The Royal Astrologer

The King came to the Royal Astrologer and said, “Sir! The Queen is pregnant. Can you please tell me whether it will be a boy or girl?”

The Astrologer closed his eyes and murmured some mantras and then he looked at the king and said, “Oh King! I have the answer to your question”

The Astrologer grabbed a palm leaf and scribbled something and then tied the palm leaf and placed it in a small iron box and closed it. The Astrologer said, “Even though I know the answer the time is not ripe to tell it to you. O King! Pls come back later”

The King gave some gifts to the Astrologer and bid him goodbye. The King came back a few months later, the astrologer rolled some dice and looked very agitated. He looked at the King and said, “Your highness! I very well know whether we are going to have a prince or princess, and I know how anxious you are. But unfortunately the time is still not ripe for you to hear it”

The King went back disappointed. Few months later the Queen gave birth to a beautiful princess. The King was overjoyed with happiness, but all these months the King was getting increasingly agitated about the Royal Astrologer. The King thought, “Is this astrologer trying to trick me? Does this guy really know astrology?”

The King went back to the astrologer and said, “O Learned Astrologer! I’m now a father of a princess”

The Royal Astrologer nodded and said, “O King! Pls go to the room in the left side. In the middle of the room you will see a small iron box. Pls open it and read what is written on the palm leaf”

The King went to the room and opened the iron box and untied the palm leaf. ‘Girl’ was written in that leaf. The king came back to the astrologer and bowed before him and said, “O Learned One! Pls forgive me for doubting you; you’ve proved to this country how great your astrology is! I understand that you should’ve a compelling reason to abstain from telling me whether the country will be blessed with a Prince or Princess. Pls accept my gifts”

After the king left one of the Royal Astrologer’s disciples came towards the astrologer and bowed before him and said, “Master! Pls teach us the technique that you used to find out whether the King’s child is a boy or girl”

The Royal Astrologer said, “Go to the room in the right side and read what is written on the palm leaf inside the Iron Box”