The Stonecutter

Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales.

The Stonecutter is a fairy tale he collected in Japan. A stonecutter sees how rich people live when he is delivering a gravestone one day. From that day on he is dissatisfied with his own lot and wishes to be rich. His wish is granted by the spirit that lives in the mountain...but the stonecutter is still not satisfied with his life and makes further wishes, each taking him a little further on his quest for happiness.