This quote from Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim neatly summarizes the Buddha's Four Noble Truths:...That's the problem with wishes, they ensnare you. In Fairy Tales they're nothing but trouble, magnifying the greed and vanity of the person for whom they are granted. One's best bet - and the moral to all those stories - is to be unselfish and make your wish for the benefit of others, trusting that their happiness will make you happy as well. It's a nice idea but would definitely take some getting used to.
[photo by me, hollywood, 2008]
