Wishing well

On the bus yesterday, my elder daughter and I had this conversation.

She: I want to go to Africa.

Me: That's a very interesting thing to want. There would be so many things to see and do, and it's so big, an entire continent. That's a good wish to have -- you can add it to your wish list.

She: Oh, no, I can't have more wishes.

Me: Sure you can. Why do you think you can't have more wishes?

She: You can only have three.

Me: Why is that?

She: That's how many wishes you can make at the wishing well at the library.

Me: Oh, I see... Can't you just have other wishes that aren't in the wishing well.

She: No.

Me: Hmmm. If you had another wishing well, could you make more wishes there?

She: Well, umm, no,...uh, well, I guess so. I think you can.

Me: So if we had a different wishing well, you could add more wishes? Can you make wishes into a fish tank?

She: Sure.

Me: How about if we had another little fish jar at home, like we have Dorothy in? Could you make wishes there?

She: Then there'd be another fish in there. We don't want to do that.

Me: No, no. There doesn't have to be a fish in it -- they come separately, you know. The bowl Dorothy is in, we had that at home already, and I brought Dorothy home and added her into it.

She: But I'd need another penny. I can't wish without a penny.

Me: Oh. [pause] What if you had another penny, could you add more wishes?

She: Yes.

Me: And if you had more pennies? make more wishes?

She: Sure.

Me: Maybe that's the way to go.


By then, I'd forgotten that this had begun with a wish to go to Africa.