The Dream Came True

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, there was a king who had three sons. He was very fond of them and loved to hear them talk.

One day, while they were all in a merry mood, the king said, “Lads, tell me about the dreams you dreamt last night.”

The Dreams

The eldest prince began, “I dreamt that I had sailed to a far distant island. On that island stood a huge palace. I went inside and was warmly received. That’s all.”

The king applauded him and turned to the next son. The second prince related his dream, which was identical in experience to that of the eldest son.

Anand’s Reluctance

Then it was the youngest prince’s turn. He was reluctant to speak. The king pressed him, and so Anand, that was his name, began to relate his dream very hesitantly, “I dreamt that you brought me water in a silver vessel to wash my hands and that my mother stood by with a towel to wipe them dry.”

As soon as the king heard this, his anger knew no bounds. His brow darkened like a thundercloud as he spoke harshly to Anand, “Do you think we are your servants? You are an upstart and have no place here. I exile you from this very minute.”

The Journey Begins

Poor Anand, knowing what the king’s reaction would be to his dream, left the palace without a word. He wandered far and wide until he came to a mighty castle that was empty. Anand entered the courtyard and saw a huge giant driving a hundred cows before him. The giant was blind but seemed to know his way around. He sat on a stool and began to milk each cow in turn.

Anand tiptoed up to the giant and called out softly, “Father!”

The Reunion

The surprised giant let the pail fall from his hands and looked about. “Who are you that calls me father?” he asked.

“I am indeed your son,” replied Anand. <p“When were you born?” asked the giant. <p“Oh! A long while ago,” said the lad. <p“Hm!” said the giant after a moment. “Very well, son of mine, stay here with me and help out with the daily chores. I wish I could see you, but as you can see, I am blind.”

Life with the Giant

So from that day on, Anand stayed at the giant’s castle. He washed, swept, and cleaned the castle of centuries of dirt and rubbish. One day, while in one of the rooms, he came upon a bamboo piccolo. He blew on it and liked the sound it made. He went into the garden and played a tune. At the sound of the piccolo, everything began to dance—the trees, the grass, the clouds above. Everything moved to the uplifting melody. When he stopped playing, everything became still.

In the evening, the giant returned from his work as a cowherd and said, “Lad, I had a trying time today. For some reason, I began to dance. Even the cows began to prance. I just could not stop. Oh! how my legs ache.”

A Cautionary Tale

Anand smiled secretively and said, “Father, let me graze the cows from tomorrow. You take a rest.”

<p“Oh! Very well,” said the giant. “But take care not to visit that green hillside. A lot of witches live there. They’ll make you blind. You see, I lost my eyes because of them.”

Anand promised to be careful, and the next day he took the cows out to graze. When he came to the green hill, he saw a white mansion. Wanting a better look, he climbed a high tree and sat on a thick branch. Many witches lived in that mansion. One saw him from a window and was soon joined by another. They chortled with delight and said, “Ah! There is another with bright eyes. Let’s put his eyes out.”

Facing the Witches

Then they darted toward Anand. But the lad, quick as thought, put the piccolo to his lips and blew on it vigorously. The witches began to dance and could not stop themselves. Anand seized the opportunity and tied one witch by her hair to the branch, while another met the same fate when she dared to come near him.

They implored him to free them, but Anand replied, “Restore my father’s eyesight, and I’ll free you.”

<p“Free us, and we’ll get you his eyes,” said the witches. <p“Oh! No. If I free you, you’ll run away. Tell me where you keep the eyes. I’ll fetch them,” said Anand.

The Goblins’ Secret

<p“Olt all right. Go into our kitchen. You’ll find two goblins guarding the place. If you shout, ‘Ba Ba,’ they’ll fall into the fire. If you call out ‘Tu, Tu,’ they’ll come toward you. If you can kiss them, they’ll give you two apples. Give them to your father to eat, and he’ll get back his eyes,” instructed the witches.

Anand went into the house, and the goblins sprang upon him. Quickly, he shouted, “Ba, Ba!” The little monsters fell into the fire and were burnt to ashes. Picking up the two apples, he returned to the castle, ignoring the pleas of the witches to free them.

Restoration and Reward

He gave the fruits to the giant, who ate them gladly. At once, his sight was restored, and he danced around in great joy. He praised Anand for his kindness and declared him a splendid fellow. Then Anand related how he had come by the apples. The giant went out, burnt the witches to the ground, and destroyed their evil mansion.

Later, the giant called Anand and said, “Take what you want from my castle.”

The Riches of the Castle

Anand explored each room and saw heaps of gold and precious jewels. But he did not touch these; he only took a brightly flashing blade, a pair of silver sandals, and a gorgeous dress. Wearing all these, he went around the castle and eventually came to a room locked from the outside. When he asked for the key, the giant seemed reluctant and said that evil would befall him if he opened that door. However, Anand was insistent, and the giant finally drew the key from his bunch and gave it to the lad.

A Noble Quest

When Anand opened the door, he saw a wide hall in the middle of which stood a richly caparisoned horse. The horse whinnied upon seeing him and said, “Come, prince, climb on my back. We must go to the rescue of your father, whose kingdom has been attacked by the kings of the neighbouring countries because your sister would not marry any of them unless one could jump a horse over the large pool in your garden.”

Anand did not tarry any longer. Quick as a thought, he jumped on the horse and flew high into the air. When he reached the kingdom, he saw his father’s army in full retreat. Then, raising his bejewelled sword, he plunged into the enemy’s ranks and soon routed them.

The Recognition

The old king was full of gratitude for this unexpected help but did not recognize the prince, so changed Anand’s appearance. He arranged a grand feast for the noble warrior.

At the end of the feast, the king brought water for his guests to wash, and the queen stood ready with a towel.

The Return Home

Anand laughed and said, “Well, father, so after all, the dream did come true!”

Then, the old king’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of the son whom he had exiled so unjustly. His two older sons had run away like cowards from the battlefield.

So Anand was crowned king of the land. But he did not forget his foster father, the giant, through whose generosity he had come into such a huge fortune. Whenever he could take time off from his royal duties, he visited the giant’s castle and spent his days happily.