ocryh.Mr.Fingerwasjustsuchaperson.Youcouldsayhewasna?veandi,alwaysdoingwhathewahoutthinkingofthesequences.Buttobeperfectlyfrank,heersonwhocouldnotdistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,goodandevil.Heactedonlyacctohisownlikesanddislikes,sohisas,nomatterheordeviatedidnotsurprisepeoplewhoknewhim.Hewasalittlepersonpletelyginlogicalthought,soDimitriwasnotsurprisedatanythinghedid.

    5

    “Dimitri”saidVio.“Youseeallthiswealthbeforeyou.Theirvalueisastronomidimmeasurable.Allthesepreciousgemswillbeyoursifyouwouldpromisemeohing.Myditionisverysimple…”

    “Hereites”thoughtDimitri.Notwaitingforhertofinishspeaking,Dimitriinterruptedhersaying,“Yourmajesty,pleasedonottellmeyourditio.Letmeproveohingtoyou.IwantyoutoseewithyourowneyesmyillusiicsoyouwouldbelieveihfulnessofwhatIsay.”

    Dimitrigotupfromhissquattingpositionandwalkedtoohecasesofpreciousgems.HistwoloyalservantsCreativityandImaginatioheirmasterKingDimitritosomethingandsotheyheldhandswiththeirfiightlycspedandquicklyfollowedhim.Dimitripickedupasparklingdiamondthesizeofaquaileggandsaid,

    “Yourmajesty,Mr.Finger,pleasecloseyoureyesameshowyouoneofmymagictricks.”Thetwoofthemwerequitecooperativeandclosedtheireyes.Dimitrithrewthediamondinhishandhighintothesky.Histwoloyalservants,CreativityandImagination,quicklypoiheirfreehandtowardstheskyandallofasuddenmurmursofthundercouldbeheard.Theheavensopenedandadelugeofrainfallpoureddownfromtheskies,followedbythesoundepiecesofhailhittingtheground.Mr.Fingercouldn’ttrolhiscuriosityandslittingopenhiseyesatinybit,peekedout.Hesawthatititchdarkbothinsideandoutsidethegoldpadnothingcouldbeseen,soheclosedhiseyesagain.Afterawhile,theyheardDimitrishout,“Stop!”andtherain,haindthunderhaltedabruptlylikewell-trainedsoldiersobeyingtheordersoftheirsuperiorsinstantaneously,withouttheleasthesitatiohingwasquietandDimitrisaid,“OpenyoureyespleaseyourmajestyandMr.Fiheydidsoandwereshockedtofindthattheground,bothinsideandoutsidethegoldpaceevenbeyondpceswheretheeyescouldreach,werepiledwithpriceless,sparklingdiamondsofallcolorsandsizesthatdazzledtheeyes.Whatwasevenmoreamazing,somediamondswereforcedtohaltinmidairwhenDimitrigavehisandtostop,andhadnotimetofalltotheground,solookingalroundthemVioandMr.Fingersawthattheskieshighandlow,farandnearwerefullofexquisitediamondsofallshapes,colorsandsizes,twinklingintheair.Theywerestunnedandastouhesightwhichleftthemspeechlessanddumbfounded.

    “Youmaythinkthisisonlyanillusion,atrickoftheeye,orakindof”saidDimitriashepacedleisurelybeforethethrone.“Iwillnottrytoexpinbecausethisisadeepphilosophythatotbedescribedinafewwordsanddependsonone’suandingandenlighteoprehend.SufficeittosaythatIthinkyourmajestywilluandwhatImean.TheimageofthegoldpacethatIsanktothebottomofthekehasbeendeeplyimprintedinyourbrainandmemory,andyoureproduceitatwillsothatthebrilliant,glitteringpaceisagainbeforeoureyes.Ifyoudothis,why’tIgethemyriadsofstarsintheskiesintosparklingdiamondsandrainthemdownonthemundaneworldlikerainfalndhale?Itshouldraoyou.AsIjustsaid,thereisreallynomarkedboundarybet

ocryh.Mr.Fingerwasjustsuchaperson.Youcouldsayhewasna?veandi,alwaysdoingwhathewahoutthinkingofthesequences.Buttobeperfectlyfrank,heersonwhocouldnotdistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,goodandevil.Heactedonlyacctohisownlikesanddislikes,sohisas,nomatterheordeviatedidnotsurprisepeoplewhoknewhim.Hewasalittlepersonpletelyginlogicalthought,soDimitriwasnotsurprisedatanythinghedid.

    5

    “Dimitri”saidVio.“Youseeallthiswealthbeforeyou.Theirvalueisastronomidimmeasurable.Allthesepreciousgemswillbeyoursifyouwouldpromisemeohing.Myditionisverysimple…”

    “Hereites”thoughtDimitri.Notwaitingforhertofinishspeaking,Dimitriinterruptedhersaying,“Yourmajesty,pleasedonottellmeyourditio.Letmeproveohingtoyou.IwantyoutoseewithyourowneyesmyillusiicsoyouwouldbelieveihfulnessofwhatIsay.”

    Dimitrigotupfromhissquattingpositionandwalkedtoohecasesofpreciousgems.HistwoloyalservantsCreativityandImaginatioheirmasterKingDimitritosomethingandsotheyheldhandswiththeirfiightlycspedandquicklyfollowedhim.Dimitripickedupasparklingdiamondthesizeofaquaileggandsaid,

    “Yourmajesty,Mr.Finger,pleasecloseyoureyesameshowyouoneofmymagictricks.”Thetwoofthemwerequitecooperativeandclosedtheireyes.Dimitrithrewthediamondinhishandhighintothesky.Histwoloyalservants,CreativityandImagination,quicklypoiheirfreehandtowardstheskyandallofasuddenmurmursofthundercouldbeheard.Theheavensopenedandadelugeofrainfallpoureddownfromtheskies,followedbythesoundepiecesofhailhittingtheground.Mr.Fingercouldn’ttrolhiscuriosityandslittingopenhiseyesatinybit,peekedout.Hesawthatititchdarkbothinsideandoutsidethegoldpadnothingcouldbeseen,soheclosedhiseyesagain.Afterawhile,theyheardDimitrishout,“Stop!”andtherain,haindthunderhaltedabruptlylikewell-trainedsoldiersobeyingtheordersoftheirsuperiorsinstantaneously,withouttheleasthesitatiohingwasquietandDimitrisaid,“OpenyoureyespleaseyourmajestyandMr.Fiheydidsoandwereshockedtofindthattheground,bothinsideandoutsidethegoldpaceevenbeyondpceswheretheeyescouldreach,werepiledwithpriceless,sparklingdiamondsofallcolorsandsizesthatdazzledtheeyes.Whatwasevenmoreamazing,somediamondswereforcedtohaltinmidairwhenDimitrigavehisandtostop,andhadnotimetofalltotheground,solookingalroundthemVioandMr.Fingersawthattheskieshighandlow,farandnearwerefullofexquisitediamondsofallshapes,colorsandsizes,twinklingintheair.Theywerestunnedandastouhesightwhichleftthemspeechlessanddumbfounded.

    “Youmaythinkthisisonlyanillusion,atrickoftheeye,orakindof”saidDimitriashepacedleisurelybeforethethrone.“Iwillnottrytoexpinbecausethisisadeepphilosophythatotbedescribedinafewwordsanddependsonone’suandingandenlighteoprehend.SufficeittosaythatIthinkyourmajestywilluandwhatImean.TheimageofthegoldpacethatIsanktothebottomofthekehasbeendeeplyimprintedinyourbrainandmemory,andyoureproduceitatwillsothatthebrilliant,glitteringpaceisagainbeforeoureyes.Ifyoudothis,why’tIgethemyriadsofstarsintheskiesintosparklingdiamondsandrainthemdownonthemundaneworldlikerainfalndhale?Itshouldraoyou.AsIjustsaid,thereisreallynomarkedboundarybet