Perchance to Dream

It is the story of a-King-of-Long-ago, who dreamt of a Fox hanging upside down from the roof of his bedroom, it's tail apparently attached to the roof of the room. The wild fox was wildly trying to scratch the King. The King woke up with a start, deeply disturbed by the dream. He called all his Ministers and advisors and asked them what it meant. Sadly for him, no one had an answer. Finally, the King offered a reward to anyone to anyone who would explain the dream.

Meanwhile, in a far-away village, a poor man heard of the King's challenge and curious about the story, set off to the city to try his luck. The shortest path was a difficult one, and the man had to cross a river and a mountain to get to the city.

Having crossed the river, while climbing a ledge on the mountain, he saw a deadly snake in his path. His shock changed to disbelief when the snake said,
"Welcome dear sir, who are you? Where have you come from and where are you going?"

The bewildered man told the snake the King's dream and about the reward he had offered. The snake slithered away, then looking back at the man it said,
"I know the meaning of the King's dream, and will tell you only on condition that you give me half the reward money. I cannot leave this mountain for fear of being killed." The man agreed. Looking at him closely the snake replied,
"Tell your King that this dream signifies that the people of his Kingdom have become cunning and deceitful. He should be careful of deception."
The man thanked the snake and went off to tell the King.

The man was ushered into the presence of a distraught King attending to people who had come to discuss the dream. After listening to some of the people gathered there, the man stood up loudly proclaiming, "O King I have come from afar to explain the meaning of your dream." Everyone fell silent and he continued, "Your Dream, O'King, is a warning to you that the people of your Kingdom have become cunning and deceptive, and that you should be on
your guard in whom you trust." The stranger unsure of the King's response waited silently until he saw a look of relief on his face. He had finally got the answer to his dream.

On his way home the man thought to himself, "Why should I give half of the money to the snake? I'll just take a longer route, bypass the mountain and the snake will never find me." So the man arrived home, a little late but, considerably richer.

A year later the King dreamt of a sword was dangling from the roof of his room swinging close to his face. Once more, disturbed by the dream, he sent out messages to everyone for an explanation. A special messenger was sent to the man who had explained the earlier dream. The man was commanded to come to the capital and if he succeeded in explaining the meaning of this dream he would be rewarded greatly.

The man realizing the dangers of refusing the King's command decided to apologize to the snake for his earlier deceitful behaviour. Crossing the river, and while climbing the ledge on the mountain, he found the snake waiting at the same spot as before. The snake said, "Welcome dear sir, who are you? Where have you come from and where are you going?" Glad the snake had forgotten him, the man told the snake of the King's dream. The snake once more offered to tell him the meaning in exchange for half the reward. The man once more, readily agreed. The snake then said, "Tell your King this dream signifies that the people of his Kingdom have become aggressive and violent; and that he should be
careful."

Once more the man thanking the snake and grateful it had not remembered his broken promise, the man set off for the city.

After listening carefully to the man's explanation of his dream the grateful King thanked him. Then, rewarding him handsomely he ordered two of his own body-guards to protect the man and his riches on his journey home. Once more the
man thought to himself, "Why should I give any of this money to the snake? I don't even have to take the longer home. I have two body-guards to protect me from the snake. If I see the snake I will kill it and so be rid of it forever."
Reaching the mountain ledge he came across the snake, as expected. The snake quickly realizing the man's intentions slithered behind a large rock. The man lunged forward to finish the snake off with his sharp sword, but only managed to cut off its' tail.

Frustrated in his attempt, the man consoled himself with the sight of the snakes tail and blood, thinking. "I have taught that snake a lesson it won't forget!" and went on his journey home.

Another year passed, and the King once more had a dream. This time he dreamt of a lamb hanging from his roof. The King, once more confused by his dream dispatched a messenger to the man, offering him a much larger reward than before for an explanation of the dream. Threatening to punish him if he did not come.

Upon receiving the message the man was deeply disturbed. He could think of no way out of his problem and after much soul searching he realized the only way out for him would be to confess everything and apologize to the snake. Early next morning the man set off, crossing the river and climbing the mountain ledge. Once more he saw the snake (with a wounded stump instead of a tail). Before he could speak the snake said "Welcome dear sir, who are you? Where have you come from and where are you going?"

Once more, glad the snake had forgotten him, he told the snake of the King's dream. Once more, the snake offered to tell him the answer in exchange for half the reward. Once more, the man readily agreed. The snake then said, "Tell your King that this dream signifies that the people of his Kingdom," then pausing for a moment it continued, "the people of his Kingdom are at peace; content and happy, there are no dangers to the King and he shall not have anymore dreams."
Once more, the man thanked the snake and continued on his way to the city.

After he had explained the meaning of the dream to the King, the overjoyed King thanked the man profusely, rewarding him more handsomely than ever before.

On his way home the man, realizing his earlier mistakes and feeling guilty for his ingratitude and deceit, decided to confess everything to the snake and beg for forgiveness. Thinking to himself he thought, "I have enough money to be able to share it with the snake."

Arriving at the place near the ledge he found the snake waiting for him. He placed all the money before the snake and kneeling, apologized to the snake for all he had done in the past. The snake listened to him quietly listened, not saying a word until the man had finished. Then the snake said, "O Sir, I have no need for your money! I am but a snake! I only asked for a share of the reward as a test, a test of the truth of my explanation. If all the people of the Kingdom were cunning, were you not cunning? Did you not take the long route to avoid me? When the people of the Kingdom were violent and aggressive, were you not so? Did you not attempt to kill me? And now when things are at peace you offer me the reward? Begone with you and your money!"

With these words the snake slithered away, never to be seen again ....................................