A stream of yellow fire shot out and hit the ant. It burst into flames and fell over, with its six legs jerking about randomly.

A second later another streak of flame shot out from Evan’s bazooka and another ant went up in flames and fell over.

The other ants took no notice. They just skirted round their fallen comrades and headed straight on for that burger. And I think it was this that convinced me that the ants deserved no mercy at all. They didn’t even care about each other, so why should I?

I pumped the trigger again and again and again, and so did Evan, and the big lumbering brutes collapsed, burst into pieces, writhing and kicking, with no idea what had hit them. I realized I was laughing, and so was Evan.

It had been a dry summer. The flames from the burning ants soon caught the surrounding grass. In no time a forest fire had started. Me and Evan retreated, still firing, but the flames were roaring towards us. I felt the heat searing my face.

‘Sam!’ Evan shouted. ‘Do something!’

‘I wish we were full-size!’

Blast. I’d forgotten about the clothes again. The doll-sized outfits we’d worn lay torn and tattered on the grass, and we were both stark naked.

‘All right, I wish we had our clothes on, obviously!’

We stood on the lawn, with the little ring of fire flickering at our feet. The ants were running around in circles, tiny, confused black specks – the burger called them on while the flames drove them away.

I felt suddenly sorry for them. The poor little things didn’t know what they were doing, they just followed their instincts. I started to stamp out the flames, and so did Evan. I tried to avoid stamping on any ants. But that was impossible, of course.

When the fire was out, I felt a bit silly and ashamed of myself. What had we just been doing? It was like we’d gone mad.

‘I wish all those ants we’d killed were alive again,’ I said.

Evan nodded in agreement. ‘What’s the matter with us? With all those wishes – you could do anything in the world – and we’re wasting our time killing ants!’

‘I know.’

‘I mean, instead of killing things, we could . . .’

‘What? Look, if there’s something you want me to wish, why don’t you just tell me?’

Evan bit his lip. ‘You mean you can’t guess?’

‘Nothing’s coming to me.’

‘Well – have a think, OK?’

‘OK.’ He’d gone all serious. I couldn’t work out why he was acting so weird.

‘I’m gonna go home now,’ Evan said.

‘OK. See you tomorrow.’

At the garden gate he turned back. ‘Just one more thing . . .’

‘Yeah?’

‘Could you wish for a burger for me to eat on the way home? A normal-sized one?’