him and dragged him before the king. The king twitched his mustache and then, looking over his big round belly, said, "You midget! How dare you defy the law of the land and prove yourself irreligious when I, your king, is so religious? Has anyone ever seen me passing under the arch without stopping for prayer?" "None, Your Majesty!" said the courtiers. "You never fail to pray there."
"Your Majesty, I was ignorant of your decree, since I was away on a visit to my granny beyond the hills and had stayed there for a full year," said the man bowing ceremoniously. Alas, his pleas were of no avail. The king asked him to prepare himself to die. However, he was told that since he had committed the sin unwittingly, he would be granted any three wishes. Only two things he could not ask for - his life or the royal throne. The washerman looked with tearful eyes from the king to the courtiers, from the courtiers to the king, and pleaded for mercy. But all his efforts were in vain. Helpless, he truly prayed for a moment. All of a sudden the cudgel fell from his trembling hand and a flash in his mind gave him the indication of what he should do. Mustering courage he said in a clear loud tone, "My first wish is that twenty thousand gold pieces should be sent to my family." It was at once done and the receipt duly signed by his wife was presented to him. "Now, what's your second wish?" asked the king. "That under no circumstance, even if my life is spared, should I be obliged to return the gold." "All right, But you're going to die. What's your third wish?" asked the king. "That every one of you, starting from His Majesty downwards right up to the sentries shall receive three blows from my cudgel. One a light blow, one a medium blow, and yet one a hard blow. May I now commence with your Majesty?" said the washerman with a little chuckle.