Three people fall overboard from a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Eventually they find sanctuary in the safety of an uninhabited island.
Like all desert-island stories, the men are stranded and are not found by rescuers, so they make their new homes on the island.
After a few years, one of them finds a cave, and in it, evidence that they were not the first people to have visited the island. Amongst the items he finds is a golden lamp – although now looking a little the worse for wear.
He takes it back to show the others. He gives it a clean, and when it rubs it a genie appears. They are astonished, but he tells them that he can grant them each a wish. But there is a catch. He can only grant one wish per month. So they draw lots.
The first one says: “I wish I was back at home with my family”. There is a puff of smoke, he disappears and the lamp falls to the floor.
A month later, the second one rubs the lamp and says to the genie: “I wish I was back home with my family too.” There is a puff of smoke, he disappears and the lamp falls on the floor.
A month later, the third one rubs the lamp and says to the genie: “I’ve been really lonely this last month without my friends here. I do wish they were back here with me!”