"I hate this." sighed Buggy, shuffling in his black boots.
The little boy and his Magician were having their customary pre-siesta chat. The hour long meeting was allotted for discussing very serious issues. Like "what should be done with the garden gnome, who eats up the roses", "how to sleep during lessons without getting caught", "how to teach Bozo (the class bully) a lesson", etc. etc. And all meetings were held under the garden table (to ensure absolute privacy). Today however, they were joined by their dear friend Buggy.
"What is it now Buggy?" asked the little boy tiredly.
"These boots just do not fit! I should have bought the other one...and look it has changed its color again! How did it turn black? Yesterday I bought them red. I will sue that shoemaker!"
It was amazing how Buggy could be sulky, angry, sad, bewildered all at the same time. He loved his boots but was never satisfied with them no matter how many times he changed them, or bought new ones. And he always wore them in black, though he kept denying it. His days were thus spent in laments of how his shoes never fit him. So when no one could take his whining any longer, the little boy decided to end the problem once and for all.
"First things first Buggy, those shoes were already black when you bought them yesterday.
In fact you bought them because they were black. So stop lying to yourself. Secondly, those boots had fit perfectly yesterday, you walked for almost an hour in them before buying so how can they not fit now? Thirdly,..."
Ignoring his friend, Buggy turned to the Magician.
"Can you turn it red and make it fit perfectly?"
The Magician who was busy playing his instrument (the little boy was still confused about what to call it, it looked very similar to a flute but sounded like several different instruments) did not look up. Buggy asked again. And again and again. Even the little boy was losing his patience with Buggy. The Magician, however, continued playing serenely and finished his piece. Finally he turned to Buggy and asked in a matter-of-fact way, "Buggy, are you sure you want that?"
"Yes, of course! That's what I am crying hoarse about, am I not!" said Buggy rolling his eyes.
"Fine. But my hunch is you won't be happy if I give you what you want. So here's an idea. I'll keep changing your boots to whatever you want it to be till you are absolutely satisfied."
"You can change it to anything that I want?!" Buggy was positively excited now.
"Yes, of course."
"And I can keep asking till I'm entirely satisfied?! No conditions?!"
"None. No conditions. And I won't leave you today till you are absolutely happy with it."
Buggy did a double flip and started running around in circles in glee. The little boy too was quite surprised. As long as he could remember, the Magician never gave anyone what they wanted. In fact, he excelled in giving them the exact opposite. The little boy was of the opinion that it was the Magician's favorite amusement.
Buggy finally settled down and started telling the Magician what he wanted in his boots. Just as the Magician had predicted, Buggy did not like the perfectly-fitted red boots. Of course he did not like it, he could have anything now, why would he settle for a plain pair of red boots?
"Can you make it have stones on it? Little stones like stars and it should shine like diamonds!"
"Umm..no, it looks too bright! No, not stones, how about the softest shade of blue..no yellow. Sunshine yellow!"
"Buggy, I said I will turn your boots to anything that you want! Go wild!"
The little boy was wondering the same thing. Buggy could have the most magical pair boots in the whole world and here he was just changing colors and putting stones!
It did not take long. Within just an hour, Buggy grew tired and ran out of ideas. And very strangely he was more unhappy than ever!
"Buggy, if you think you need more time to design that perfect pair, you can come back tomorrow. I'll make it for you." The Magician said kindly.
"I'm tired Magician. I don't have any more ideas and I don't know what to want anymore. I don't know why I'm so unhappy, I don't know what will make me happy!" Tears were streaming down his little face.
"Buggy, I can help you with ideas if you want." The little boy offered. He was feeling very sorry for his friend.
"NO!" Buggy was so upset that he took off the boots and threw it away.
The Magician was already chuckling. "Better?", he asked innocently.
"Yes!! But how? Did you do magic on me? I loved my boots!" Buggy looked extremely relieved and happy now. Not to mention utterly bewildered at his sudden change of heart.
"No, you did not. You thought you did. It was not the size, color or design of the boot but the boot itself which was making you so unhappy. But you were so busy blaming the shoemaker that you did not notice it at all! You would have realized it eventually, of course. But I just had to help you to realize it faster because frankly kid, your whines are absolutely insufferable!"
"Aha! so that's how we get things out of you! Whine!", joked Buggy. While the Magician replied with a wink and mischievous grin, the ever-curious and ever-serious little boy sat up to ask more meaningful questions.
"Why can't you simply explain or help everyone realize things quickly like this? Imagine a world like that! No complaints, everyone happy, content, and peaceful. Must you always make us suffer so?", asked the little boy half-tired, half-exasperated.
"Because (a) I have far better things to do..." The two boys started chuckling, thinking of all the things that the Magician does throughout the day (the little boy more so, as he had long become the Magician's assistant).
"(b) they will never know the sheer joy of discovering or winning something on their own if I keep solving everything for them and (c) it's high time they realized happiness is inside. Not outside, or above for that matter.
I have plenty of other perfectly logical reasons and I would love to talk about it, but right now, that cliff (pointing at the highest point of their little town) is looking rather inviting for a jump... wait!...hey!.."
The two boys had already started racing toward the cliff with the Magician fast on their heels.
Ignoring his friend, Buggy turned to the Magician.
"Can you turn it red and make it fit perfectly?"
The Magician who was busy playing his instrument (the little boy was still confused about what to call it, it looked very similar to a flute but sounded like several different instruments) did not look up. Buggy asked again. And again and again. Even the little boy was losing his patience with Buggy. The Magician, however, continued playing serenely and finished his piece. Finally he turned to Buggy and asked in a matter-of-fact way, "Buggy, are you sure you want that?"
"Yes, of course! That's what I am crying hoarse about, am I not!" said Buggy rolling his eyes.
"Fine. But my hunch is you won't be happy if I give you what you want. So here's an idea. I'll keep changing your boots to whatever you want it to be till you are absolutely satisfied."
"You can change it to anything that I want?!" Buggy was positively excited now.
"Yes, of course."
"And I can keep asking till I'm entirely satisfied?! No conditions?!"
"None. No conditions. And I won't leave you today till you are absolutely happy with it."
Buggy did a double flip and started running around in circles in glee. The little boy too was quite surprised. As long as he could remember, the Magician never gave anyone what they wanted. In fact, he excelled in giving them the exact opposite. The little boy was of the opinion that it was the Magician's favorite amusement.
Buggy finally settled down and started telling the Magician what he wanted in his boots. Just as the Magician had predicted, Buggy did not like the perfectly-fitted red boots. Of course he did not like it, he could have anything now, why would he settle for a plain pair of red boots?
"Can you make it have stones on it? Little stones like stars and it should shine like diamonds!"
"Umm..no, it looks too bright! No, not stones, how about the softest shade of blue..no yellow. Sunshine yellow!"
"Buggy, I said I will turn your boots to anything that you want! Go wild!"
The little boy was wondering the same thing. Buggy could have the most magical pair boots in the whole world and here he was just changing colors and putting stones!
It did not take long. Within just an hour, Buggy grew tired and ran out of ideas. And very strangely he was more unhappy than ever!
"Buggy, if you think you need more time to design that perfect pair, you can come back tomorrow. I'll make it for you." The Magician said kindly.
"I'm tired Magician. I don't have any more ideas and I don't know what to want anymore. I don't know why I'm so unhappy, I don't know what will make me happy!" Tears were streaming down his little face.
"Buggy, I can help you with ideas if you want." The little boy offered. He was feeling very sorry for his friend.
"NO!" Buggy was so upset that he took off the boots and threw it away.
The Magician was already chuckling. "Better?", he asked innocently.
"Yes!! But how? Did you do magic on me? I loved my boots!" Buggy looked extremely relieved and happy now. Not to mention utterly bewildered at his sudden change of heart.
"No, you did not. You thought you did. It was not the size, color or design of the boot but the boot itself which was making you so unhappy. But you were so busy blaming the shoemaker that you did not notice it at all! You would have realized it eventually, of course. But I just had to help you to realize it faster because frankly kid, your whines are absolutely insufferable!"
"Aha! so that's how we get things out of you! Whine!", joked Buggy. While the Magician replied with a wink and mischievous grin, the ever-curious and ever-serious little boy sat up to ask more meaningful questions.
"Why can't you simply explain or help everyone realize things quickly like this? Imagine a world like that! No complaints, everyone happy, content, and peaceful. Must you always make us suffer so?", asked the little boy half-tired, half-exasperated.
"Because (a) I have far better things to do..." The two boys started chuckling, thinking of all the things that the Magician does throughout the day (the little boy more so, as he had long become the Magician's assistant).
"(b) they will never know the sheer joy of discovering or winning something on their own if I keep solving everything for them and (c) it's high time they realized happiness is inside. Not outside, or above for that matter.
I have plenty of other perfectly logical reasons and I would love to talk about it, but right now, that cliff (pointing at the highest point of their little town) is looking rather inviting for a jump... wait!...hey!.."
The two boys had already started racing toward the cliff with the Magician fast on their heels.
