What is in Color

The Longing for a Heir

Bhupesh, the king of Ratnapur, was a good man and a noble ruler. His queen, Indu, was an excellent match for him, but the royal couple faced one deep sorrow: they were childless. For years, they performed various religious rites to appease the gods, hoping that by their blessings, they might welcome a child into their family. Yet, their prayers seemed to go unheard.

A Mendicant’s Visit

One day, a mendicant visited the court and found the king looking gloomy. When asked about his sadness, Bhupesh revealed his lament over having no heir. The mendicant meditated for a moment and then said, “In your previous life, you were the cause of the death of all the children of an innocent man. That is why you are destined to be childless in this life. However, your destiny may change if you perform a certain penance in the Himalayas.”

The King’s Journey

Willing to change his fate, the king entrusted the queen with the burden of ruling the land and set off for the Himalayas. For two years, he remained engrossed in unbroken penance, braving the heat of the sun and the fury of storms.

The Mendicant’s Guidance

At the end of his penance, the mendicant told him, “You can now return to your palace, carrying this bow and a bunch of arrows. On your way, you will come across a forest filled with wild boars—some dark, some brown, and some fair. Shoot down one of them and carry its flesh to your queen. Let her eat it, and soon you will be blessed with a child.”

Unexpected Results

The king took leave of the mendicant and journeyed back to his kingdom. Soon, he entered a dense forest teeming with wild boars. In a hurry, he shot an arrow at a dark-skinned boar, killed it, and carried a piece of its flesh back with him.

There was great rejoicing in the kingdom upon the king’s return, and the queen was fed the flesh he brought. In due course, she gave birth to a child, but to the surprise of the king and queen, the child was dark-skinned.

The King’s Prejudice

Both the king and the queen were fair-skinned, as were most of their subjects. While the queen accepted the child’s complexion, the king was dismayed. He lamented, “My two years of severe penance should have yielded better results!” Despite the queen’s efforts to console him, his discontent persisted.

An Unconventional Solution

Worried about the king’s mood, the ministers were at a loss. Then, Somnath, the court magician, proposed, “If you permit me, I will try to change the king’s outlook through my magic.” The ministers, eager for a solution, gave their approval.

On the next occasion for entertainment, Somnath performed his magic. He brought out a white ball and asked, “What is the color of this ball?” “White,” the king replied. Somnath placed the ball in a pipe, and with a magical push, it emerged black!

Revelation Through Magic

The audience erupted in applause. Somnath demonstrated how the black ball could return to white, proclaiming, “This shows that there is hardly any difference between black and white. One should not see one color as superior to another.” The show profoundly affected the king’s attitude towards his child. Gradually, he overcame his prejudice and embraced his child with the love of a father.

The Truth Behind the Trick

Later, Somnath’s wife asked, “How could a white ball change into a black one?” Somnath revealed the trick behind his act. “Before the show, I placed a white ball and a black ball in the pipe. The audience thought each ball was the same one pushed through, but it was merely an illusion.”

“So simple!” she observed. “Simple when you know the trick, but amazing when you don’t!” replied Somnath.