THE WISHFUL THINKING | Free Children Book

“Wow! There's a lot of woods here, and I think I am the only one who is in them. At least the only person.” 

“What was that? I thought I heard someone… or something… following me.”

“This big old rock looks like a good place to rest.”

“Ahh … A good choice. It's almost like resting in the big, comfy chair at home.”

Except for the scary sounds and feeling that I am being watched.

“I am still frightened, and it is getting late.”

“Oh! Why didn't I listen to my sister?”

“What! Where did this come from…? A nice cup of tea.”

“Wow! It's real and the best tea I ever had.”

“Who brought this to me? How did it get here?”

“I did,” said the rock. “I am magical, and I grant anyone resting on me their wishes.”

Jimmy was confused and couldn't believe what was happening. But he sipped the tea, and it was definitely real.

 “How can you do that?” Jimmy asked.

The rock replied, "Many centuries ago, I was the king's Royal Wizard. I granted all his wishes and made his Kingdom the richest and most powerful in all the land.”

“One day the King wished for a beautiful Princess to become his Queen. I granted that wish and brought to him the most beautiful Princess in the world.”

He then wished for royal clothing.

In an instant, he was dressed in the finest silk clothing with gold and jewels.

He wished for this, and he wished for that.

He wished for things, including a cat.

Everything he wished for was before him. Including a large, vicious tiger.

Jimmy realised his error. A tiger is a cat.

Oh! What was he to do?

Jimmy wished him away, and in a flash, he was gone.

Then Jimmy remembered the scary sounds he heard earlier.

They must have come from animals. Maybe tigers, or even dragons.

He wished all the animals were gone.

There was silence.

Jimmy was quite happy. 

But without thinking, he leaned back onto the rock and said, “I wish you and I could be together forever.”

The forest slowly disappeared. 

There was nothing.

Everything he had wished for was gone.

He realised that his wish had again come true.

He and the rock were now one. Jimmy couldn't cry.

He couldn't talk. He couldn't laugh or smile. 

All he could do was wait. Wait for someone to lean against him and hopefully make a wish.

Time went by, and then he heard the voice of an old lady. 

She seemed to be using a familiar word. Something he recognised.

Yes! … Yes, the old lady was calling his name. “JIMMY”

“Oh, please, please find the rock and sit down. Make a wish, and we can begin to talk. Please! Please! Please!” begged Jimmy.

Then the old lady sat to rest and leaned upon the magical rock.

She looked around the forest and thought about how beautiful it must have been before the darkness came.

How beautiful ... so many years ago, when her brother Jimmy entered and disappeared.

She sighed and said, “I wish it had never happened.”

At that, colour began coming into the darkened forest. Animals returned.

And she and her brother were sitting together on the forest floor. They were young and vibrant, just like nothing had ever happened.

“Jimmy, wake up! Wake up, you're having a bad dream,” said his sister as she shook him.

“I am your big sister and guardian. I know when something is wrong,” she added.

“Oh, my wise sister, I had a terrible dream, and I am afraid it may mean something,” Jimmy said. “Let me tell you.”

Jimmy told his sister about the dream and how real it was.

He even trembled as he told her how he became one with the rock.

His sister replied, “Being your eldest sister and guardian, and sharing the wisdom and insight known only to girls, it can only mean one thing.”

“Be careful of what you wish for; it may come true.”