The boy dreams of escaping his impoverished life and living luxuriously in the nearby castle. He encounters an old beggar woman who gives him a magic key that can make his dreams come true. That night, he dreams of being the honored guest at a lavish feast in the castle, but wakes up transformed into a teapot at the center of the table, realizing his dream has come with unintended consequences.

2. THE DREAM
WRITTEN BY HARRIS TOBIAS
ILLUSTRATED BY LENKA MILONOVA
Copyright 2015
Casita Press
Charlottesville, Va
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ISBN: 978-1-943314-08-9

3. This book is dedicated to dreamers where ever
they may be. Be careful what you wish for.

4. Once there was a poor boy who lived with his parents in
their humble cottage in the woods. The boy was supposed
to help his father cut wood and load it on a wagon.
Then he would stay home and help his mother while the old
man took the wood to town. The boy hated woodcutting
and spent most of his time dreaming about a life filled with
light and laughter.

6. When the father left for town, the
boy helped his mother weed the
garden and prepare vegetables for
the evening meal.
“What is it, Son?” the old mother
asked, “you always seem so
unhappy, so distant.”

7. “Oh,” said the boy washing a carrot, “there
has to be more to life than this.” And he
would gaze wistfully at the castle in the misty
distance. “Just think of the life that goes on
in there,” he would sigh. “Wouldn’t you like to
experience it even for a day?”

8. “That life is not for the likes of
people like us,” answered his mother.
“It does no good to waste your
dreams on a life you can’t have.” But
her words of caution did no good.
The boy would sigh heavily and stare
at the castle and dream his dreams
no matter what his mother said.

9. One day the boy and his
father were deep in the
forest cutting wood. The
boy grew hot and tired and
drifted off as was his want.
When he found a cool, shady
place by a stream he lay
down and, to the rhythmic
sound of his father’s axe, he
drifted off to sleep.

11. He dreamed about life in the castle. He saw himself surrounded
by beautiful people in brightly colored clothes. They would be
laughing gaily and he would be the center of attention. He saw
a table overflowing with cakes and pastries, the rattle of china
teacups punctuated the genteel conversation.

12. It was his dream and he knew he would never be a part of it.
When he awoke, his father was calling his name. He helped his
father load the wood on the wagon. He saw his life of endless
poverty stretched out before him.

13. “Come along, Boy. Stop your foolish dreaming, Mother’s waiting.”
The wagon was loaded although the boy didn’t remember being
very much help. They trudged along, the old horse pulling the
wagon. If only I could escape this life, the boy thought, I know I
could be happy.

14. Halfway home, they came upon an old beggar woman squatting
beside the road. It was such an unexpected sight that the father
stopped the wagon and inquired if the old woman needed help.

15. The old woman held out her hand, “Can you spare a crust of
bread for a hungry soul? I haven’t eaten a thing in two days.” She
looked so pitiful that even though the woodsman had almost
nothing, he gave the beggar a crust of bread.
“Thank you kindly,” said the woman. Then she looked at the son
and held out her hand. “And you young man, have you anything
for me?”

16. “I have nothing for you old woman,”
said the boy. “All I have are my
dreams and they are worth less than
nothing.”
“Oh I don’t know,” said the old
crone. “No dream is worthless. If
you tell me your dream, I’ll give you
something of equal value in return.”

17. So the boy told the old woman about his dream of
a life in the castle and the bright table laden with
sweets. The old woman laughed and clapped her
hands and gave the boy a toothless smile.
“Why that’s a wonderful dream. Thank you boy. I
can hear the rattle of teacups even now.”

18. Then she reached inside her torn cloak and produced a silver key. As
she handed it to the boy she said,
”This is a magic key. It can unlock any dream. Put it under your pillow
when you retire for the night. What you dream will come true. But
be very careful, young man, for dreams are fickle things with a will of
their own. They don’t always have your best interest in mind.”

19. The boy was very excited and he thanked the old woman over and
over again. “Remember, Boy,” the old woman called. “Not all dreams
are meant to come true.”
The boy hardly heard the warning, he was beside himself with
excitement. He ran to catch up to his father and fairly flew the
rest of the way home.

21. He rushed through supper and his chores. The second he could
get away, he went up to his room, blew out the candle and
crawled into bed. He placed the silver key beneath his pillow as
the old woman instructed. He knew what he would dream about.
He was soon asleep and, sure enough, he was dreaming his
favorite dream.
There he was, the center of attention. Beautiful ladies and
elegant gentlemen sat around a table laughing and praising him.

22. The table was set with expensive cakes and fine pastries, sweet
breads, jellies and fancy fruits. Amidst the gaiety he could hear the
clatter of fine china cups. He so wanted to be there, and now he
could.

23. The next morning, when his mother came to rouse him, she
found his bed empty and her son gone. His wish had been grant-
ed, his dream had come true. The magic key had transported the
boy to the palace and set him in the place of pride in the center
of the table.

24. The brightly clad people surrounded him in sparkling
conversation. When he tried to speak and express his joy, he
could not utter a word. When he tried to reach for a piece of
the beautiful cake, he found he could not move. He was at the
splendid table but he had been transformed into a teapot and
although he was the center of attention, it was not at all what
he expected.

25. THE END
You can purchase a printed copy of this book Here:
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26. Some other books by Harris Tobias you
might enjoy:
How The Cat Got Its Whiskers
The Adventures of MoonRivet
The Turtles Ball
At The Robot Zoo
Five Little Froggies
The Adventures of Rocket Bob
The King’s Dream
A Wish Too Far
The Broody Little Hen
The Big Fat Counting Book
The Three Chocolatiers
The Three Swords
The Wisdom of Yaqui the Bear
The Catch of the Day
Trumpet the Homeless Troll
A Child’s Book of Riddles
A Prisoner of Beauty
The Stone Apples
Square Sally in Circletown
A Wish Too Far
How Birds Got Their Colors

27. The Amulet of Power
Baker’s Dozen
Bug Alphabet
Catch of the Day
Farm Song
Stinky Feet
How The Pelican Got Its Beak
How The Zebra Got Its Stripes
A Child’s Book of Riddles
Snails, Scales & Animal Tales
Storyland Jack
The Three Brothers
Trumpet The Homeless Troll
And for adults and older readers:
A Felony of Birds
The Greer Agency
Alien Fruit
Chronon, Time Travel Stories
Hold The Anchovies
Peaceful Intent
The Stang
Dick Danks, The Collected Stories
Assisted