The Parable of the Envious Neighbour (Two Wishes)

The Parable of the Envious Neighbour, also known as Two Wishes, is sometimes attributed to Aesop, though its origins may be from a different source. This version was written by Juan Artola Miranda.

There were once two neighbours, one driven by greed and the other consumed by envy. One day, they chanced upon a magical being who decided to grant each of them a wish, but with a twist: whatever one man wished for, the other would receive twice as much.

The greedy man, eager to take advantage of the situation, thought long and hard about what he desired most. However, he couldn’t bear the thought of his envious neighbour receiving twice the riches, so he hesitated to make his wish.

The envious man, realizing he could use the situation to his advantage, quickly made his wish. He asked the magical being to pluck out one of his eyes.

This reminds me of another fable, of a milkmaid and her pail.

Juan Artola Miranda

I am Juan Artola Miranda, a fabulist living in the Mexican Caribbean. My friends know me by the name of my father's father, but that name grew into something bigger, my writing reaching tens of millions of readers. It was too strong for me to control. Artola Miranda is the name of my mother's mother. It's a better name for a fabulist.