There was a woman who wanted a Le Creuset pot. She couldn't afford a new one so she toured the junk shops and garage sales of her town. She didn't find anything. It was months before she did find one. It was at Goodwill. It was a really big one and it had many chips and one hairline crack and it was blue and she wanted orange.
``No thanks,'' she said.
Then she saw the Revere Ware casserole. Stainless steel with a copper base.
``Yes!'' she said.
She took it home and cleaned it. It had been pretty ugly. The copper brown, the steel covered with burned on food. It took a whole evening to restore the pot to shining elegance again. It was very fine. As she gave it one final polish, the lid pushed up on its own and a genie slipped out. It looked a lot like cigarette smoke except that it didn't disperse.
``What in the world?''
``Hi! I'm your genie. I'm here to grant three wishes.''
``Three wishes?''
``Right. Three wishes. You know. You've read the stories...''
``Yea, but...''
``Yea but nothing. OK I'm not in a brass lamp, I'm in a Revere Ware pot - can I help that?''
``Well no - I mean I didn't mean to...er...''
``Whatever,'' the genie said, ``what's your first wish?''
The woman thought that if she had a million dollars she could fix up her house, take a trip and buy an entire set of Le Creuset ware.
``A million bucks,'' she said.
``Its in your account,'' said the genie.
And it was. First thing she did was pay off the house, then fix it up. New roof new wiring new plumbing foundation repair landscaping painting new kitchen...
Then she saw the For Sale sign by the house with the big gates - it had stables and a horse barn. Five acre paddock. Five bed five bath pool mother in law house...2.5 million.
A long forgotten dream of owning horses resurfaced. When they had an Open House she toured the place.
``It's like coming home,'' she said.
She could see herself so easily in the sumptuous kitchen, the peaceful, elegant living room.
``I could live here,'' she said.
It would be nice to share it with someone but that could happen couldn't it?
``Three wishes?'' she asked the genie when she got home.
``Three wishes,'' the genie replied.
``I need more money.''
``How much?''
``Five million.''
``Its in your account.''
She bought the house. She sold her old house. She took a long trip around the world and gave up her job. She bought three beautiful Arabian horses and she filled her new home with furniture which she suspected looked somewhat inept, but what the hell. She bought an entire set of Le Creuset ware.
Then she hired people to take care of it all. Then she paid taxes. Then she ran out of money.
This time when she rubbed up the genie she asked for all the money she could ever need.
``Done,'' said the genie and disappeared for ever. The woman began to acquire friends. She became a skilled horseman. She wondered at her amazing luck. She was happy.
Then she got cancer. Prognosis not good.
She sat on the sofa in her beautiful home and cursed quietly.
``If I'd just thought before I wished,'' she said.
``If I'd just thought I'd have wished for all the money I needed, good health all my life and a man to love me all my days - then I'd be set. Oh, well...'' She got out the Revere pot and sadly sat polishing it, but nothing happened. Then she took the pot and went in the kitchen and made vegetable soup in it.
She sat on the sofa and watched TV and ate the soup. It was so good. The warmth of it comforted her.