Final answer:
Mr. Peters is granted three wishes in 'The Third Wish' because he saves a swan maiden. His first wish is to be released from the river, and his second wish is for a kind and beautiful wife. He doesn't wish for a third wish because he is already happy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The story 'The Third Wish' is written in a detached third person point of view. It is not written in the first person 'I' point of view or by an all-knowing third person. The reason Mr. Peters is granted three wishes in the story is because he saves a swan that turns out to be a magical creature known as a swan maiden. As a reward, the swan maiden offers him three wishes. On his first wish, Mr. Peters wishes to be released from being stuck in the cold river. On his second wish, he wishes for a wife who is kind, loving, and beautiful. He doesn't wish for a third wish because he realizes that he is already content and happy with his second wish coming true.