Once upon a time there was an old man who sold balloons in a store. Evidently the man was a good salesman, for he let a red balloon fly free and soar into the air, thereby attracting a crowd of young balloon buyers.
There was a black boy nearby. I was watching the salesman and, of course, enjoying the balloons.
After releasing the red balloon, the man released a blue, then a yellow and finally a white one. They were all rising until they were out of sight.
The boy, watching closely, followed each one. I kept imagining a thousand things. One thing annoyed him, the man wouldn't let go of the black balloon. Then he approached the salesman and asked him:
"Young man, if you let go of the black balloon, would it rise as high as the others?"
The balloon seller grinned sympathetically at the boy, broke the line holding the black balloon, and as he soared into the air he said:
"It's not the color, son, it's what's inside him that drives him up."
