An astrologer's prophecy about Saleem Sinai, born exactly at the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world slept and India awoke to life and freedom...
"A son… such a son!
A son, who will never be older than his motherland
- neither older nor younger…
There will be two heads – but you shall only see one
There will be knees and a nose, a nose and knees.
Newspaper praises him, two mothers raise him!
Bicyclists love him – but crowds will shove him.
Sisters will weep; cobra will creep…
Washing will hide him – voices will guide him!
Friends mutilate him – blood will betray him!
Spittoons will brain him – doctors will drain him
Jungle will claim him – wizards reclaim him!
Soldiers will try him, tyrants will fry him…
He will have sons without having sons.
He will be old before he is old!
...And he will die before he is dead!"
- Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
