The Bottle Imp

Listening to an adaptation of "The Bottle Imp" by "Favorite Story" from 28 October 1947 via RelicRadio.com. Basically, there's a wish granting imp in a bottle, if you buy it, you have to sell it on for less than you bought it for and if you sell it for more, the bottle comes back to you - and - here's the catch - if you have it when you die, you're consigned to Hell. The Wikipedia article about the Robert Louis Stevenson story (here) states that there are a number of resolutions to 'The Bottle Paradox' exists, one of which is employed in the ending of the story. But - what if - working in the framework of the story (i.e. believing that imps and Hell and bottles exist) can't you just wish yourself to go to Heaven when you die? Doesn't that break the paradox too?

Also, points to Stevenson for employing foreign currency exchanges as a device.

Sidebar: The Kingdom of Hawaii, The story takes place in the Kingdom of Hawaii, which is what the American State of Hawaii used to be before it's occupation and annexation, as related from The Hawaiian Kingdom website.

"On January 16, 1893, United States diplomatic and military personnel conspired with a small group of individuals to overthrow the constitutional government of the Hawaiian Kingdom and prepared to provide for annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States of America, under a treaty of annexation submitted to the United States Senate, on February 15, 1893. Newly elected U.S. President Grover Cleveland, having received notice that the cause of the so-called revolution derived from illegal intervention by U.S. diplomatic and military personnel, withdrew the treaty of annexation and appointed James H. Blount, as Special Commissioner, to investigate the terms of the so-called revolution and to report his findings. 

"The report concluded that the United States legation assigned to the Hawaiian Kingdom, together with United States Marines and Naval personnel, were directly responsible for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government. The report details the culpability of the United States government in violating international laws and the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom, but the United States Government fails to follow through in its commitment to assist in reinstating the constitutional government of the Hawaiian Kingdom."