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.
The king, who all this while was busy twirling his mustache and patting his belly, almost jumped out of his seat. Much perturbed, he consulted his ministers, who advised him that since he had promised that the wishes of the fellow would be granted, everybody should get ready for the treatment. So, the king descended from his pedestal and almost carried the throne with him tightly stuck to his back. Such a healthy king he was! The washerman was signaled to begin and he laid his cudgel with such force on His Majesty's strong shoulders that the king fell down flat and swooned away. When he came back to his senses after the ministers sprinkled water on his face, he asked in a feeble voice, "Tell me, my good man, to which category did this blow belong, was it light, medium, or hard?" "His Majesty shall know the nature of the first blow only after he receives the second one," curtly replied the washerman.
Throwing up his hands, the king then silently exclaimed to himself, "O God, if this was a light stroke, then I am surely not going to open my eyes again!" Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. He summoned the guards posted at the temple and demanded of them, "How did you chaps know that this good man did not pray?" "Your Majesty, we did not see or hear him pray!" answered the guards. "Shut up, you fools. Do you see everything that is there?" demanded the king. "No, Your Majesty." "Do you see or hear your thoughts?" "No, Your Majesty." "Then, how could you have seen or heard his prayers? Answer me, be quick!" "We could not have, Your Majesty," said the guards in a chorus. "We withdraw our complaint." "We say that this good man did pray! In silence. Do you disagree with us?" asked the king. "No, never, Your Majesty." "That's sensible of you!" said the king, silently thanking himself that he had been sensible himself before the second blow had fallen on him! The washerman was set free, and he returned to a home already richer by twenty thousand gold pieces. He knew within, in his heart- this was because he had indeed prayed- a bit late, though!
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