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The Lone City #0.2
The Wishing Well
The Wishing Well is part of a collection of children’s stories (of the same name) that are very popular in the Lone City, particularly the Marsh. For Violet, it has always symbolized her father, as he used to read it to her when he would come home from work. The Wishing Well tells the tale of two sisters, gifted with one wish each after saving a water-spirit, and how those wishes change their lives.
A deleted scene from The Jewel that was posted on Epic Reads! Can be found at: http://www.epicreads.com/blog/read-a-...
A deleted scene from The Jewel that was posted on Epic Reads! Can be found at: http://www.epicreads.com/blog/read-a-...
1 pages, ebook
First published September 2, 2014
15 people are currently reading
3289 people want to read
About the author
Amy Ewing
26 books2,432 followersAs the daughter of a librarian, books were a crucial part of Amy Ewing's childhood. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, and her young adult fantasy novel The Jewel became a New York Times and international bestseller. Amy lives in New York City with her senior rescue dog. The Irish Goodbye is her debut novel for adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
September 30, 2018
Q:
I wish to speak to the stars and laugh with the rivers and hear the quiet words of the wind. ...
Listen. They are always speaking to us. (c)
I wish to speak to the stars and laugh with the rivers and hear the quiet words of the wind. ...
Listen. They are always speaking to us. (c)
November 3, 2018
This short story preludes The Lone City trilogy. It relays a fairy tale from the same world but is not focused on the central story-line and so can be read as a stand-alone piece.
The fairy tale in question is a mere handful of pages in length and yet is charmingly narrated with a poignantly sad and bitter sweet ending that made this a beautiful little addition to the series.
The fairy tale in question is a mere handful of pages in length and yet is charmingly narrated with a poignantly sad and bitter sweet ending that made this a beautiful little addition to the series.
March 20, 2018
Es un libro corto y bello. Que precede a una saga, que veremos como va. Pero con este comienzo dan ganas de leerla
August 20, 2017
”’You have awoken me from a dreamless slumber, and broken the spell cast upon me by an evil man. To thank you, I will grant you each one wish.’”
As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
Though part of the Jewel series, this book doesn’t follow any of the main characters from the story. Instead, his tale is taken from an imaginary collection of stories akin to Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Think of it as a dystopian version of The Language of Thorns, which Leigh Bardugo invented for her Grisha series.
Guess it worked so well the first time the publishers wanted to repeat the success.
This simple tale follows two sisters who drop a coin into a wishing well and save the spirit within, thereby granting them each a wish. The eldest sister wishes for all the knowledge in the world, while the younger sister wishes to understand and talk to nature. We see how these wishes affect their lives, with the younger sister being perfectly content,
It's not necessary to read the series to read this story, as it has no real bearing on the series as a whole. For those who have read it, it’s an insight into the culture of The Lone City, as well as a cautionary tale for us all to wish wisely.
As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
Though part of the Jewel series, this book doesn’t follow any of the main characters from the story. Instead, his tale is taken from an imaginary collection of stories akin to Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Think of it as a dystopian version of The Language of Thorns, which Leigh Bardugo invented for her Grisha series.
Guess it worked so well the first time the publishers wanted to repeat the success.
This simple tale follows two sisters who drop a coin into a wishing well and save the spirit within, thereby granting them each a wish. The eldest sister wishes for all the knowledge in the world, while the younger sister wishes to understand and talk to nature. We see how these wishes affect their lives, with the younger sister being perfectly content,
”The younger sister spent much time alone, wandering the woods and speaking to the trees, or listening to the waves lapping at the shore, or learning the secrets of the ages from the stars. And she kept all of their words in her heart, and felt a great peacefulness inside her, and was content with the beauty of the world.”while the older sister, despite her knowledge (and the wealth that comes along with it), becomes bitter and greedy.
”There was never enough—never enough gold, never enough knowledge, never enough materials to create the wonderful inventions she imagined.”One thing leads to another and disaster strikes in a way you probably already guessed.
It's not necessary to read the series to read this story, as it has no real bearing on the series as a whole. For those who have read it, it’s an insight into the culture of The Lone City, as well as a cautionary tale for us all to wish wisely.
November 20, 2014
That was sad! Why is everything in this world so sad?? Even the children's stories are traumatizing!!
You can read this at http://www.epicreads.com/blog/read-a-...
Btw, you don't have to have read "The Jewel" to read this. They're pretty much unrelated. This is just a children's book that's mentioned in "The Jewel".
You can read this at http://www.epicreads.com/blog/read-a-...
Btw, you don't have to have read "The Jewel" to read this. They're pretty much unrelated. This is just a children's book that's mentioned in "The Jewel".
August 7, 2017
I now understand whenever the Jewel refers to this story
March 17, 2018
This story seems so very tame, but it really packs quite a punch! This story, whilst intended to be read alongside Violet's story, is a tale Violet's father would read to her at night (which you'll come to realise is actually a bit worrisome!). But anyway, it tells the story of two sisters who receive a gift from a water spirit they rescue, and how the gifts they are granted shape them as people.
I like that this is very much a fairy tale kind of story, it really does read like a fable, but one with an eerie undertone that makes your skin crawl a little bit - these twisted tales are much more fun to read! But it is incredibly short, quite literally a page of your time, and so it's difficult to really convey anything of any real weight so quickly.
I wouldn't say I'd have missed out anything relevant to Violet's story if I'd failed to stumble across this extract, but it's an interesting idea.
I like that this is very much a fairy tale kind of story, it really does read like a fable, but one with an eerie undertone that makes your skin crawl a little bit - these twisted tales are much more fun to read! But it is incredibly short, quite literally a page of your time, and so it's difficult to really convey anything of any real weight so quickly.
I wouldn't say I'd have missed out anything relevant to Violet's story if I'd failed to stumble across this extract, but it's an interesting idea.
August 5, 2017
this is not called cheating 😂😂
April 12, 2019
This short story is so interesting. I loved it! Maybe The Jewel deserves a chance that it’s covers ruin. I think that I might read it!!!
February 17, 2020
“Once, in a time long, long ago, there were two sisters who lived in a small village by the sea.”
I thought that was good. It was pretty predictable, but it was still very good. It is a story about these two sisters who end up with a wish to make each. It was nicely thought out and really beautiful to me. I enjoyed it a lot.
Sil’s Story:⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought that was good. It was pretty predictable, but it was still very good. It is a story about these two sisters who end up with a wish to make each. It was nicely thought out and really beautiful to me. I enjoyed it a lot.
Sil’s Story:⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 15, 2015
Wow. This was a bit of a cliché fairytale short story that was a bit dark and predictable.
October 1, 2015
A short, sad children's story that wasn't included in The Jewel.
November 27, 2016
Prima, maar niet bijzonder.
November 30, 2022
God, I've never hear about this deleted scene before, AND IT'S FROM MY FAVOURITE TRILOGY. I loved how much fairy tale vibes has this short story. So magical, so lovely, so sad, so The Lone City💜
May 1, 2016
That was a sad little story but now I understand why Violet loves it so much. :c
February 8, 2017
The Wishing Well
Once, in a time long, long ago, there were two sisters who lived in a small village by the sea. The elder sister was raven-haired, with eyes as dark as coals, somber and serious. The younger was fair, joyful, and quick to laugh, with eyes like fire, a bright and burning amber.
One day, while on an errand for their father, the sisters came upon an old well, lonely and forgotten, its crumbling stones covered with moss. The sisters peered into its depths, but they could not see the bottom.
“We should drop a coin in,” the younger sister said. “And see how deep it is.”
“What does it matter how deep it is?” the elder sister asked. “Besides, that is a shameful waste of gold! Come, Father will be angry with us if we don’t return soon.”
But the younger sister had already taken a coin from her pocket. She held it over the opening of the well for a moment, where it glittered in the sunlight—then it fell, spinning, into darkness. The sisters listened, but they could not hear the plink of the coin as it hit the water. There was no sound at all.
“It must be very deep,” the younger sister said in a hushed voice.
“Nonsense,” the elder sister scoffed. “It is probably dry, that’s all.”
Suddenly, there was a low rumbling deep beneath the earth and a thick fountain of water sprayed up out of the well. Out of that fountain, stepped a water-spirit.
Her skin reflected rainbows in the light, like crystal, and her long hair flowed in golden waves around her. She was robed in a dress of palest blue, and when she smiled at them, both sisters felt their knees weaken and their hearts tremble, for she was the most beautiful creature they had ever seen.
“You have awoken me from a dreamless slumber,” she said, in a voice as bright and sweet as a bubbling stream, “And broken the spell cast upon me by an evil man. To thank you, I will grant you each one wish.”
The elder sister, who had always thirsted for knowledge and loathed her simple life in the village, spoke first. “I wish for intelligence surpassing anyone in this world,” she said, “so that I may create new and wondrous things, and push the boundaries of learning.”
The water-spirit touched one finger to the girl’s forehead, leaving a shimmering drop of water that wove itself into strands as fine as gossamer, creating a delicate crown around the girl’s dark hair. A moment later, the crown dissolved. The elder sister’s wish was granted.
“And for you?” the water-spirit asked the younger sister.
The younger sister thought for a moment, for she was quite content with her life and did not know what might improve it.
“I would like to be able to speak to the trees and the stars,” she said shyly. “To listen to the music of the sunsets, and understand the whispering of the wind, and hear the laughter of a running brook, so that I might better understand the earth, since it gives so much of itself to me and my family.”
The water-spirit smiled at her words and laid a finger against the younger sister’s heart, and the drop of water she left behind did not change shape, but glittered like a diamond, strong and pure, until its brightness became overwhelming and the sisters had to look away. And when they looked back, the drop had vanished. The younger sister’s wish was granted.
The two sisters returned home and at once set about using their gifts. The elder sister found she could read twelve books in one sitting and remember them perfectly. She began to have ideas for new inventions, and she worked tirelessly to create them. People celebrated her as a great thinker, and asked her for advice, and plied her with gold to create mechanical objects that would solve their problems or make their lives easier.
The younger sister, meanwhile, spent much time alone, wandering the woods and speaking to the trees, or listening to the waves lapping at the shore, or learning the secrets of the ages from the stars. And she kept all of their words in her heart, and felt a great peacefulness inside her, and was content with the beauty of the world.
The sisters grew older. The elder sister moved away from the village, enticed by the life of the city, bustling with people, where her inventions and advice were revered, and she quickly became a wealthy woman of great importance. But the younger sister stayed by the seaside, and fell in love and married, and continued living a simple life.
Slowly, the elder sister started to feel that there was never enough—never enough gold, never enough knowledge, never enough materials to create the wonderful inventions she imagined. And a darkness grew in her heart when she considered that her sister had a knowledge that she herself did not, and jealousy began to eat away at her.
So she returned to the village one night. The younger sister welcomed her with open arms and insisted that she dine with her and her husband, and their young daughter. Their cottage was simple but cheerful, as was the dinner, and the elder sister felt her jealousy writhing like a snake inside her, for how could the younger sister be so happy when she had nothing? No gold, or jewels, or admiration?
“I wish to ask you for a favor,” the elder sister said.
“Of course,” the younger sister replied. “Anything.”
“I wish for you to share your gift with me,” the elder sister demanded. “I wish to speak to the stars and laugh with the rivers and hear the quiet words of the wind.”
The younger sister smiled. “Come,” she said, and led the elder sister outside.
The two sisters reached the edge of the sea where the waves washed gently against the sand. “The water-spirit allowed me to converse with the wind and the waves and the stars,” the younger said, “and that is a gift I cannot share. But anyone can hear them. Listen. They are always speaking to us.”
The sisters stood in silence for several moments. But the elder sister quickly became angry. She heard nothing but the rush of waves on the sand and what was so special about that? Suddenly, she felt certain that the younger sister was trying to play her for a fool.
“You lie!” she cried and, grabbing a dagger from her belt, she cut the younger sister’s throat. “Now there is no one on this earth who knows more than me.”
The elder sister left the body on the beach and returned to the city. But perhaps, if she had stayed, she would have seen the waves wash the wound clean, and heard the trees cry out in mourning, and listened to the wind sing of its sadness at the younger sister’s passing, before gently lifting her body up and placing it among the stars.
Once, in a time long, long ago, there were two sisters who lived in a small village by the sea. The elder sister was raven-haired, with eyes as dark as coals, somber and serious. The younger was fair, joyful, and quick to laugh, with eyes like fire, a bright and burning amber.
One day, while on an errand for their father, the sisters came upon an old well, lonely and forgotten, its crumbling stones covered with moss. The sisters peered into its depths, but they could not see the bottom.
“We should drop a coin in,” the younger sister said. “And see how deep it is.”
“What does it matter how deep it is?” the elder sister asked. “Besides, that is a shameful waste of gold! Come, Father will be angry with us if we don’t return soon.”
But the younger sister had already taken a coin from her pocket. She held it over the opening of the well for a moment, where it glittered in the sunlight—then it fell, spinning, into darkness. The sisters listened, but they could not hear the plink of the coin as it hit the water. There was no sound at all.
“It must be very deep,” the younger sister said in a hushed voice.
“Nonsense,” the elder sister scoffed. “It is probably dry, that’s all.”
Suddenly, there was a low rumbling deep beneath the earth and a thick fountain of water sprayed up out of the well. Out of that fountain, stepped a water-spirit.
Her skin reflected rainbows in the light, like crystal, and her long hair flowed in golden waves around her. She was robed in a dress of palest blue, and when she smiled at them, both sisters felt their knees weaken and their hearts tremble, for she was the most beautiful creature they had ever seen.
“You have awoken me from a dreamless slumber,” she said, in a voice as bright and sweet as a bubbling stream, “And broken the spell cast upon me by an evil man. To thank you, I will grant you each one wish.”
The elder sister, who had always thirsted for knowledge and loathed her simple life in the village, spoke first. “I wish for intelligence surpassing anyone in this world,” she said, “so that I may create new and wondrous things, and push the boundaries of learning.”
The water-spirit touched one finger to the girl’s forehead, leaving a shimmering drop of water that wove itself into strands as fine as gossamer, creating a delicate crown around the girl’s dark hair. A moment later, the crown dissolved. The elder sister’s wish was granted.
“And for you?” the water-spirit asked the younger sister.
The younger sister thought for a moment, for she was quite content with her life and did not know what might improve it.
“I would like to be able to speak to the trees and the stars,” she said shyly. “To listen to the music of the sunsets, and understand the whispering of the wind, and hear the laughter of a running brook, so that I might better understand the earth, since it gives so much of itself to me and my family.”
The water-spirit smiled at her words and laid a finger against the younger sister’s heart, and the drop of water she left behind did not change shape, but glittered like a diamond, strong and pure, until its brightness became overwhelming and the sisters had to look away. And when they looked back, the drop had vanished. The younger sister’s wish was granted.
The two sisters returned home and at once set about using their gifts. The elder sister found she could read twelve books in one sitting and remember them perfectly. She began to have ideas for new inventions, and she worked tirelessly to create them. People celebrated her as a great thinker, and asked her for advice, and plied her with gold to create mechanical objects that would solve their problems or make their lives easier.
The younger sister, meanwhile, spent much time alone, wandering the woods and speaking to the trees, or listening to the waves lapping at the shore, or learning the secrets of the ages from the stars. And she kept all of their words in her heart, and felt a great peacefulness inside her, and was content with the beauty of the world.
The sisters grew older. The elder sister moved away from the village, enticed by the life of the city, bustling with people, where her inventions and advice were revered, and she quickly became a wealthy woman of great importance. But the younger sister stayed by the seaside, and fell in love and married, and continued living a simple life.
Slowly, the elder sister started to feel that there was never enough—never enough gold, never enough knowledge, never enough materials to create the wonderful inventions she imagined. And a darkness grew in her heart when she considered that her sister had a knowledge that she herself did not, and jealousy began to eat away at her.
So she returned to the village one night. The younger sister welcomed her with open arms and insisted that she dine with her and her husband, and their young daughter. Their cottage was simple but cheerful, as was the dinner, and the elder sister felt her jealousy writhing like a snake inside her, for how could the younger sister be so happy when she had nothing? No gold, or jewels, or admiration?
“I wish to ask you for a favor,” the elder sister said.
“Of course,” the younger sister replied. “Anything.”
“I wish for you to share your gift with me,” the elder sister demanded. “I wish to speak to the stars and laugh with the rivers and hear the quiet words of the wind.”
The younger sister smiled. “Come,” she said, and led the elder sister outside.
The two sisters reached the edge of the sea where the waves washed gently against the sand. “The water-spirit allowed me to converse with the wind and the waves and the stars,” the younger said, “and that is a gift I cannot share. But anyone can hear them. Listen. They are always speaking to us.”
The sisters stood in silence for several moments. But the elder sister quickly became angry. She heard nothing but the rush of waves on the sand and what was so special about that? Suddenly, she felt certain that the younger sister was trying to play her for a fool.
“You lie!” she cried and, grabbing a dagger from her belt, she cut the younger sister’s throat. “Now there is no one on this earth who knows more than me.”
The elder sister left the body on the beach and returned to the city. But perhaps, if she had stayed, she would have seen the waves wash the wound clean, and heard the trees cry out in mourning, and listened to the wind sing of its sadness at the younger sister’s passing, before gently lifting her body up and placing it among the stars.
January 18, 2021
El famoso cuento que se nombra durante la trilogía que es relatado en el Pantano se explica en esta pequeña escena eliminada.
Esperaba un cuento más alegre y mágico en cuanto a contenido, pero me he encontrado con uno que tiene sus matices grises que solo han hecho que me guste más.
Ambas hermanas diferentes entre sí, con sueños diferentes y una visión del mundo diferente.
Pero sus deseos derivan en algo más grande, logrando que los celos aparezcan y con ello la avaricia y el anhelo.
Aunque me ha gustado bastante para lo corto que es, siento que algunos estereotipos hacen que pierda un poco de seriedad. Empero, no quita que no sea una linda historia.
Esperaba un cuento más alegre y mágico en cuanto a contenido, pero me he encontrado con uno que tiene sus matices grises que solo han hecho que me guste más.
Ambas hermanas diferentes entre sí, con sueños diferentes y una visión del mundo diferente.
Pero sus deseos derivan en algo más grande, logrando que los celos aparezcan y con ello la avaricia y el anhelo.
Aunque me ha gustado bastante para lo corto que es, siento que algunos estereotipos hacen que pierda un poco de seriedad. Empero, no quita que no sea una linda historia.
October 22, 2019
Was this the Lasting sisters favourite story? Or was it just Violet's? Or something happened so it became Violet's favourite? I actually don't recall the mention of The Wishing Well at all. But nevertheless, I actually enjoyed reading this novella so much. It's different but holds so much meaning. To think Amy Ewing managed to come up with such a whimsically beautiful tale is mind-blowing. An applause from me indeed.
October 23, 2017
This story/book was mentioned many times throughout the trilogy, so it was nice to finally read it! And I don't know what it is about older sisters, but they must be something else in this world. Though Violet wasn't anything like that, so I dunno.
I enjoyed this short story, and it definitely didn't take that long to read!
I enjoyed this short story, and it definitely didn't take that long to read!
July 17, 2018
I usually enjoy these "deleted scene" pieces that come with a series, and The Wishing Well was no exception. The legend of the two sisters and their wishes is easy to follow and folds into the plot of the series seamlessly. You don't necessarily need it to enjoy the series, but it adds a little piece of extra information if you really love and want to be more involved with the series.
April 6, 2021
"The Wishing Well" est un conte dont on entend parlé lors de la lecture de la trilogie Le Joyau. Elle est importante pour Violet, et je trouve intéressant de connaître cette histoire. C'est un conte qui pourrait tout à fait s'inscrire dans note société actuelle.
Sa lecture n'apporte pas grand chose à l'intrigue principale de la trilogie, mais j'ai tout de même apprécié cette courte lecture.
Sa lecture n'apporte pas grand chose à l'intrigue principale de la trilogie, mais j'ai tout de même apprécié cette courte lecture.
June 21, 2017
Found and downloaded it off the post on EpicReads.
Interesting. I know the story is talked about a few times in "The Jewel" but it wasn't what I was expecting given how it was discussed in that book.
Still an interesting find, and a bit of back history into some of the characters.
Interesting. I know the story is talked about a few times in "The Jewel" but it wasn't what I was expecting given how it was discussed in that book.
Still an interesting find, and a bit of back history into some of the characters.
April 15, 2021
Wow that seemed unnecessarily dark to say it's meant to be a children's story in the lone city universes. It was violet's favourite story that here dad used to read to here and her sister. Really, I don't believe it.
January 8, 2022
This is a unique fairy tale that fits in really nicely with the Grimm fairy tales that many of us grew up with (but instead something that kids grow up with in the series). If anything, I just wish it was a tad bit longer.
September 25, 2022
It was neat getting to read the story that is talked about in this series. I never found this the first time reading it and wish that it would have just been added to the end of a book instead of an epic reads exclusive article.
September 30, 2017
this should have been in the series. a great parable, they could have worked some interesting symmetry into the storyline with this story as the native thread.
December 24, 2017
Bonita historia.
No me viene a la mente otra cosa qué decir.
No me viene a la mente otra cosa qué decir.
March 31, 2018
Love this. Love this a lot.
April 26, 2018
It was okay. They do mention this story several times in the series. So I guess it is good to know it and understand the references.
June 15, 2018
What a quiet nursery story! I enjoyed this short story very much. Grass is not always greener on the other side, sometimes it’s just as dead as the grass in your own yard!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews