"Alas!" said Joseph, "the meaning of thy dream is this: In three days Pharaoh shall hang thee upon a tree; and the birds shall come and eat thee."
Now, as it proved, Joseph had interpreted the dreams aright; for the power of vision had been with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before him.
JOSEPH INTERPRETING PHARAOH'S DREAM.
But the servant who went back into Pharaoh's home forgot Joseph when once he was free himself; and so for two long years Joseph lay in prison.
Then Pharaoh himself had two strange dreams, and no one in the land could interpret them. Then the old servant, remembering how Joseph interpreted his dream for him so long before, told Pharaoh of him; and Pharaoh at once freed him from prison and bade him come before him to interpret his dreams.
"I dreamed," said Pharaoh, "that I stood beside a river. Seven fat kine came out from it and fed in the meadow. Soon seven more came out, thin and bad. Then the seven lean kine ate up the seven fat kine.
"Then I awoke. But when I slept again, I dreamed that seven good ears of corn came out upon one stem. And soon after, seven more, thin and bad. And the seven bad ears ate up the seven good ears."
"The dreams, great king," said Joseph, "mean this: There shall be seven years of great fruitfulness in the land. Then shall come seven years of famine. And the seven years of famine shall eat up all the fruitfulness of the first seven years.
"Now let Pharaoh take warning. Let him hoard up all the corn that can be spared in these first seven years. Then, when the years of famine come, there will be corn for all who dwell in the land."