In a small village of mud-brick houses on the banks of the Nile lived a poor young peasant. One day, tiring of his miserable lot, he resolved to leave home and seek his fortune. With borrowed money he bought himself eight hundred new-laid eggs and a large, round basket to carry them in. His merchandise on his arm, he carefully stepped down to the river and waited for a northbound sailing boat to take him to Cairo.
Then as he sat in the shade of the sail and sped over the cool water, he began to daydream. "As soon as I reach Cairo I shall go to the poultry market and sell my eggs. With the price of the eggs I shall go to the weavers' bazaar and buy some fine striped cotton cloth and bring it back to the village. The women will crowd round the brightly colored material and buy it up to sew for their families. I shall earn enough to pay back my creditors and buy myself an ewe. I will pamper my ewe until she gives birth to two lambs, and then I shall sell her and her young and buy myself a water buffalo cow. When the water buffalo calves, I shall have two water buffaloes to sell. They will bring me the price of a servant to do my work. Then I shall be able to say, 'Come, boy! Go boy! Hurry now! Run!' And if he is stubborn I shall kick him, like this....."
And with his mind dwelling on his future fortune, he gave a kick that sent the basket of eggs at his feet sliding off the deck and into the Nile. The water swallowed it up in an instant, while he was left with nothing, not even a dream.
(The above folk tales were taken from the book Arab Folktales by Inea Bushnaq.)
-------------------
