Through A Dream.

There lived once in Baghdad a wealthy man and made of money who lost all his substance and became so destitute that he could earn his living only by hard labour. One night, as he lay down to sleep, dejected and heavy hearted, and saw in a dream a Speaker who said to him, "truly your fortune is in Cairo; go here and seek it." So he set out for Cairo; but when he arrived there, evening overtook him and he lay down to sleep in a mosque. Presently, by decree of Allah Almighty, a band of bandits entered the mosque and made their way thence into an adjoining house; but the owners, being aroused by the noise of the thieves, awoke and cried out; whereupon the Chief of Police came to their aid with his officers. The robbers made off; but the Wali entered the mosque and, finding the man from Baghdad asleep there, laid hold of him and beat him with palm rods so grievous a beating that he was well near dead. Then they cast him into jail, where he abode three days; after which the Chief of Police sent for him and asked him, "from where are you?"; and he answered, "From Baghdad." the Wali said, "And what brought you to Cairo?"; and the Baghdadi said, "I saw in a dream One who said to me, Your fortune is in Cairo; go there to it.

But when I came to Cairo the fortune which he promised me proved to be the palm rods you so generously gave to me." The Wali laughed till he showed his wisdom teeth and said, "O man of little wit, thrice have I seen in a dream one who said to me: 'There is in Baghdad a house in such a district and of such a fashion and its courtyard is laid out garden wise, at the lower end whereof is a jetting fountain and under the same a great sum of money lies buried. Go there and take it.' Yet I went not; but you, of the briefness of your wit, have journeyed from place to place, on the faith of a dream, which was but an idle galimatias of sleep." Then he gave him money saying, "Help you back herewith to yours own country;"—

When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty second night

and he took the money and set out upon his homewards march. Now the house the Wali had described was the man's own house in Baghdad; so the wayfarer returned here and, digging underneath the fountain in his garden discovered a great treasure. And thus Allah gave him gave him abundant fortune and a marvellous coincidence occurred. And a story is also current of

Caliph Al Mutawakkil and his Concubine. 291