1. SPEED READING THE THREE WISHES 70 words per minute

2. Once upon a time there lived a poor woodman, in a great forest, and every day of his life he went out to chop down trees. As the day started out his good wife packed his lunch and filled a bottle of water for him.

3. He had marked out a huge old oak to cut today. He thought it would make many good boards that he could sell. As he came to the tree he brought his axe up and began to make a mighty swing, hoping to fell the tree in one blow.

4. As he reared back to put all his might into his swing he heard a pitiful tiny noise. There stood before him a fairy who begged him to spare the tree. The woodman was shocked. He couldn’t open his mouth to utter a word.

5. At last he found his voice and nodded, saying, “I will do as you wish tiny fairy.” “You have done well for yourself,” said the fairy. “I will show you that I am grateful. I will grant you your next three wishes, whatever they may be.”

6. As the fairy disappeared, the woodman gathered his things and headed for home. But the way was long, and the poor man was dazed with what he had witnessed. When he reached home he could do nothing but sit and rest.

7. “Wife, where is my dinner?” asked the woodman. “Dinner is not for hours yet,” she said. “You should not be home so early.” “I’m hungry. I wish I had a big plate of sausages in front of me.”

8. No sooner had the words left his mouth than “POW,” a huge sausage appeared in front of him. His wife stared at her husband and the steaming sausage. “What is this?” she screamed.

9. The morning’s events came back to the woodman and he told his wife of the fairy’s promise of three wishes for saving the tree. When he came to the end of his story his wife yelled, “You are a fool, a fool. I say!”

10. “Such a fool my husband! I wish those sausages were on your nose!” Before the man could blink, there were huge sausages attached to the his nose.

11. He pulled at the sausages, but they stuck. They both pulled until night fell. They pulled and pulled as hard as they could, but the sausages stuck to his nose. “What are we to do?” asked the wife.

12. The man knew that he had to use his last wish to get the sausages off his nose. “I wish these sausages were off my nose and back on the plate,” he murmured. “POW!” The sausages were back on the plate.

13. There on the table lay the plate of sausages. The woodman and his wife would never have riches, silks and satins, but they would have fine sausages for their dinner.