CHARMED ROOTS

As a teenager it was a thrill to watch medicine sellers performing side shows in order to gather a crowd. I was one of their faithfuls. Some of the 'magic' that always never failed to attract me was; bending of steel rods by using the strength of their throat, rolling over glass shreds, and certainly the snake charmers. To me it was a wonder of wonders and will be glued for hours, not because the show is a thriller, but the snake charmer would not open the lid of the rattan basket where the snakes are kept. What he does was a delay tactics. Meanwhile he would be peddling the herbal roots, and medicine that would keep the snakes away or neutralise the poison etc.etc.

Meantime he would approach the basket, pretends to open it but never. This act would keep me in anticipation of when he would open the lid and let the snakes to dance. Once the business for the day is about to be over he would remove the lid, and the snakes would rear its head up and sway in rhythm to the music. Oh! the snake charmer plays a beautiful old hindi song on his flute.

That was happiness. Of course you guessed it right. I did buy some herbal roots. A worthless junk, but at that time it was magic to me. When I think about it, I felt silly and ignorant. The snake charmer had created a temporary sense of fear and sold me root as protection.

Now I know better, and did not hesitate to change my previous beliefs.
A misguided trust.