A nursing assistant was doing a little cleaning on a quiet afternoon; she was polishing the old lamp that an old lady had given to the ward "in recognition of fine nursing" as she had said at the time.

One of the floor nurses, and the charge nurse nearby as the lamp suddenly produced a cloud of dark smoke - from which stepped a lady dressed in nineteenth century nurses' uniform.

"I am Gina the Gray Lady of the Lamp", she said. "I am so pleased with the way you have taken care of my previous owner that I will now grant you three wishes."

With a wave of her hand and puff of smoke, the room was filled with flowers, fruit, and bottles of fine wine, proving she did have the power to grant wishes before any of the nurses could think otherwise.

Speaking up, the NA wished first. "I wish I were on a tropical island beach, with a single,well-built man feeding me fruit and tending to my every need." With a puff of smoke, the NA was gone.

The floor nurse went next. "I wish I were rich, retired, and spending my days in my own warm cabin at a ski resort with a well groomed man feeding me cocoa and doughnuts." With a puff of smoke the floor nurse was gone.

"Now what is the last wish?" asked the lady.

The charge nurse said, " I want those two back on the floor at the end of the lunch break."