The Table of Seven

The Table of Seven

Eight-year-old Saif often wished he possessed a magical power—one that could instantly fulfill any desire he made. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, this wish never came true. He attempted many different ways to make his dreams a reality, but nothing worked. One day, while wandering toward the forest with these thoughts troubling his mind, Saif encountered something truly unexpected.

On a narrow forest path, he saw a dwarf walking calmly. His name was Anreeq. Saif stopped in his tracks, stunned. Until that moment, he had only seen dwarfs in storybooks, never in real life. Gathering his courage, Saif called out and greeted him politely.

Anreeq responded kindly and asked if he could help him in any way. Without hesitation, Saif shared his heart’s desire: he wanted a power that could grant all his wishes instantly. Anreeq gently replied that he himself could not grant such a power, but he knew of a place deep in the forest where Saif’s problem might be solved.

He described a mysterious rock at the very center of the forest, upon which lay a small pond that whispered secrets. If Saif listened carefully to the pond, followed its instructions, and finally drank its water, his wishes would come true. Anreeq carefully explained the path—three chestnut trees, a turn to the right, a bed of blue roses, and finally the whispering pond.

Filled with excitement, Saif hurried off. His legs trembled with anticipation as he followed every instruction precisely. Soon, he reached the strange pond, bubbling continuously atop a rock. It looked magical, just as Anreeq had described.

Saif leaned closer and listened. The water whispered, instructing him to stir it as many times as there are hours in a day and night combined. Remembering that a full day has twenty-four hours, Saif stirred the water exactly twenty-four times with a stick. The pond reacted immediately—bubbling violently as green smoke rose from its surface.

Next, the whispering voice instructed him to bend over the pond and spell “crackling lightning.” Saif blew gently over the water and traced the words with his finger. The pond shook as if struck by thunder, then suddenly became calm again.

The pond then sent Saif to fetch a fruit from a chestnut tree. Confused at first, Saif recalled that what looked like fruit on the tree was actually a plant called taka. He searched carefully and finally found one fallen beneath the tree. Dropping it into the pond, he stirred until it dissolved completely. The water turned bright green and began to glow.

Finally came the most important command: Saif was told to multiply seven by seven and circle the pond as many times as the answer. Saif hesitated. He realized with panic that he had never memorized his multiplication tables properly. Guessing incorrectly, he assumed the answer was fifty-two instead of forty-nine.

As he circled the pond, its color changed at every stage—blue, yellow, red, purple, golden, and diamond-like brilliance. But when Saif continued past forty-nine circles, the water turned brown again and became still.

Saif scooped some water and drank it. It tasted awful. He made wish after wish, but nothing happened. Heartbroken and disappointed, he finally walked back home.

On the way, he met Anreeq again and told him everything. The dwarf laughed gently and said that if an eight-year-old child does not know the table of seven, no magical wish can ever come true. Saif promised himself that he would learn all his tables and someday return, but the pond was never seen again. They say it only appears once.

The story ends with a reminder to children: knowledge is the real magic—and preparation is the key to success.