The Woman and the Cat

An old woman got home from a flea market with a vase she had bought for $3. She sat down in an overstuffed chair. As she looked at the vase, her pet cat jumped up in her lap.

The vase was dirty, so she started rubbing it. In an instant, a genie popped out in a flash of light.

"You have rubbed my lamp," said the genie. "You have three wishes."

"My, oh, my," whispered the woman. "Let's see. Well, I believe I'd like to be young and beautiful."

And, poof!, the woman was young and beautiful. "Purrrrrrrrr," said the cat in her lap.

"You have two more wishes," said the genie, sounding remarkably like Robin Williams.

"Well, I believe I'd like to have gobs and gobs of money."

Poof! went the genie, and the room was full of gold.

"One more wish," said the obliging spirit. "Make it count."

"I would love it if you would turn this old Tom Cat in my lap into the most handsome prince in the world."

Without a pause, the genie stroked the cat and disappeared. As the spirit was leaving, the cat began changing, and before her stood the best-looking man the woman had ever seen.

"Wow," said the woman.

"You've been made into a very beautiful woman," said the cat/prince.

"And you are the most handsome man I have ever seen," bleated the woman.

"I am, huh?" asked the cat/prince, as he stood beside the woman. He put his arm around her and whispered into her ear, "Now aren't you sorry you had me fixed?"