The Wishing Star’s Dilemma
Tala had granted countless wishes, her light shining brightly with pride in the vast night sky. Her home was the heavens, and every evening, people would look up at her and whisper their desires.
“Please, help me buy a car.”
“Please, I want to marry.”
“Please, I need to pass my exams.”
“Please, I need some money.”
Each wish was granted, one by one, set in motion by Tala’s magic. At first, she loved seeing the joy her light brought. But soon, the same voices returned with new requests:
“Please, help me buy a bigger car.”
“Please, I want to have children.”
“Please, I need to pass my job interview.”
“Please, I need more money.”
The endless, growing list began to weigh on her. The people were never satisfied. They whispered wish after wish, never once pausing to say thank you or appreciate what they already had.
Tala grew weary. Her glow dimmed, and her once-sparkling light faded into the background of the sky. She looked around at the other wishing stars; they continued to twinkle, dutifully granting wishes. But Tala couldn’t do it anymore. Something in her heart had changed.
One quiet evening, she made a wish of her own.
“Please,” she whispered into the vast darkness, “let me help someone with a truly selfless wish.”
And so, Tala waited. Night after night, she listened, but the selfish wishes kept coming. She started to think that her wish would never be fulfilled. Until one particularly dark and cold evening, a small, trembling voice reached her.
“I wish my mom didn’t have to work so hard and could have time to rest.”
Tala’s dim light flickered for the first time in what felt like ages. This wish wasn’t for riches or power—it was a wish born of love. She felt her light reignite, burning brighter than ever as she set to work.
The boy’s mother soon found herself offered a new job—one that paid her fairly and allowed her to spend precious time with her son. Though the boy never knew it was because of his wish, he noticed her smile growing wider each day.
Tala beamed with pride, her light once again sparkling in the night sky. She realized that while selfish wishes were plenty, a single selfless wish had the power to light up the universe.