Wish 804203 220619938 2008-06-20T19:08:46Z 82.245.40.176 [[Image:I samma ögonblick var hon förvandlad till en underskön liten älva.jpg|thumb|right|A [[fairy]] offering wishes, illustration by [[John Bauer]] to Alfred Smedberg's ''The seven wishes'']] {{otheruses}} A '''wish''' is a hope or desire for something. Fictionally, wishes can be used as [[plot device]]s. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. == In literature == In [[fiction]] a wish is a [[supernatural]] demand placed on the recipient's unlimited request. When it is the center of a tale, the wish is usually a template for a [[morality tale]], "be careful what you wish for"; it can also be a small part of a tale, in which case it is often used as a [[plot device]]. A template for fictional wishes could be ''[[The Book of One Thousand and One Nights]]'', specifically the tale of [[Aladdin]], although in the tale of Aladdin the actual wishes were only part of the tale. Also, Aladdin's demands, while outrageous, were mainly variations on wealth (which is still often taken as the most common request). Classically the wish provider is often a spirit, [[Genie|jinni]] or similar entity, bound or constrained within a commonplace object (Aladdin's [[oil lamp]] for example) or a container closed with [[Solomon]]'s seal. Releasing the entity from its constraint, usually by some simple action, allows the object's possessor to make a wish. The subservience of the extraordinarily powerful entity to the wisher can be explained in several ways. The entity may be grateful to be free of its constraint and the wish is a thank-you gift. The entity may be bound to obedience by its prison or some other item that the wisher possesses. The entity may, by its nature, be unable to exercise its powers without an initiator. Other wish providers are a wide variety of, more or less, inanimate objects. W.W. Jacob's [[The Monkey's Paw|Monkey's Paw]] is an example of this. [[Piers Anthony]] puts a spin on this idea in ''[[Castle Roogna]]'': a magic ring claims to grant wishes and then claims credit when a wish comes true, apparently from the unaided efforts of the characters&mdash;but every wish made on the ring sooner or later comes true.<ref>John Grant and John Clute, ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', "Rings", p 813 ISBN 0-312-19869-8</ref> Some wishes appear to be granted by nothing in particular. [[Snow White]]'s mother's wish for a beautiful child might have been a coincidence,<ref>Maria Tatar, ''The Annotated Brothers Grimm'', p 243 W. W. Norton & company, London, New York, 2004 ISBN 0-393-05848-4</ref> but the father's wish in ''[[The Seven Ravens]]'' [[Shapeshifting#Ill-advised wishes|transforms]] his sons into ravens,<ref>Maria Tatar, ''The Annotated Brothers Grimm'', p 136 W. W. Norton & company, London, New York, 2004 ISBN 0-393-05848-4</ref> just as the mother's wish in ''[[The Raven (Brothers Grimm)|The Raven]]'' transforms her daughter. This is common in a tale involving a person, male or female, wishing for a child, even one that is [[Hans My Hedgehog|a hedgehog]], or [[The Myrtle|a sprig of myrtle]], or no bigger than [[The Hazel-nut Child|a hazel nut]]. The number of wishes granted varies. Aladdin had an unlimited number. As in the [[Charles Perrault]] tale ''[[The Ridiculous Wishes]]'', three is the most common,<ref>Maria Tatar, ''The Annotated Brothers Grimm'', p 166 W. W. Norton & company, London, New York, 2004 ISBN 0-393-05848-4</ref> but others may be granted to fit the constraints of the tale. Several authors have spun variations of the wish for more wishes theme, though some disallow this as cheating. In many stories the ''wording'' of the wish is extremely important. For example, characters often say, "I wish I was wealthy." This wording could be taken literally, the wish granted so that at one time the wisher was (used to be) wealthy but is not any more. Saying, "I wish to be wealthy", then because "to be" refers to either the present or the future, they would become wealthy. A common problem is the granter of the wish being either [[Quibble (plot device)|extremely literal]] or through malice granting the request in a manner designed to cause maximum distress (such as a request for wealth being granted through inheritance/insurance on the death of a loved one). Certain authors have also tried an "always on" approach: the careless use of the word "wish" in everyday conversation having, often unpleasant, consequences. == In practice == Some cultures have customs in which people are encouraged to "make a wish", such as blowing out the candles on a [[birthday cake]], tossing a coin into a [[wishing well]] or [[fountain]], or breaking the [[wishbone]] of a cooked [[turkey (bird)|turkey]]. Even though such wishes are not magically granted, the act of formulating a wish can be beneficial. The wisher has an opportunity to identify what they most desire of all the things in the world. Often, wishing is a time for first becoming aware of a previously-unarticulated hope. Once identified, these hopes can become personal goals. ==See also== {{wiktionary}} *[[Facing the wishes]] *[[Kids wish network]] *[[Three wishes joke]] *[[Wishful thinking]] ==References== <div class="references-small"><references /></div> [[Category:Fiction by topic]] [[Category:Superstitions]] [[de:Wunsch]] [[ru:Желание]] [[sr:Жеља]] [[fr:Souhait]]