Joan Aiken's 'The Third Wish'

Joan Aiken’s fantasy story,” The Third Wish”, takes place in the forest of Savernake at dusk on a spring evening. Mr. Peters made a wish for a beautiful wife but soon finds out that the wife was a swan. Missing her swan sister, leita becomes very depressed and lonesome. Mr. Peters realizes that life can be difficult when it changes for his wife. By using emotions and descriptions, Joan Aiken creates the lesson that events in life that are changing can be difficult,
Life that is changing can be difficult shines throughout the story as a central issue impacting the 2 main characters. Because mr. peters was so interested into not being lonesome anymore, it causes his wife to leave her family which makes her depressed and lonesome which also causes him to feel distressed. For example, when Mr. peters sees his wife
Also, when he tried to get her to travel but she refused he would start to become very distressed for his wife. Aiken writes, “For a time he thought that all would be well, but then he saw how thin and pale she was growing.” Mr. peters is distressing himself over the fact that his wife is becoming ill and depressed. Therefore he is part of the lesson of how events in life that are changing can be difficult. Leita, the wife of Mr. peters, wants to be with her swan sister which is causing her to grow ill and become very depressed. Certainly it could be said that she is going through something difficult even though she sees her sister everyday. While this is a good point, because her becoming very lonesome while being able to see her sister, she is really going through a difficult time with her not being able to be with her sister