“Then what, I pray you, do you want here?” inquired the shopkeeper, “and what is your business?”
“Well, kind sir,” responded the peddler, “to tell the truth, I dreamed that if I came thither I would have good news.”
Right heartily did the shopkeeper laugh. “Ah!” said he, “you must be a fool to go on a journey with no better excuse than that. I must tell you, my poor, silly country fellow, that I also dream at night, and thrice recently have I dreamed that I was in Swaffham, a place I never have even been near in my life, and I thought I was in a field behind a peddler’s house, and in the field was a great oak tree, and a voice seemed to tell me that if I dug beneath that tree I would find a rich treasure. But do you fancy I am so lacking in sense as to undertake a long and wearisome journey because of a foolish dream? No, my good fellow; and now I would have you take advice from a wiser man than yourself. Get you home and mind your business.”
The peddler answered never a word, but was exceedingly glad in himself and returned home speedily. As soon as possible he dug under the great oak, and there he found a prodigious treasure. It made him very rich, but he did not forget his duty in the pride of his wealth; for he rebuilt the Swaffham church. When he died a statue of him was put in the church, all in stone, with his pack on his back, and his dog at his heels. There it stands to this day a witness to the truth of this story.
THE ORANGE FAIRY
IN the olden time there was once a sultan whose days were joyless because he had no son. Once he was out walking with his vizier, and they passed out of the city and went on and on until they came to a wild, craggy valley. In this valley they sat down to rest. Suddenly the ground was shaken as if by an earthquake, there was a clap of thunder, and a yellow-robed, yellow-slippered, white-bearded dervish stood before them. The emperor and the vizier were so frightened they could not stir, but when the dervish addressed them with the words, “Peace be unto you,” they took heart and responded courteously, “Unto you be peace.”
“What is your errand here, my lord sultan?” asked the dervish.
“If you know that I am a sultan, you must also know my errand,” the emperor replied.
Then the dervish took from his bosom an apple, presented it to the sultan, and said, “Let the sultana eat half of this, and eat the other half yourself.” So saying, he disappeared.