The Strange Finger

The Herald’s Announcement

At the head of the victory procession, the herald announced the news to the ‘king of Ratnapur, Jivansen. King Jivansen was delighted. “I must go out to receive our brave commander,” he declared as he stood up.

“But, my lord! I deeply regret to inform you that in the battle, the commander has lost a finger from his left hand,” reported the herald. The king sank into his throne in utter despair. According to the tradition of the Kingdom, one who lost a limb could not continue to command the army. But without Surjit as his commander, King Jivansen felt hopeless. It was a dire time for Ratnapur, with two or three neighboring kings turning hostile and trying to seize parts of his kingdom. It was the faithful and valiant Surjit who had foiled their plans.

A Close Bond

King Jivansen had a great love for Surjit; they were childhood friends. As Jivansen ascended to the throne after his father’s death, Surjit took over the command of the army following the death of his own father, the previous commander. Surjit had saved his young master from many dangers.

Surjit’s Return

Despite the joyous victory, King Jivansen did not go out to receive his commander. Instead, he sat in gloom. However, Surjit soon met him and said, “My lord, I understand your agony at my misfortune. Don’t worry; I will remain with you and avail of your service as my commander.”

There was no answer to this. The council of ministers remained silent. It was Subir, the court magician, who spoke first. “Cannot the old law change?”

A Magical Solution

“How can it change unless God Himself wills it?” replied the prime minister. Other ministers nodded their agreement. “But we have never tried to ascertain God’s will,” said Subir. He then looked at the priest and said, “Pundit, you are a great soul. Why don’t you sit in meditation and try?”

The priest hesitated, realizing the gravity of the situation. Subir whispered his plan in the priest’s ear.

The Priest’s Revelation

The next day, the priest appeared before the king while the ministers were present and said, “Something extraordinary happened this morning!”

“What is it?” queried the king.

“While I sat in meditation, a crow flew close to me and said, ‘Who says that the commander has lost his finger? It has become invisible. It is in another world, still alive. He should continue to hold his position.’ I asked if I could get proof that the finger is still alive in a different world. The next moment, I saw a small box lying on my lap. I opened it and saw its contents: a finger. It had grown blue, but it moved as I looked at it, proving that it was alive. The crow advised me to throw it into the temple pond before sunset.”

The King’s Visit

“This is really strange. Can’t we have a look at the finger?” asked the king.

“Well, my lord, since the crow has not forbidden me to show it to you, I have no objection to your having a look. Please visit the temple before sunset,” replied the priest.

Late in the afternoon, the king arrived at the temple accompanied by his ministers. In solemn silence, the priest brought out a small box, resembling a matchbox, and held it before the king. Then, slowly, he removed its cover. Inside was a bluish finger.

A Satisfying Miracle

“Let the finger give a sign of life,” uttered the priest. The next moment, it was seen to make a sudden movement. The king and the ministers were satisfied regarding the sanctity of the crow’s message. It was decided to retain Surjit in the position he held.

Magician Subir was waiting for the priest on the bank of the pond. With a smile, he took away the box. The box had a hole at the bottom through which the priest had thrust his own finger, making it appear as if the box contained the finger. The priest had, of course, colored his finger blue.