The Wise Fortune Teller
A picture of the future ...
The fortune teller continued a conversation with the young person sitting at the opposite side of the table.
"Now, this is important, so I will say it again. I can see the future, and I can tell you what I see. However, and this is very important, if you do anything different than you would have done if you had not consulted me, the future I see today will no longer come true."
He nodded an understanding.
The fortune teller paused, eyes closed, then looked into the crystal ball and said, "No, the success you are hoping for will never happen. In fact, your grades will be insufficient to remain in school long enough to graduate."
Looking up, "I'm sorry I had to tell you that. But I can only reveal what I see."
The young person slunk out.
His friends were waiting outside, where he had left them upon the spur-of-the-moment decision to get his fortune read.
"Hey, you look disappointed."
Another of the friends said, "I know how to fix that. It's still Saturday. Let's go party!"
He shook his head. Then looked straight at his friends, intent. "No. No more parties. I have to study!"
And walked off with a purpose never expressed in any of his previous 19 years of life.
"I'm going to prove that crystal gazer wrong!"
This story was also published as a popcorn story by Will Bontrager.
