The Third Wish

Imagine that you had three wishes. Would you waste them? The story “The Third Wish” is about a man named Mr. Peters who has three wishes. It’s a romance with symbolism that reminds me of “Aladdin”.

First, this story follows the plotline of a romance. It takes place in an unrealistic world. You know it is unrealistic because Mr. Peters saves a sawn that turns into a little man who gives him three wishes. He uses his first wish to have a wife as beautiful as the forest. The mild conflict that he realizes that his wife Lieta is a swan and is lonely without her swan sister. The conflict is resolved when Mr. Peters dies with a smile on his face.

Secondly, Joan Aiken used symbolism in her story. The “birds stopped singing”, which might symbolize something eerie. Lietas “skin was as white as the feathers on a swan”. That text symbolizes that Lieta could be a swan since Mr. Peters wished for a wife as beautiful as the forest. She became “thin and pale”. That might symbolize illness or possibly death.

Thirdly, this story reminds me of “Aladdin”. Mr. Peters and Aladdin both had three wishes. Aladdin used his first wish to become handsome like a prince so he could get a wife where Mr. Peters wishes for a wife. Aladdin used his second wish to save himself from drowning. Although Mr. Peters didn’t use his last wish Aladdin did and he wished to set the jinee free just as he had promised he would.

This story has said that you don’t need everything to be happy. What you have might just be enough. This story is a romance that has many symbols in it and also reminds me of “Aladdin”.