At her grandmother’s house for the afternoon, Maya is too bored to finish her third-grade homework. When her grandmother steps outside to garden, she plays with the cat and her toy unicorn. Searching through her grandmother’s cedar chest, she finds a beautiful ruby ring.

Polishing her new treasure, Maya is astonished to confront an ancient genie. The genie is likewise amazed to find himself in the kingdom of Missouri. He announces that Maya will be granted three wishes but adds that she must make them quickly. The last person kept him waiting for fifty years without making a final wish. “Be careful what you wish for,” he advises.

Eager to have a playmate, Maya wishes that her cat could talk. The transformed cat proves an uncooperative companion. He demands to be in charge of everything, including Maya. As he wreaks havoc, Maya then wishes her toy unicorn would help her control the power-mad feline.

The swaggering unicorn only exacerbates the problem. As the two animals launch into comical battle, they reduce the living room to chaos. The amused genie then demands the flustered Maya make her final wish. Her surprising choice brings the magical antics to an end and the opera to an unexpectedly tender conclusion.

Synopsis by Dana Gioia