One sunny afternoon, a traveler with a kind smile and dusty shoes walked down a long road. He saw two houses. One was huge and grand, with a shiny gold knocker. The other was small and cozy, with a little garden.

The traveler knocked on the big, grand door. A rich man with a grumpy face opened it. "What do you want?" he grumbled.
"I'm very tired and hungry," said the traveler. "Could I please rest here for the night and have a little something to eat?"
The rich man looked the traveler up and down. "Hmph! My house is too fine for dusty wanderers. Go away!" And he slammed the door.

So, the traveler walked to the small, cozy house and knocked gently. A poor man with a cheerful smile opened it.
"Hello!" said the poor man. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm very tired and hungry," said the traveler. "Could I please rest here for the night and have a little something to eat?"
"Oh, please come in!" said the poor man. "I don't have much, but you're welcome to share it."
The poor man gave the traveler his best chair, a warm bowl of soup, and a piece of bread. They talked and laughed, and the traveler felt very welcome.

The next morning, as the traveler was about to leave, he said to the poor man, "You have a kind heart. Because you shared what little you had, I will grant you three wishes. Wish for anything you want."

The poor man was very surprised! He thought for a moment.
"First," he said, "I wish to be happy and always have a place in heaven when my time on earth is done."
"A good wish," said the traveler, nodding.
"Second," the poor man continued, "I wish to be healthy and always have enough food for my family and me, every day."
"Another good wish," said the traveler.
"And for my third wish," the poor man said, his eyes twinkling, "I wish for a magical fiddle! When I play it, everyone who hears it must dance, whether they want to or not, until I stop playing!"
The traveler smiled. "All your wishes are granted!" And just like that, a beautiful fiddle appeared in the poor man's hands.

Later that day, the rich man heard about the poor man's good fortune and his amazing new fiddle. He got very jealous. "If that traveler gives wishes to him, he should give them to me too!"
So, the rich man hurried out, found the traveler, and said, "Hey! I heard you grant wishes. I want three wishes too!"
The traveler looked at him and said, "Very well. You shall also have three wishes."

The rich man rubbed his hands together greedily.
"First," he said, "I wish that if I ever get lost while riding, my horse will always find its way back to my grand house, no matter what!"
"Granted," said the traveler.
"Second," the rich man went on, "I wish that I will never, ever fall off my horse, no matter how fast it runs or how much it jumps!"
"Granted," said the traveler.
"And for my third wish," the rich man said with a nasty grin, "I wish that when that poor fellow next door plays his silly fiddle, he gets stuck to it himself and can't get off until *I* say so!"
The traveler looked a little sad, but said, "Your wish is granted."

The rich man was very pleased with himself. He went straight to the poor man's house.
"Neighbor!" he called out. "I hear you have a new fiddle. Play a tune for me!" He was planning for the poor man to get stuck.
"Certainly!" said the poor man, who didn't know about the rich man's wish. He picked up his fiddle and began to play a lively tune.

Instantly, the rich man started to dance! His feet tapped, his arms waved, and his body wiggled.
"Hey! What's happening?" he cried. "Stop! I can't stop dancing!"
But the poor man, enjoying his music, kept playing.
The rich man danced out of the yard, through a thorny hedge (Ouch! Ouch!), into a muddy puddle (Splish! Splash!), and over a fence (Bump!).
"Please! Stop playing!" he begged, huffing and puffing. "My legs hurt! I'm covered in thorns and mud!"
The poor man was surprised to see the rich man dancing so wildly, but the music was so catchy, he just kept playing.
Finally, the rich man, completely exhausted, shouted, "I'll give you anything! All my gold! Half my land! Just make the music stop!"

The poor man stopped playing. The rich man collapsed on the ground, panting.
"Will you promise to be kinder from now on?" asked the poor man gently. "And share some of your riches with those who need help?"
"Yes! Yes! I promise!" gasped the rich man.

And he did. The rich man learned his lesson and became much kinder and more generous. The poor man lived happily, always with enough food, good health, and sometimes, just for fun, he'd play a little tune on his magical fiddle, making sure everyone around was ready for a good dance!

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