Fairy tales and the desire for power, or Specification and Message Length
The tale of The Fisherman's Wife tells of a fisherman and his wife. He caught a magic fish but the fish promised him to grant three wishes if the fisherman released him. The man consulted his wife and they used two of the wishes to gain power and wealth. The third wish was so outlandish that the fish returned them to their previous situation. The Monkey's Paw is a more grown-up version. Both emphasize that difficulty of foreseeing all the ways a literal wish can be fulfilled but with unsatisfactory results.
When I said I wish I had a million dollars, I didn't mean that much US money in pennies. I didn't mean shredded dollars. I didn't mean dumped in our driveway. I didn't mean a million one dollar bills delivered by mail in individual envelopes. I didn't mean a dollar a day for a million days. I didn't mean delivery in New York City. Lynn says not to get stolen, traceable funds. This set of qualifications and specifications can go on and on.
I only have so much time to live. I only have so much energy before I need to eat and to sleep. If the message of my specifications is too long, I will expire before it is completed. Like so much, I have to do my best and take the consequences.
