Zadie the Genie and the Wish That Wasn’t For Her

Zadie the genie has spent a century in a dented brass lamp granting only wishes that help other people, a rule the boy who finds her has never heard of.

A genie who grants only wishes that help others

At the bottom of a dusty trunk in a dusty attic in a dusty old house, there sat a small, dented brass lamp.

Nobody had polished it in a hundred years. Nobody had even looked at it. But inside, curled up on a velvet cushion the size of a teacup, lived a genie named Zadie.

Zadie had swirling purple smoke for legs, a gold hoop in each ear, and a very particular rule.

She only granted wishes that helped other people.

"It's not that I don't like fun," she would explain to the spiders who shared the attic. "But I've seen what happens with wishes for gold, fame, and endless pizza. They're like candy floss. Sweet for a moment, then gone, and nobody's really better off. I'd rather give something that lasts."

The spiders, who had opinions about pizza, mostly disagreed. But they respected her.

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Quick answers about Zadie the Genie and the Wish That Wasn’t For Her

What is Zadie the Genie and the Wish That Wasn’t For Her about?

Zadie the genie has spent a century in a dented brass lamp granting only wishes that help other people, a rule the boy who finds her has never heard of.

Is Zadie the Genie and the Wish That Wasn’t For Her free to read?

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How long does it take to read?

This story runs 1 chapter — most readers finish in one sitting, and you can stop and return to any chapter using the contents list.

Who wrote it?

Nimra Khan — original fiction published on RapidTale.