In her fairy tale “Christmas Wishes,” Louise Chollet follows three princes as each presents one wish to Santa Claus. However, Chollet shows that getting everything one wishes isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
Wishes Made
It’s Christmas Day. King Nutcracker and everyone else in the castle have been preparing for the arrival of Santa Claus for weeks. Santa promised to grant one wish for each of the king’s three sons; such an opportunity can’t be passed by and must be celebrated with all due ceremony.
Despite all the jolly, holly-filled preparations for his coming, Santa arrives unnoticed and looking rather unhappy. He tells the princes that he’d rather shut them up in an iceberg than give them each a wish, but he can’t go back on his promise.
Prince Pepin, the youngest steps forward and announces, “A prince should always have his own way. … There is no end to my annoyances, and I want to regulate these things myself.” Santa sadly acquiesces but adds the condition that Pepin will only retain his wish “while [he] remain[s] a prince.”
After Santa finishes with Pepin, the eldest, Prince Nutcracker, hurries forward and asks for the luck-penny, since whoever owns such a penny will continually make more and more money. Santa grants the wish but provides one caveat: “By continual use, the luck-penny by and by will look larger to you than anything else.” Prince Nutcracker accepts regardless.
Finally, middle son, Prince Buttons, steps forward and wishes “to marry the shoemaker’s sweet daughter, and that the spirit of Christmas might live in their house the year round.” Santa is overjoyed at this wish and shakes Buttons’s hand. However, King Nutcracker grows furious with Buttons for such a silly wish and banishes him from his sight.
Wishes Granted
Prince Pepin’s wish immediately begins causing trouble. If he doesn’t want the sun to be up, he wishes it to set, plunging the whole kingdom into darkness. If he wants the day to last, he wishes the sun to stay up, making everyone in the kingdom who is tired endure the light. While playing with his toys, he even reverses the laws of gravity because he grows irritated that his toys continually fall to the ground.
The people of the kingdom refuse to be subject to the whims of young Pepin and finally rebel. They overthrow the king and queen, thus nullifying Pepin’s wish.
Because his parents no longer rule, the now-deposed Prince Nutcracker escapes the angry people. Since he still has his luck-penny, he sets up a shop in town and becomes very rich. Although he has an abundance of money, he refuses to share it with his family.
Nutcracker eventually becomes so consumed by his desire for wealth that Santa’s caveat comes true, and Nutcracker turns into a copper coin. This copper coin eventually ends up in Buttons’s pocket, allowing Nutcracker to witness his brother’s poor life.
Nutcracker notices that, although Buttons has little money and few comforts, he and his family have something that Nutcracker never had. As he witnesses Buttons’s jolly Christmas Day with his family, Nutcracker (still a copper coin) wracks his brain to figure out what Buttons has that he didn’t.
Through this story, children will learn that getting everything you want, whether comfort, wealth, or toys, won’t bring complete joy or contentment. Only a grateful heart, wonder-filled eyes, and a Christmas spirit can bring lasting joy and happiness, for such a spirit sees gold in the trees and joy in everything.
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to features@epochtimes.nyc
