Princess Morbucks came back into the old shop with a suitcase full of money. She opened it up and took out one of the many stacks of $100 bills that were wrapped with green wrappers that said '$5000' on them. The shopkeeper's eyes almost popped clear out of his head at the sight of all that money.

Princess closed the suitcase and put it on the floor between her feet. The shopkeeper wished that he had asked for more. The little Yanqui could afford it. But he knew the evils of money, and was secretly glad he hadn't. He was secretly glad that the little brat would soon be gone.

"Give it to me!" Princess shouted.

He took the cash and handed her the lamp. He went back to his place behind the glass counter. While he deposited the money in his safe, out of sight of customers, she smiled and gleefully began to rub. Nothing happened. She tried again, rubbing the old lamp harder. Dirt came off on her skin, and the old gold underneath began to show through. It was real gold, too. But the sight didn't please her. No genie appeared.

Princess put the lamp down on the nearest shelf and strode to the counter. All those bribes she had paid to find this place, and everyone had lied to her. Now, this old man had, too. "You ripped me off, you liar! I want my money back!"

He didn't look at her. His eyes grew huge. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He pointed to a spot somewhere over her shoulder.

Princess turned, and froze to her spot. Looming above her was a huge, pale-blue apparition. Its arms were folded, and its face, with a full, dark-blue beard, didn't look very happy. It scowled at Princess, and then at the shopkeeper. The rest of its huge-chested body trailed away, below the waist, to a thin wisp that ended at the opening of the lamp.

"Y-y-you're a…a g-g-genie!" Princess stuttered, in fright.

"Who has summoned me from my slumber?" growled the spirit in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Not I, oh Great D'jinni," the old shopkeeper mumbled, cowering slightly from the safety of his enclosed area. Princess was out in the open.

But Princess quickly got back her composure. "I did," she said. "My name is Princess Morbucks. I summoned you, and you must grant me three wishes!" Her eyes burned with fire. The genie's reflections floated upon her dark eyeballs.

The genie's expression changed from a scowl to a wide smile, and he bowed grandly. "Your wish is my command!"

Finally, her dreams were going to come true! She was going to be a Powerpuff Girl, for real! And this time, nobody was going to stop her!

"All right, let's get down to business."

The shopkeeper cleared his throat. Princess turned around. "Yes?" she hissed. The genie scowled again.

"Begging your pardon, oh Great D'jinni, the man said in a trembling voice. "But the young girl and I struck a deal. She is to pay the remainder-"

"Pay no attention to the old fool," the spirit said to Princess, stopping her from telling the old man to shut up.

"Yes!" she thought again. " I win! I win! I win!!!"

"All right, for my first wish…" she began, rubbing her hands together gleefully.

"Choose them wisely, young child," cautioned the genie.

"Oh, I have," Princess answered confidently. I know exactly what I want! First, I want all the money in Townsville!"

The genie blinked and closed his eyes. He gave a short nod of his huge head. He opened his eyes and said, "Done."

"Excellent! Now, I want all the property in Townsville!"

The act was repeated. "Done. Now, what is the third miracle you wish?"

Princess didn't hesitate. "I want-"

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride…" interrupted the old man softly.

Princess spun around. "I wish you would-"

She stopped herself just in time. "Why, you," she growled. She turned back to the genie, who was again scowling at the shopkeeper.

"That was a nasty trick, I agree," the ghostly figure said pleasantly. "I would have given you that one, free of charge. Now, what is your final request?"

"I want to be a Powerpuff Girl!"

The genie's eyes widened. At the same time, the old man gasped. "No! Oh Great D'jinni, you cannot grant her that last wish! The power of a Powerpuff Girl is too great and dangerous to be trusted with such a creature as that!" His old finger pointed at Princess.

"Silence, fool!" shouted the genie. To Princess, the spirit said, "Your wish is my command. It is granted."

Princess waited for the feeling of power she'd felt those times before. It didn't come. "Hey! I don't feel different!"

The genie smiled. "When you have arrived safely at your home, and upon waking on the next day, you will have everything you have asked for. Upon my sacred honor, I say it is so!"

With that, the genie withered to a tiny wisp of blue, and disappeared altogether. The lamp, its home for centuries, was once again just a lamp. Princess picked it up, then turned to face the old man.

She picked up her suitcase in her other hand. "I was right," she sneered at the man. She tossed the lamp in the air and caught it. "I have my three wishes. Why should I give you another penny for this old thing? I mean, it's not a magic lamp now, is it?"

"I was right, too," the shopkeeper said.

"About what?"

"About what I said, about what you were buying. If you need a reminder, it will cost you the balance of what you agreed to pay me."

His words made Princess so angry that she forgot about the gold lamp she just paid $5000 for. She threw it at the old man's head. Luckily, he ducked. It knocked his telephone off the hook on the wall behind him.

"I wouldn't give you another cent for everything in this stupid place!"

Princess stormed out of the shop and got into the waiting limousine. She didn't have the lamp, but she had her three wishes. She ordered the driver to take her back to her hotel. The sooner she could get back on her daddy's jet was the sooner she could get home. Soon, she would control all of Townsville, as the fourth, and most powerful, Powerpuff Girl!