Be Careful What You Wish For [FICTOID]

The artist trudged into the bar with a medium size square box tucked under his arm, airholes punched along its side.

“Bloody Mary,” the artist said, setting the box on the counter.

As the bartender blended vodka and tomato juice, he asked:  “What’s in the box?”

The artist sighed.  “I was painting nature scenes one day when I heard this strange yodeling coming from behind a thistle.  It was a leprechaun sitting on a toadstool singing to himself so loudly he didn’t hear me approach.

“Well, I slipped off my smock and using it for a net, I pounced and captured him.”

“Begone or I’ll turn you into a rusty old hammer!” he yelled but I called his bluff and said, “No!  I captured you so you must bestow me with a wish!”

“And that’s the leprechaun in the box?” asked the bartender.

“Ha!  I wish!”  The artist opened the box, folding the sides down.  Inside was a tiny homunculus replica of Liberace with an ornate grand piano to the same scale.  Almost immediately the small version of Liberace began playing.

“Great,” said the bartender, “but why did you wish for that?”

“I didn’t,” said the artist.  “I wished for something else but I didn’t enunciate clearly and the leprechaun gave me a nine inch pianist instead.”

© Buzz Dixon