If I had a Wish

Barbara's not much good at maths or reading, is slow in sports, and in music sings all the wrong notes. Hardly surprising that she has no friends. If I could wish for something, Barbara thinks, I would like to be the best pupil in school.

Then one night a fairy appears and grants Barbara one wish. In her excitement, she can think only of the blue shoes her Mum didn't want to buy her. But shoes don't help you to add or read better, and Barbara is quite annoyed about her silly wish. Then she discovers she can run much faster in those shoes – and sprints into the admiration of Erich, the sports ace.

The fairy returns, and again Barbara can only think of a red pencil she didn't get. Another stupid wish, but suddenly she excels at dictation, and Anna, who sits next to her, likes to crib. The third wish? A parrot, of all things! However, the parrot can sing and becomes the class's favorite. What more could Barbara want? She's still bad at maths but you can't have everything, can you?