Excerpts from "A Hat Full of Sky" by Terry Pratchett

The Third Wish

"Quick, Annagramma! What's the third wish? Quickly! When you get three wishes, what's the third wish?"
Annagramma's face screwed up into the affronted frown she wore when something had the nerve not to be understandable. "But why do-?"
"Don’t think about it, please! Just answere!"
"Well, er. . . it could be anything. . . being invisible or . . or blond, or anything-" Annagramma burbled, her mind coming apart at the seems.
Tiffany shook her head and let her go. She ran to an old witch who was staring at the commotion.
"Please mistress, this is important! In stories, what's the third wish? Don't ask me why, please! Just remember!"
"Er. . . happiness. It's happiness, isn't it?" said the old lady. "Yes, definitely. Health, wealth and happiness. Now if I was you, I'd-"
"Happiness? Happiness. . . thank you," said Tiffany, and looked around desperately for someone else. It wasn't happiness, she knew that in her boots. You couldn’t get happiness by magic, and that was another clue right there.
There was Miss Tick, hurrying between the tents. There was no time for half measures. Tiffany pulled her around and shouted; "HelloMissTickYesI'm FineIHopeYouAre WellTooWhatIsTheThird WishQuicklyThisIsImportant PleaseDon'tArgueOrAsk QuestionThereIsn'tTime!"
Miss Tick, to her credit, hesitated only for a moment or two, "To have a hundred more wishes, isn't it?" she said.
Tiffany stared at her and then said, "Thank you. It isn't but that's a clue, too."
"Tiffany, there's a-" Miss Tick began.
But Tiffany had seen Granny Weatherwax.
She was standing in the middle of the field, in a big square that had been roped off for some reason. No one seemed to notice her. She was watching the frantic witches around the hiver, where there was an occasional flash and sparkle of magic. She had a calm, faraway look.
Tiffany brushed Miss Tick's arm away, ducked under the rope and ran up to her.
"Granny!"
The blue eyes turned to her.
"Yes?"
"In stories, where you get three wishes. . . what's the third wish?"
"Ah, stories," said Granny. "That's easy. In any story worth the tellin', that knows about the way of the world, the third wish is the one that undoes the harm the first two wishes caused."