Thimmi was a fisherman. He lived with his parents in a small village by the seaside. He worked hard everyday to make ends meet. He hoped that someday he would catch a big fish or find a treasure that would make him rich.

One day when Thimmi was preparing his boats for departure he saw a stranger enter their village. It is unusual for people in this village to have visitors. Soon the young and old alike began to gather around the newcomer. Several voices greeted the visitor. Thimmi was not interested in these events and was minding his own business. As soon as the stranger began to speak, the crowd began to grow quiet. More and more people began to gather around him. Curious to know what was happening Thimmi also joined the crowd.

“I can look at the future. I can look at your future.” said the stranger. Thimmi and others were paying full attention now.

“My mystic powers have made ordinary workers become rich merchants. Some have even become lords. My visions have brought me to this village. It tells me there are a few folks here who are destined for greatness. My duty is to reveal it to them.” said the stranger.
An elderly woman standing by Thimmi’s side was displeased with all that the visitor was saying.

“I had seen the likes of him before. He is just another fortune teller. Don’t waste your breath on him.” said the elderly woman.
Nobody in the crowd acknowledged her words.

The fortune teller began to speak more about this mystic skill. Thimmi stopped paying attention. A voice inside him kept repeating to him “Listen to this man. You are destined for greatness. He is going to turn you into a rich merchant.” Thimmi surrendered to that voice.

“I want to know my future. Can you tell me?” Thimmi shouted.

The fortune teller was not bothered by the interruption. He gestured to Thimmi to come closer. He placed his hands on Thimmi’s head and looked towards the sky with closed eyes.

“I see you living in a big house. Several people attend to our needs. You are a kind and just man. You take good care of all of them.” said the fortune teller.

“But how?” asked Thimmi. “I cannot even afford to buy finer nets for my boat. How will I buy a big house?”

“In due time. In due time. One day, soon, you are going to make a big catch and that will make you rich beyond your dreams.” replied the fortune teller.

“When is that day? Tell me.” begged Thimmi.

“You shouldn’t make haste. I will tell you when you should know it.” replied the fortune teller.

“Can you tell me if I will have a good catch today?” asked Thimmi.

The fortune teller took Thimmi’s hands. He traced an alphabet in his hand.

“Remember this alphabet. This alphabet is your magic spell. You have to repeat it a hundred times in your heart before you cast your net. If you do that you will have a good catch today. You should not reveal your spell to anybody. If you do it will not work.” said the fortune teller.

Thimmi was determined to do as the fortune teller told him. A few others approached the fortune teller and asked for a similar spell to have a great catch. The fortune teller obliged. He gave each a different alphabet and a different repetition count. The men and women set out to sea on their boats.
A little after sunset the boats began to return. Thimmi was the last to reach shore. He was not happy with the outcome of the day. He had caught fewer fish then we would usually have. The men and women who benefited from the fortune teller’s spells praised him for his powers. As a token of gift they gave him a small portion of the catch.

“I caught more fish without the help of any spells.” boasted a woman.

“Imagine how much more you would have caught if you had been blessed by my spells.” said the fortune teller. The woman had no response to that. She gave a small portion of her catch to the fortune teller but she couldn’t tell why.

“I followed everything as you said. But I had one of the worst catches I can remember. Why didn’t it work for me?” asked Thimmi to the fortune teller.

“It worked for you. See today was going to be a bad day for you. Because of my spell, you were able to catch at least this much fish. Imagine how less you would have caught if I hadn’t taught you the spell.” said the fortune teller.

Several people nodded in acknowledgement. Thimmi was disappointed yet he gave a portion of his catch to the fortune teller.
In the days that followed Thimmi and a lot of other folks began consulting the fortune teller every time they set to the seas. Thimmi noticed that he was not doing any better following the fortune teller’s instructions. He asked the fortune teller on more than one occasion why the spells were not working for him. The fortune teller began to retaliate by accusing Thimmi of not following his instructions correctly. The fortune teller also began to teach him long and tongue twisting spells. He also instructed him on the color of clothes and accessories Thimmi had to wear on a particular day. The fortune teller also taught him some hand and body postures to accompany the spells. It became increasingly difficult for Thimmi to follow these in his boat while carrying out his job.

One day after reaching the middle of the sea, Thimmi realized that he couldn’t remember any of the spells or postures that the fortune teller had taught him. He began to panic. He blamed himself for forgetting them. He decided to go back to the shore and hear the fortune teller again. As he began to pull his nets, he realized that there were lots of fish in the net. He was happy to see such a big catch after a long time. He forgot everything about the fortune teller’s instructions. He carried out things in his own way and caught a boat load of fish that day. When returning to the shore he wondered how he was able to catch so many fish even after forgetting all the complicated instructions.

When Thimmi reached the shore, the fortune teller came to inspect his catch. He was surprised to see a lot of fish. He praised Thimmi for following the instructions correctly. The fortune teller demanded a bigger share from Thimmi for enabling him to make such a great catch. Thimmi did not argue with him. He gave the fortune teller what he asked and promised to come back to him the following day.

Thimmi visited the fortune teller everyday and got his instructions. But when he went to the sea, he ignored them and used only his skills to catch. His skills paid him well most of the time. Thimmi kept offering the fortune teller a share of his catch everyday. He did not want to raise any suspicion.
After a few weeks of great catch, Thimmi asked the fortune teller “I have been following your words for a long time now. They have helped me make several great catches. Can you tell me how and when I will become a rich merchant?”

The fortune teller was a bit surprised by this question.

“Soon.” he said. “I can see great things happening to you soon. You have to be well prepared for the task that is going to bring you great riches. I will teach you a long magic spell. When you cast this spell a thousand times a mermaid will land on your nets. She will tell you the location of a secret treasure, filled with gold and precious stones. It will all be yours in due time.”

Thimmi imagined the riches he would have when he found the treasure. He also repeatedly thought about the previous spells that never worked for him. He asked the fortune teller to accompany him on the boat for a short trip someday. The fortune teller agreed.

As planned both Thimmi and the fortune teller set out on the boat one day. Thimmi thanked the fortune teller for blessing him and his boat. After exchanging a lot of friendly banter they realized that they had drifted far into the sea than they had planned.

“I think we should return. I cannot see land anywhere.” said the fortune teller.
“No we are fine. Don’t worry.” said Thimmi.
“With your visions and spells nothing can harm us” he added.

The fortune teller began to feel uneasy.
“You remember the spell that you taught me, the one that can save me from any danger. I remember that by-heart.” said Thimmi.

“I am feeling a little sick. We should go back. Turn the boat.” commanded the fortune teller.

“I always wondered how you looked into the future.” said Thimmi. “Do you know what is going to happen to you? Have you seen your future?” he asked.

The fortune teller was terrified. Thimmi didn’t wait for his answer.

“Your spells never worked for me. I stopped following them and began working hard like I used to. That is how I made great catches. Did your mystic powers tell you that?” asked Thimmi.

The fortune teller began to shake. “You are making a big mistake.” he said. “Please don’t harm me.” cried the fortune teller.
Thimmi struggled to contain his laughter. He spoke with a half laugh. “If harm is on your way, then why didn’t you see it. I am beginning to doubt your powers.”

“I will make you very rich. Just listen to me.” said the fortune teller.

“Are mermaids real?” Thimmi asked.

The fortune teller was not sure what is the best response to the question.

“They are real if you believe in them” he said.

Thimmi stopped his oars.

“Tell me the truth or I will throw you into the sea.” said Thimmi. His expressions were serious.

“Please don’t” the fortune teller began to cry. “I am a evil person. I cheat people. I don’t have any mystic powers. I just made it up to extract money from people. I had been running from village to village all my life. I admit to all the wrongdoings but I don’t deserve to be thrown into the sea for this. Please show me some mercy. I will admit my lies to the villagers. I will give back all the money. I will work hard like everyone. Please don’t harm me. Please.” begged the fortune teller.

Thimmi was not a cruel person. Once the fortune teller admitted his crimes. He forgave him. He began to row back to the land.

“You will tell the villagers everything you told me. You should return all the money you took from us. We will find you some work to do. You can start an honest life.” said Thimmi to the fortune teller.

The fortune teller replied with a million yes to Thimmi. When they reached the shore they saw half a dozen guards from the neighboring town. The villagers were standing by them looking at Thimmi’s boat.
“Which one of you is the fortune teller?” asked one of the guards who looked like their captain.

Both Thimmi and the fortune teller were silent. They were not sure what these guards wanted. Some of the villagers stepped in and identified the fortune teller for them. The guard spoke again. This time he addressed the fortune teller.

“The lord would like to invite you to his mansion. He is looking for a man of your skills to help him in an important matter. Will you please come with us?” asked the guard.

Thimmi was shocked. He began to protest. His protests were drowned in the cheers that the villagers were throwing for the fortune teller. The fortune teller was also lost for words. He hurried to the guards and commanded them to leave immediately. Thimmi looked at the fortune teller in disgust. There was nothing he could do to stop him. He was glad that at least he escaped from the spell and learnt the truth.

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