In a small town, hidden deep in the trees of the jungle, was an honest young man named Elias. He liked to build things and was very good at it. He built a table, a stool, and even a small bed for himself. The bed was filled with hay, and sometimes Elias would make a small stack of hay as a pillow.
Elias also built his own cottage. It was technically a wooden box with holes. The holes were the windows. Elias wanted window plates, but he was too poor to buy them. He made a living by making furniture and building small homes for people. Still, he barely earned any money.
One morning, Elias was counting his money when two of the king’s guards came by his house. They poked their heads through the window and called, “Hey, hey, you Elias! Get out here right now, the king calls you for a big task!”
But Elias didn’t budge. He stayed glued to the floor, still counting his money and ignoring the guards. “Or else we will barge into your little house and pull you out!” they threatened, “Or should we call King Ezra here himself to get you? Oh boy, that would be amazing!”
Elias stayed still. Finally, he let out a sigh. He turned around and faced the guards from his window. “What’s wrong with not coming?” he asked, “I’m not gonna build a dumb palace for the king!
“How does he know about that?” one of the guards whispered.
“Because you’re not as secretive as you think,”Elias answered.
He turned back to his work. “So long, suckers.”
He took his ax and walked towards the jungle. The guards followed him, but he didn’t notice. He went straight to a tree and right when he was about to swing his ax, the guards seized him. “Not so fast,” they said.
Elias frowned. “At least let me keep my ax!” he cried.
“Of course, that’s what we need.”
Elias frowned again. The last thing he wanted to do was build a castle for the king. He grumbled all the way to the king’s large house, the only large house in the whole town. And of course, Elias was the one who built it. Suddenly, he realized that he was inside the king’s house. He bowed, but on the inside, he didn’t mean it at all. He felt like making the king fall inside a hole.
“So Elias, I need you to make a larger home for me. It’s shaped like a formal palace. I need you to make a meeting room, bedroom, dining room, and all the things you need in a house, ” King Ezra explained. ” Do you understand?”
Elias didn’t understand at all. “I think that all you need in a proper house is a bed, table, and chair.”
The king snorted. “Huh. You’re just a poor person but I’m rich. You dare say that to your king?”
“I was just saying, sir,” Elias answered, “and you have no right to make fun of me.”
“I wasn’t, ” the king protested.
“If you’re so rich, why don’t you just buy yourself a palace?”
“Do not anger the king, ” a guard said.
“Fine, fine, fine, “Elias agreed. “I’ll build the palace for you. What’s my payment?”
The king thought for a while. “Hmm…” he replied, ” It’ll be 40 pounds of gold. I might even make you a royal subject after that.”
Elias wasn’t happy, but he wanted the money. King Ezra studied his face and added, “And we’ll give you as much money as you need while you make the palace.”
Elias nodded. He received 40 pounds of gold first to buy supplies. Elias went to a building store and bought a small wagon with the gold. He then bought 250 bricks and loaded them onto the wagon. Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of his tracks and dropped the handles of the wagon. Why did I even agree to this in the first place? he thought. Why should I do this? This is so dumb! I should have never agreed to this! Why does everyone need me to build a house for them? I’m fed up. If I build a palace for the king, won’t other kings also want me to make something for them? Oh-no!
Elias continued walking. But somehow, he was determined to finish a job he hated.
At night, the whole town was quiet and asleep. Scrape… Scrape… It was Elias. He was building the palace for King Ezra. Soon, he got tired and gave up. Something shimmered in front of him. It was a fairy! “Hello, Elias,” the fairy said. ” I’m Sophie. I want to help you. I can read minds, and yours feels the saddest. I decided to come to you.”
“Thank you, ” Elias replied. ” But how will you help me? You’re so small!”
“I’ll grant you three wishes, of course! You can use them anytime you want. Whatever you say will come true!”
Because of this, Elias became greedy. On the first day, he wished for everlasting food and drinks. He promised himself to only use one wish each day. But when he couldn’t hold it, he wished for everlasting bricks. And when he was in bed at midnight, he wished that he would become wealthy. Then, all his wishes were gone. He dreamed of Sophie scolding him for using his wishes up that night. He felt horrible.
The next day, Elias wore wealthy robes and worked in the mud. It felt disgusting. This way, he didn’t make any progress. He felt incredibly sad. He called Sophie over. “Can you help me one last time?” he begged. “I learned my lesson.”
“Fine,” she answered. ” but I won’t help you anymore. I know what kind of person you are now.”
“That’s wrong,” Elias answered. “I wanna show you the real me now.”
Sophie was quiet for a moment, deep in thought until she finally understood that Elias meant it. “Your wish is ready, ” she replied. ” Good-bye and good luck!”
“Thank you,” Elias called back.
Then the fairy disappeared. “I wish that I am myself again!” he declared.
After many many months, Elias finally finished the king’s palace. It looked just like a palace except that it had no decorations. ” It looks so sad,” the king remarked, “I bet the inside will be even more boring.”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover!” Elias reminded him.
When King Ezra returned he smiled and said, “It’s perfect! I will turn you into a royal subject! And you earned 40 pounds of gold for yourself!”
Then, Elias lived happily ever after!
Elias also built his own cottage. It was technically a wooden box with holes. The holes were the windows. Elias wanted window plates, but he was too poor to buy them. He made a living by making furniture and building small homes for people. Still, he barely earned any money.
One morning, Elias was counting his money when two of the king’s guards came by his house. They poked their heads through the window and called, “Hey, hey, you Elias! Get out here right now, the king calls you for a big task!”
But Elias didn’t budge. He stayed glued to the floor, still counting his money and ignoring the guards. “Or else we will barge into your little house and pull you out!” they threatened, “Or should we call King Ezra here himself to get you? Oh boy, that would be amazing!”
Elias stayed still. Finally, he let out a sigh. He turned around and faced the guards from his window. “What’s wrong with not coming?” he asked, “I’m not gonna build a dumb palace for the king!
“How does he know about that?” one of the guards whispered.
“Because you’re not as secretive as you think,”Elias answered.
He turned back to his work. “So long, suckers.”
He took his ax and walked towards the jungle. The guards followed him, but he didn’t notice. He went straight to a tree and right when he was about to swing his ax, the guards seized him. “Not so fast,” they said.
Elias frowned. “At least let me keep my ax!” he cried.
“Of course, that’s what we need.”
Elias frowned again. The last thing he wanted to do was build a castle for the king. He grumbled all the way to the king’s large house, the only large house in the whole town. And of course, Elias was the one who built it. Suddenly, he realized that he was inside the king’s house. He bowed, but on the inside, he didn’t mean it at all. He felt like making the king fall inside a hole.
“So Elias, I need you to make a larger home for me. It’s shaped like a formal palace. I need you to make a meeting room, bedroom, dining room, and all the things you need in a house, ” King Ezra explained. ” Do you understand?”
Elias didn’t understand at all. “I think that all you need in a proper house is a bed, table, and chair.”
The king snorted. “Huh. You’re just a poor person but I’m rich. You dare say that to your king?”
“I was just saying, sir,” Elias answered, “and you have no right to make fun of me.”
“I wasn’t, ” the king protested.
“If you’re so rich, why don’t you just buy yourself a palace?”
“Do not anger the king, ” a guard said.
“Fine, fine, fine, “Elias agreed. “I’ll build the palace for you. What’s my payment?”
The king thought for a while. “Hmm…” he replied, ” It’ll be 40 pounds of gold. I might even make you a royal subject after that.”
Elias wasn’t happy, but he wanted the money. King Ezra studied his face and added, “And we’ll give you as much money as you need while you make the palace.”
Elias nodded. He received 40 pounds of gold first to buy supplies. Elias went to a building store and bought a small wagon with the gold. He then bought 250 bricks and loaded them onto the wagon. Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of his tracks and dropped the handles of the wagon. Why did I even agree to this in the first place? he thought. Why should I do this? This is so dumb! I should have never agreed to this! Why does everyone need me to build a house for them? I’m fed up. If I build a palace for the king, won’t other kings also want me to make something for them? Oh-no!
Elias continued walking. But somehow, he was determined to finish a job he hated.
At night, the whole town was quiet and asleep. Scrape… Scrape… It was Elias. He was building the palace for King Ezra. Soon, he got tired and gave up. Something shimmered in front of him. It was a fairy! “Hello, Elias,” the fairy said. ” I’m Sophie. I want to help you. I can read minds, and yours feels the saddest. I decided to come to you.”
“Thank you, ” Elias replied. ” But how will you help me? You’re so small!”
“I’ll grant you three wishes, of course! You can use them anytime you want. Whatever you say will come true!”
Because of this, Elias became greedy. On the first day, he wished for everlasting food and drinks. He promised himself to only use one wish each day. But when he couldn’t hold it, he wished for everlasting bricks. And when he was in bed at midnight, he wished that he would become wealthy. Then, all his wishes were gone. He dreamed of Sophie scolding him for using his wishes up that night. He felt horrible.
The next day, Elias wore wealthy robes and worked in the mud. It felt disgusting. This way, he didn’t make any progress. He felt incredibly sad. He called Sophie over. “Can you help me one last time?” he begged. “I learned my lesson.”
“Fine,” she answered. ” but I won’t help you anymore. I know what kind of person you are now.”
“That’s wrong,” Elias answered. “I wanna show you the real me now.”
Sophie was quiet for a moment, deep in thought until she finally understood that Elias meant it. “Your wish is ready, ” she replied. ” Good-bye and good luck!”
“Thank you,” Elias called back.
Then the fairy disappeared. “I wish that I am myself again!” he declared.
After many many months, Elias finally finished the king’s palace. It looked just like a palace except that it had no decorations. ” It looks so sad,” the king remarked, “I bet the inside will be even more boring.”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover!” Elias reminded him.
When King Ezra returned he smiled and said, “It’s perfect! I will turn you into a royal subject! And you earned 40 pounds of gold for yourself!”
Then, Elias lived happily ever after!