The Magic Powder

An unusual process for alchemy...

Salutations, reader! Today's story comes to us from Myanmar. The Magic Powder is about an alchemist, a wise father-in-law, and an industrious wife. Check out the link above to read the story, and continue with me below to overanalyze it.

I am familiar with alchemists trying to turn lead into gold, but this is the first time I've read of one trying to turn dirt into gold. But I suppose it had to be that way for the story to work.

Mad props to the father-in-law. I knew he was putting one over on his son-in-law, but it's impressive to be able to think on your feet that quickly. How else does one turn dirt into gold, after all, besides growing things in it? I also respect that the father-in-law didn't yell at his son-in-law for nearly starving his daughter and wasting his time on something crazy. It wouldn't have accomplished anything and it would have soured their relationship. Instead, the father-in-law used the alchemist's drive to make gold and turned that toward something that would support that couple. Then when he revealed his trick, he did so very kindly. This father-in-law is a fantastic human being.

For all his faults, the son-in-law does have a strong drive and dedication. He spent so much time and energy trying to turn dirt into gold, and he spent years growing those banana trees and tending them carefully the whole time. He was misguided, but his passion and dedication are a sight to behold. He just needs to be a bit less stubborn about what he works on.

The wife in this story is also determined. She could have given up on her husband and tried to move back home with her parents. I'm unclear if she could have tried to get a job of her own or not, but it seems like she would have if she could. Instead, she saw what her crazy husband was doing, planting banana trees, and she worked hard as well to give them a life. While her husband was dedicated in growing those banana trees and making sure they were strong, it seems like he only cared about the leaves. Which left his wife the task of harvesting the bananas and selling them. That would have been hard work. I'm beginning to see a metaphor about good marriage here...

The moral of this story is if you're going to be dead set on trying to do something impossible, it helps to have a clever father-in-law and dedicated wife to help you through it. Alternatively, if you want to do alchemy, make sure your household is able to eat first.

Have a different moral? Wondering what happened to the wife's mother? Annoyed the alchemist didn't help his wife harvest the bananas? Comment below! And if you're enjoying this blog, don't forget to subscribe.