The Magic String
The King Who Reigned with Fancies
Once upon a time, there lived a king named Nagpal. He held a high opinion of himself and was not inclined to listen to the advice of his ministers. Instead, he followed whatever whims crossed his mind. Naturally, his ministers struggled to carry out his capricious commands. One minister, Devnath, a wise and patient man, was particularly vexed by the king’s erratic behaviour. Nevertheless, he managed the daily affairs of the kingdom quite well, with significant help from Sivasena, the king’s bodyguard.
The Request for Tigress Milk
One day, the king ordered tigress milk. Immediately, Sivasena rushed to the forest, captured a tigress, and brought the animal to the palace. After tying its fore and back legs, he succeeded in milking it in front of the delighted monarch.
A Strange Command
Another day, the king summoned Devnath and announced, “Last night, a hermit appeared in a vision. He showed me a delightful trick: a ring suspended at the end of a string made of ashes. Neither did the rope snap nor did the ring fall to the ground. You must find someone who can perform this trick for me. And remember, if you do not find someone within three days, I will have your head on a platter.”
The Clever Solution
Devnath was taken aback by this unusual command. After a moment of thought, a brilliant idea struck him. He decided to summon a magician to perform the trick. The next day, he made all the necessary preparations and returned to the palace with a man who looked like a hermit. He said to the king, “Sire, this hermit is a learned man. He will do as you ask, but do not question him; he has taken a vow of silence.”
The Magical Performance
The hermit then took out a string and tied a birch twig at one end. At the other end, he tied the ring. He signalled to Devnath to bring a lamp. The light was held under the string, which soon turned to ashes, but the ring did not fall to the ground. The crowd of breathless courtiers applauded in unison at this fascinating display, and the happy king rewarded the hermit handsomely.
The Secret Behind the Trick
That evening, when Sivasena met Devnath, he remarked, “That was a good show you put on. Thank goodness the trick succeeded.”
Sivasena asked in curiosity, “But how did you manage the trick?”
Devnath explained, “Well, the string I gave you had been soaked in salt water three times. Naturally, the salt adhered to the sides of the string. When the match was applied, the string did not burn. Since there was no wind, everything went perfectly.”
Becoming a Magician
Sivasena clapped in appreciation and said, “Anyone who learns this trick can become a famous magician.”
Now that the story has been told, even you can perform this simple magic trick—just remember not to try it under an electric fan.