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and sticks so fast to the tip of the poor wife’s nose, that it defied all their efforts to take it off.
“ Wretch that I am!” cried the wife, “you are a wicked man for wishing the pudding fast to the tip of your poor wife’s nose.”
“ My dearest wife,” answered the husband, “ I did not take the least thought of what I was say- ing. But what shall wo do ? I am about wishing for vast riches, and purpose to make a golden case to hide the pudding.”
“ Not at all,” answered the wife, in great grief, “ for I would kill myself were I to live with this pudding dangling at my nose. Be persuaded, we . have still a wish to make—leave it to me, or I shall go away just now, and throw myself out at the window.”
With this she ran and opened the window, but the husband, who really loved his pretty wife, called out, “ Hold my dear wife, I give you leave to wish for any thing you like.”
“ Well,” said the wife, “ my wish is, that this pudding may drop off.”
At that instant the pudding dropped off; and the wife, who did not want wit, said to her hus- band,—
“ You see the fairy has imposed upon us ; she was in the right: possibly we should have been more unhappy with riches than we are at present. Believe me, friend, let us wish for nothing, and take things as it shall please God to send them ; in the meantime let us sup upon our pudding, since that is all that remains to us of our wishes.”
The husband thought his wife judged right; they supped merrily, and never gave themselves farther trouble about the things they had designed to wish for. |
