 The Wish Read by Stephen Mangan Under the palm of one hand, the child became aware of the scab of an old cut on his kneecap. He bent forward to examine it closely. A scab was always a fascinating thing. It presented a special challenge he was never able to resist. Yes, he thought, I will pick it off, even if it isn't ready, even if the middle of it sticks, even if it hurts like anything. With a fingernail he began to explore cautiously around the edges of the scab. He got the nail underneath it, and when he raised it, but ever so slightly, it suddenly came off. The whole hard brown scab came off beautifully, leaving an interesting little circle of smooth red skin. Nice. Very nice indeed. He rubbed the circle and it didn't hurt. He picked up the scab, put it on his thigh, and flipped it with a finger, so that it flew away and landed on the edge of the carpet. The enormous red and black and yellow carpet that stretched the whole length of the hall from the stairs on which he sat to the front door in the distance. A tremendous carpet. Bigger than the tennis lawn. Much bigger than that. He regarded it gravely, settling his eyes upon it with mild pleasure. He'd never really noticed it before, but now, all of a sudden, the colours seemed to brighten mysteriously and spring out at him in the most dazzling way. You see? He told himself, I know how it is. The red parts of the carpet are red hot lumps of coal. What I must do is this. I must walk all the way along it to the front door without touching them. If I touch the red, I will be burnt. As a matter of fact, I will be burnt up completely. And the black parts of the carpet, yes, the black parts are snakes. Poisonous snakes. Adders mostly and cobras, thick like tree trunks round the middle. And if I touch one of them, I'll be bitten and I'll die before tea time. And if I get across safely, without being burnt and without being bitten, I will be given a puppy for my birthday tomorrow. He got to his feet and climbed higher up the stairs to obtain a better view of this vast tapestry of colour and death. Was it possible? Was there enough yellow? Yellow was the only colour he was allowed to walk on. Could it be done? This was not a journey to be undertaken lightly. The risks were too great for that. The child's face, a fringe of white gold hair, two large blue eyes, a small pointed chin, peered down anxiously over the banisters. The yellow was a bit thin in places. And the... Sample complete. Ready to continue?