The Three Wishes and the Hidden Light -Shohag Hossain

It was a quiet evening in the small town of Polashpur. The sky glowed with orange and purple as the sun set. A boy named Samir was walking back from the library, his bag heavy with books. He loved reading more than anything else, especially about adventures and mysteries.

On his way home, Samir found something odd lying beside the old fountain at the edge of the town. It looked like a dusty brass lamp. Curious, he picked it up and rubbed it with his sleeve to see if any design was carved on it.

Suddenly—POOOF!—a swirl of blue smoke shot out, and before Samir’s astonished eyes stood a towering figure with glowing eyes, dressed in shimmering robes.

“I am Jinn of the Ancient Lamp,” the voice boomed like thunder. “You have freed me, boy. As my master, you shall have three wishes. Speak, and it shall be granted!”

Samir’s heart pounded. All those fairy tales had come true. Three wishes! Anything he wanted. Gold, palaces, endless video games, maybe even flying!

But then he remembered something his grandmother always told him: “The best treasure is not what you keep in your hand, but what you plant in people’s hearts.”

Samir looked at the Jinn carefully. “So… I can wish for anything?”

“Anything,” the Jinn replied with a smirk.

The First Wish
Samir thought hard. Then he said, “My first wish… I want the hungry children in my town to have enough food every day.”

The Jinn’s eyes flickered in surprise. With a clap of his hand, food stalls appeared all around Polashpur. Fruits, bread, milk, rice—no child went to bed hungry that night. Laughter filled the streets.

The Jinn grumbled, “Strange boy. You could’ve had gold, but you asked for bread for others.”

Samir smiled. “Gold disappears. A full stomach gives life.”

The Second Wish

The Jinn folded his arms. “Your second wish?”

Samir thought again. He remembered how often people in Polashpur quarreled and neighbors shouted, and friends turned against each other. He whispered softly, “I wish people in my town could forgive more and fight less.”

The Jinn sighed. “You are an odd master. Very well.” He snapped his fingers, and a strange calm spread across Polashpur. That week, neighbors apologized to each other, children stopped fighting in the playground, and even the shopkeeper returned a coin he had accidentally kept.

The Jinn tilted his head. “This is no fun. Why do you waste wishes on others?”

Samir answered, “Because when others are happy, I am happy too.”

The Third Wish
Now only one wish remained. Samir could have anything. His mind swirled with possibilities. The Jinn leaned closer, expecting the boy to finally ask for riches or power.

Samir closed his eyes, remembering another of his grandmother’s sayings: “The real crown is a heart that fears doing wrong, even when no one is watching.”

Then he said firmly, “For my last wish, I want to always remember right from wrong, even if it’s hard, even if no one sees me.”

The Jinn’s glowing eyes widened. For the first time, he bowed. “You are wiser than many kings, boy. Most ask for wealth. Few ask for wisdom. Your wish is beyond my power, but I can open a light inside you. It will guide you every time you face a choice.”

The Jinn touched Samir’s forehead. A warmth filled his heart, as if a lantern had been lit inside.

The Vanishing Jinn
The Jinn looked at him one last time. “Remember, young one, that true greatness is not in palaces or treasures, but in kindness, forgiveness, and the courage to choose what is right. You asked for the best wish of all. My duty here is done.”

With a swirl of smoke, he was gone.

Samir stood by the fountain, the lamp now empty in his hand. He smiled. Somehow, he felt stronger, clearer, and more alive. That night, as he looked up at the stars, he whispered, “The best wishes are the ones that make us better, not richer.”

Moral of the Story
The story of Samir teaches us:

Feeding the hungry is better than hoarding riches.

Forgiveness and peace heal more than anger.

Wisdom and conscience are the greatest treasures one can ever ask for.

And though no one else could see it, the light in Samir’s heart never faded, guiding him to grow into a man respected and loved in his town, not because he had wealth, but because he had goodness.