an elf “, the man said. “And because you have been so kind I want to give you a wish.”

Now Jim’s mother had told him tales of elves and their wishes and how they always backfired so he told the elf “ Thank you! But I have to decline.I am afraid of you wish”.

The elf said “ I understand. So I am willing to give you three wishes. If something goes wrong with the first you can fix it with the second.

Jim thought about that and then decided to accept the offer.

He wished with his first wish that Beverly would stop bowling and stay home with her family.

“As you have asked. So shall it be” the elf said.

The next day Beverly screamed when she put her feet on the floor. The pain was so great . She screamed again when she went to move her arm. Jim helped her up and drove her to the clinic. There the doctor made the usual  tests.

“She has the worst arthritis I have ever seen” the doctor said. He gave them some pills for the pain. But they didn’t help much.

Poor Jim he had his wife home but because he loved her he hurt as much as she did. Life was no longer paradise.

Of course he has the other two wishes but those are another elf tale.