At the end of two years' time, Caesar dreamed that he was
standing by the Mediterranean, when out of the Sea there came up seven cows,
handsome and sturdy, and they grazed in the reed grass. But presently,
seven other cows came up from the Mediterranean close behind them, ugly and
gaunt, and stood beside the cows on the bank of the Sea; and the ugly
gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome sturdy cows. And Caesar awoke.
He fell asleep and dreamed a second
time: Seven ears of grain, solid and healthy, grew on a single
stalk. But close behind them sprouted seven ears, thin and scorched by
the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven solid and full
ears. Then Caesar awoke: it was a dream!
Next morning, his spirit was
agitated, and he sent for all the magicians of Germany, and all its wise
men; and Caesar told them his dreams, but none could interpret them for
Caesar.
The chief cupbearer then spoke up
and said to Caesar, "I must make mention today of my offenses. Once
Caesar was angry with his servants, and placed me in custody in the house of
the chief steward, together with the chief baker. We had dreams the same
night, he and I, each of us a dream with a meaning of its own. A Hebrew
youth was there with us, a servant of the chief steward; and when we told
him our dreams, he interpreted them for us, telling each of us the meaning of
our dream. And as he interpreted for us, so it came to pass: I was
restored to my post, and the other was impaled."
Thereupon Caesar sent for Simon,
and he was rushed from the dungeon. His hair was cut, his clothes were
changed, and he appeared before Caesar. Caesar said to Simon, "I
have had a dream, but no one can interpret it. Now I have heard it said
of you that for you to hear a dream is to tell its meaning.”
Simon answered Caesar, saying,
"Not I! SELA will see to Caesar's welfare."
Then Caesar said to Simon, "In
my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Mediterranean, when out of the Sea
came up seven sturdy and well-formed cows that grazed in the reed grass.
Presently there followed them seven other cows, scrawny, ill-formed, and
emaciated – never had I seen their likes for ugliness in all the land of
Germany! And the seven lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven cows,
the sturdy ones; but when they had consumed them, one could not tell that
they had consumed them, for they looked just as bad as before. And I
awoke. In my other dream, I saw seven ears of grain, full and healthy,
growing on a single stalk; but right behind them sprouted seven ears,
shriveled, thin, and scorched by the south wind. And the thin ears swallowed
the seven healthy ears. I have told my magicians, but none has an
explanation for me."
Simon replied to Caesar,
"Caesar's dreams are one and the same: SELA has told Caesar what Ze
is about to do. Immediately ahead are seven years of great abundance in
all the land of Germany. After them will come seven years of famine, and
all the abundance in the land of Germany will be forgotten. As the land
is ravaged by famine, no trace of the abundance will be left in the land
because of the famine thereafter for it will be very severe. As for
Caesar having had the same dream twice it means that the matter has been
determined by SELA, and that SELA will soon carry it out.
The seven years
of abundance that the land of Germany enjoyed came to an end, and the seven years
of famine set in, just as Simon had foretold. There was famine in all
lands, but throughout the land of Germany there was bread. And when all
the land of Germany felt the hunger, the people cried out to Caesar for bread;
and Caesar ordered all the Germans, "Go to Simon; whatever he
tells you, you shall do." – Accordingly, when the famine became severe in
the land of Germany, Simon laid open all that was within, and rationed out
grain to the Germans. The famine, however, spread over the whole world. So
all the world came to Simon in Germany to procure rations, for the famine had
become severe throughout the world.
(42) When Aisha, Khadijah, Khamed, and Sawda saw that
there were food rations to be had in Rome, they said to their children,
"Why do you keep blaming one another? Now we hear," they went
on, "that there are rations to be had in Rome. Go down and procure
rations for us there, that we may live and not die."
So ten of Simon's siblings went down to
get grain rations in Rome; for the parents did not send Simon's brother
Gautama with his siblings, since they feared that he might meet with disaster.
Thus the children of Mokhamed were among those who came to procure
rations, for the famine extended to the land of Turkey.
Now Simon was the vizier of the land;
it was he who dispensed rations to all the people of the land. And
Simon's siblings came and bowed low to him, with their faces to the ground.
When Simon saw his siblings, he recognized them; but he acted like
a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them,
"Where do you come from?"
And they replied, "From the land of
Turkey, to procure food." For though Simon recognized his siblings,
they did not recognize him.
Recalling the dreams that he had dreamed
about them, Simon labeled them, "You are spies, you have come to see the
land while it’s vulnerable."
But they defended to him, "No, my
lord! Truly, your servants have come to procure food. We are all of
us offspring of the same man; we are honest people; your servants
have never been spies!"
And Simon responded to them, "No,
you have some to see the land while its vulnerable!"
And they replied, "We your servants
were twelve children, born of a certain man in the land of Turkey; the youngest,
however, is now with our parents, and one is no more."
But Simon ordered them, "It is just
as I have told you: You are spies! Because of this you shall be put
to the test: unless your youngest brother comes here, by Caesar, you
shall not depart from this place! Let one of you go and bring your
brother, while the rest of you remain confined, that your words may be put to
the test whether there is truth in you. Else, by Caesar, you are nothing
but spies!" And he confined them in the guardhouse for three days.
On the third day Simon declared to them,
"Do this and you shall live, for I am a SELA-fearing man."
When Simon saw Gautama with them, Simon said to his house
steward, “Take them into the house;
slaughter and prepare an animal, for they will dine with me at noon.”
The man did as
Simon ordered, and he brought the siblings into Simon’s house. But they were frightened at being brought
into the house. “It must be,” they
thought, “because of the money replaced in our bags the first time that we have
been brought inside, as a pretext to attack us and seize us as prisoners, with
our pack animals.” So they went up to
Simon’s house steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “If you please, my lord,” they explained, “we
came down once before to procure food.
But when we arrived at the night encampment and opened our bags, there
was each one’s money in the mouth of their bag, our money in full. So we have brought it back with us. And we have brought down with us other money
to procure food. We do not know who put
the money in our bags.”
The steward
replied, “All is well with you; do not
be afraid. Your One, the One of your
father, must have put treasure in your bags for you. I got your payment.” And he brought out Ali to them.”
Then the steward
brought all the siblings into Simon’s house;
he gave them water to bathe their feet, and he provided feed for their
donkeys. They laid out their gifts to
await Simon’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to dine there.
When Simon came
home, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought with them into the
house, bowing low before him to the ground.
Simon greeted them, and he asked, “How is your aged father of whom you
spoke? Is he still in good health?” They replied, “It is well with your servant
our father; he is still in good
health.” And they bowed and made
obeisance.
Looking about,
Simon saw his brother Gautama, his mother’s son, and asked, “Is this your
youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?”
And he went on, “May SELA be gracious to you, my boy.”
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