Predicting Predictions

Predicting Predictions

Grizelda was a fortune-teller. She’d travelled with the Goodman Brothers Extravaganza for close to thirty years. She was good at what she did, but her readings had become unreliable recently.

I must talk to someone about this!” she decided. Hurrying across the compound of tents, she knocked on the upright of the one belonging to Barbara Anne, the bearded lady and her best friend.

After explaining her problem over mint tea and scones, Grizelda waited while Babs thought for a while.

“Well, Griz, all I can think of is that you restrict yourself to palm-reading or tarot and see how that goes.”

“But it all involves predicting. Crystal ball gazing is my most lucrative turn,” she explained

“Perhaps give it a rest for a bit. Stick to mind-reading.”

The fortune teller sighed and agreed to try it for a week. It was a struggle, but she managed it. Of course, there was a gradual drop-off in the number of clients she had.

Funnily enough, Grizelda got more and more antsy about her withdrawal from making predictions, especially those using the crystal ball. She fought off a burning desire to do just one to see how it went.

Finally, she broke down and confessed all to Barbara Anne.

“It sounds like it’s torturing you! Since you’ve taken a break, maybe you should try it just once,” she advised the fortune teller.

Relieved, Grizelda went back to her tent. But all the people who came for her services wanted only mind-reading.

“I shall go mad if I don’t use my crystal ball soon!” she muttered to herself between clients.

The next day, Barbara Ann was astonished to see a haggard and red-eyed Griz at her tent door.

“My prediction came true.”

“What happened?” the bearded lady gasped.

“I got fired!”