X. The Right Answer

Folk-lore of the Holy Land, Moslem, Christian and Jewish, by J. E. Hanauer [1907], at sacred-texts.com

X

THE RIGHT ANSWER

A CERTAIN sultan dreamt that all his teeth fell suddenly out of his mouth; and, awaking, was so frightened he woke his servants and bade them summon the Learned with all speed.

The sages, gathered in haste, heard the dream, and afterwards kept silence, seeming much embarrassed.

But a young man, fresh from school, stood forth unbidden, and falling at the sultan's feet, exclaimed: "O sultan of the age! The dream be to your enemies, and the interpretation thereof to all that hate you. It means that all your relatives will be destroyed before your eyes in a single day."

p. 128

The sultan, furious, ordered the officious wretch to be bastinadoed, thrown into prison, and fed on bread and water for a year. Then, turning fiercely on the trembling herd of councillors, he stamped his foot, repeating his demand of them. For a while they trembled in silence. Then the sheykh of the Learned ¹ stepped forward, and raising his hands and eyes to heaven exclaimed: "Praise be to Allah, who has deigned to reveal to your Majesty the blessing which He holds in store for all the nations under your dominion; for this is the interpretation of that Heaven-sent dream; that you are destined to outlive all your kindred."

The monarch filled the old man's mouth with pearls, hung a gold chain round his neck, and put on him a robe of honour.

Footnotes

128:1 Sheykh el’ Ulema.