There lived a common boy who was very lonely, and he dreamt of more wonderful things in his life than he already knew.
One day he came upon a sparkling coin on the road and, having lost all hope, he wished to the coin for a beautiful bride to call his own, and that night he slept with the coin beneath his pillow.
The next day he found the coin had become merely shiny, but he soon came upon a beautiful maiden, and the two fell in love and were married.
The beautiful maiden however lived with many hardships, and she dreamt of more wonderful things in her life than she already knew. So, she begged her husband for a place for them to live where they could be away from their troubles.
The boy, who was now a man, wished upon his coin a second time and slept that night with it under his pillow.
The next day he found the coin had become somewhat faded, but the couple soon left their family's home and found a village far away where they lived in quiet contentment. The man took on much responsibility in their new home, and the village grew to a kingdom and the couple to its king and queen.
All was well in the kingdom but the couple desired a son to take their place one day. And so the king wished upon his coin again for a son with whom he could trust his kingdom, and that night he slept with the coin under his pillow.
The next day he found the coin had become dull and lifeless, but his wife soon announced that she was pregnant and in time gave birth to a perfect baby boy.
The king was overjoyed and wanted all the success for his new son that had been granted him. He wished this upon his coin and slept with it beneath his pillow.
The next day he found the coin had grown slightly brighter, but the king himself grew discontent and was so consumed in his wishing that he ignored the cries of his baby son and the queen soon became very unhappy. She begged the king to be with them and share in their joy, but he would not.
In time the boy grew to be a man and went to find a bride to call his own. The king wished for his son to find a beautiful bride as he had and he slept with the coin beneath his pillow.
The next day he found the coin shiny once again, but the king now found himself locked within a terrible curse and was so consumed in his wishing that he did not even realize that his son had found his bride. Although she was common, the son and she were happy together and they were much in love. Again, the son and his mother called to the king to share in the joy but he would not come.
By now the family realized that a curse had befallen the king, who had locked himself away in the castle's tallest tower. The kingdom fell steadily into decline and the son told his now very unhappy mother that his bride and he were leaving to find a happier land to start their family.
The son and his bride found their place, a common village in a neighboring kingdom where they could live happy and quiet lives. Eventually the couple gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, but the boy was saddened that his son would never know his grandfather and so, one day, he ventured back to his father's kingdom.
By now the kingdom had fallen to ruin, and the queen had become utterly broken in the loss of their kingdom and her husband to his curse. The son went to his father and pleaded to him to shrug off his curse and return to his wife and kingdom. It was then that the king gave the coin to his son and told him of its magic. The king explained that as he wished upon it for his son's success that the coin grew brighter and brighter.
The son was appalled at this discovery and told his father, "I was raised in a joyless home because you would not come to me as I cried and so when I grew up I found a bride with whom I could be happy for the rest of my days."
The King tried to tell his son how his wishing had put the magic back into the coin, but the son would not hear it and said, "This kingdom in its eternal gloom was not a fit place to raise a family, and so we found a land far away where we are happy."
The King begged his son to return home and told him how this magical coin could restore the kingdom and their family, but the son would not hear it and said "I came to find the secret of your success and teach it my own son but now I realize that this coin has cursed you and I will not let that curse befall my family." and the son took the coin and threw it away.
With that the curse upon his father was broken, but the king was also disheartened with the loss of his life's work. He told his son, "I wished for you a beautiful bride, and yet you found a common wife – but I kept wishing. I wished for you to inherit my kingdom, and yet you left to live in another land – but I kept wishing. Now with the coin's magic nearly restored I could have wished for your child's success, but now you have thrown my wishes away."
The son took his father in his arms and said, "No coin gave you your success, and no coin will bring it to me. You could have taught me your success as I grew older and instead you wished upon that coin that I be successful. You could have shared in my joy with my new bride but instead you wished upon that coin that she were more proper, and so I left your house in search of a happier one. Now I would return to you and restore your kingdom to its former glory, but I will not take my wife away from her home and I will not raise my son as the prince of my kingdom. Leave this place and come live with us and share in our happiness."
The king told his son that he could not abandon his kingdom, but the queen wished to be with her new grandson and so she left to live with them. The boy grew up in a house of joy and love and in time left his family to find his own path in life, and always remembered his father's teachings to avoid wishing upon frivolous things and instead find his success within himself. With their son gone the family returned to the King and found that, true to his word, he had restored the kingdom to its former glory. The son took his place as prince and heir to the kingdom and the King said, "Look what I can give you because you threw away that coin and lifted my curse. Thank you."
-By Jim Albert, 2004