Fairy Tales Too Good To Miss—Up the Stairs  by Lisa M. Ripperton

The Wishing-Well

NCE upon a time, when the world was young as ye are, there was a wishing-well where a body might get all the fairy gold he wanted, if only he knew how to wish for it in the right way, and went to the well at the right time.

The right time to go to the wishing-well was on Midsummer's Eve, when the beasts and the birds talked, and the fairies danced, trip-it-light, all-the-night, up and down the dells. Never a one but agreed to that.

But how to wish for the fairy gold was another matter.

This was all that the wisest ones in the land could tell about the wishing; and how to please the fairies a body had to find out for himself.

But nevertheless there were folks a-plenty who wanted to go to the wishing-well; and among these were two maids who were bonny alike, and blithe alike, and of the very same age.

Once they got in the way of thinking of the fairy gold, they could not get out of it; and when Midsummer's Eve came round, nothing would do but that go to the well they must. And so they did.

The first maid started so early that she had to take her supper, which was a fine slice of cake, in her hand. And as she was hurrying through the woods, a little bird on a hazel-bush said to her, said he:

"If ye'll share your cake with me, I am the one who will tell ye all about the wishing at the wishing-well."

The maid did not care to share her cake, but because she wanted to know what the bird had to tell, she broke off a wee corner of her slice,—so wee that it was naught but a crumb,—and gave it to him. Whereupon the bird said, said he:

"One wish for your best loved, one wish for the one who needs it most, one wish for yourself,—three wishes all told will get for you the fairy gold."

The maid was not over-pleased with what she heard.

" 'Tis large pay for little learning," she said to herself; and when she came to the wishing-well, nothing would do but she must wish the wish for herself first.

So she sat down on the well's brink and wished for gold to buy a gown all covered with jewels and diamonds, and golden slippers to wear on her feet.

And—do ye believe it?—the wish had scarcely left the tip of her tongue when, clink, clank,  down upon the well's brink came a bag filled with more gold than she had ever laid eyes on before.

She did not waste time looking at it though, for no sooner had she taken one peep into the bag than she was at her wishing again.

"A wish for my best loved," said she; for little as she liked it, she could not forget what the bird had said. And she thought of her mother, but she did not wish a wish for her.

"It's no wish for herself, but one for me that my mother would want," said she. "And how could I walk about the street in a gown covered with pearls and diamonds? I must have something to ride in."

So she wished for gold to buy a coach and horses as fine as the King's own. And the wish had scarcely left her lips when, clink, clank,  down upon the well's brink came another bag of gold larger and heavier than the first.

"Now for the last wish," said the maid, as soon as she saw the second bag of gold. "A wish for the one who needs it most."

"Well, I am sure," said she, "I know of no one who needs it more than myself; for how can I live in a hut of a house with all my fine things?"

So she wished for gold to build a house as grand as the house where the King and Queen lived. And the words were scarcely spoken when, clink, clank,  down came a third bag of gold, as large and heavy as the other two put together.

"The Prince himself may ask me to marry him, when he sees me in my bonny clothes, riding in my fine chariot, away from my grand house," said the maid; and she caught hold of the bags to run away home with them.

But the smallest of them was heavier than she could lift, though she tried with all the strength that was in her. And—do ye believe it?—as she was pulling and tugging and striving and toiling to carry them away, she pushed the bags over the brink! Clink, clank,  they went to the bottom of the well, and there they still lie, so it is said.

"It is all because of that wicked bird," said the maid, fairly crying with vexation; and she ran through the woods with so little heed that she missed her way and did not get home till the peep of dawn.

Now the second maid started to the well a little later than the first, but still so early that she had to take her supper, which was a slice of fresh bread, in her hand. And as she was hurrying through the woods, a little bird on a hazel-bush said to her, said he:

"If ye'll share your bread with me, I'm the one that will tell ye all about the wishing at the wishing-well."

The maid was glad to share her bread with him.

"It's little to pay to learn so much," said she. And she broke the bread and gave the larger part to the bird.

Whereupon the bird said, said he:

"One wish for your best loved, one wish for the one who needs it most, one wish for yourself—three wishes all told—will get for ye the fairy gold."

The maid was right pleased with what she heard and when she came to the well she said to herself:

"A wish for my best loved. That's Mother," she said, "and it's new clothes she's needing this very day."

So she sat on the well's brink and wished for gold to buy her mother new clothes from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. "A bonnet, a shawl, a dress, and new shoes," said she. And—do ye believe it?—the wish had scarcely left the tip of her tongue when, clink, clank,  down upon the well's brink came a bag filled with more gold than she had ever laid eyes on before.

"Oh," said the maid, clapping her hands with delight at the sight of it, "it's a proud woman my mother will be this night!" And she would have run away home with her good news if it had not been for the second wish—"A wish for the one that needs it most."

"And who could that be but the old shoemaker, poor body, with his feet so twisted with rheumatism that he cannot get to the church on a Sunday," said she. "He must have something to ride in."

So she wished for gold to buy the shoemaker a coach and horses as fine as the King's own.

And the wish had scarcely left her lips when, clink,  clank,  down came a bag of gold larger and heavier than the first.

"Oh," cried the maid, when she saw it, "my heart is jumping out of my body for joy!" And she was so eager to be off with her good news that she was near to forgetting the last wish—a wish for herself. " 'Tis a shame to ask for more," said she; but because of what the bird and the wise folks had told her, she wished again:

"A wee bit of gold to buy slippers to dance in at the Prince's wedding, when he gets himself a wife," said she, laughing so hard at the thought of it that her laughter rang in the bottom of the well. And she had not done laughing when, clink, clank,  down came a third bag of gold larger and heavier than the other two put together.

It was a puzzle how to get them all home, for the smallest was too heavy for her to lift. But—do ye believe it?—before she had time to lay a finger to the bags, with a whisk-about, whirl-about, all the fairy folk stood around her.

"By your leave," said they; and picking up the bags as if they were filled with nothing but feathers; they flew away to the maid's home with them.

Picking up the bags, they flew away to the maid's home with them.

"It's all because of that bonny bird," said the maid, following after them with her cheeks as red as roses and her eyes as bright as the stars.

And on the way she met the Prince, who was so pleased with her happy looks that he asked her to marry him. And marry him she did, with slippers on her feet that were bought with fairy gold, so it is said.