And something seemed missing. It was hard for Jon to put a finger on it, but then he realized. No computer. No videogame system. No DVDs. And the keypad on his phone had vanished! Instead was a strange contraption like a rounded wheel full of holes, beyond which were printed letters and numbers. Even the television now had dials on front, looking sort of like a dishwasher.
Jon realized what a big mistake that wish was. If vinyl records never went away, and CDs weren't invented, then technology must not have advanced very fast. Worse yet, the stone had a range, so soon everyone outside would notice that in one corner of the globe all the computers disappeared. He had to fix it fast.
Bearing in mind that wishes couldn't be reversed, Jon thought up something that should work. "I wish that 'vinyl never went away' means that Dad has an extra Beatles record which he never lost, so that particular record never went away but everything else is just as it was before I made that last wish."
Jon blinked. When he looked around the room again, everything was now just the way it was before. Which was good--what in the world would he do with a phone that had little holes and a wheel?
But it proved to him--even a small wish could be very, very, dangerous. Still, now that he was aware of the problem, he'd know enough not to make general wishes that could affect the whole world. He knew the answer... wish that any wishes he make affect only the house.
No, that was stupid. He almost ended up losing the ability to make useful wishes forever. No, he needed to be more specific.
"I wish that any wishes I make inside this house, for the next three hours, will only work inside this house and for the next three hours unless I specifically say otherwise."
Now, it was a lot safer. It was time to try just one small wish....
