The Black Balloon

The Black Balloon
Written by: Neil Eskelin

On the streets of New York City a balloon salesman knew how to attract a crowd. Before making his first sale, he took a white balloon, filled it with helium gas and it floated into the air on the string. Next, he inflated a red balloon and then a yellow one. As children gathered around to buy his wares, a little black boy looked up at the balloons and eventually asked, "Mister, if you filled a black balloon, would it go up, too?" The man bent down, looked the boy in the eyes, and said, "Of course. It is not the color of the balloon; it is what is inside that makes it rise."