You came so that you could learn about your dreams

also traveled, but they had no flocks of sheep. People said that Gypsies spent their lives tricking others. It

was also said that they had a pact with the devil, and that they kidnapped children and, taking them away

to their mysterious camps, made them their slaves. As a child, the boy had always been frightened to

death that he would be captured by Gypsies, and this childhood fear returned when the old woman took

his hands in hers.

But she has the Sacred Heart of Jesus there, he thought, trying to reassure himself. He didn't want his

hand to begin trembling, showing the old woman that he was fearful. He recited an Our Father silently.

"Very interesting," said the woman, never taking her eyes from the boy's hands, and then she fell silent.

The boy was becoming nervous. His hands began to tremble, and the woman sensed it. He quickly

pulled his hands away.

"I didn't come here to have you read my palm," he said, already regretting having come. He thought for a

moment that it would be better to pay her fee and leave without learning a thing, that he was giving too

much importance to his recurrent dream.

"You came so that you could learn about your dreams," said the old woman. "And dreams are the

language of God. When he speaks in our language, I can interpret what he has said. But if he speaks in

the language of the soul, it is only you who can understand. But, whichever it is, I'm going to charge you

for the consultation."

Another trick, the boy thought. But he decided to take a chance. A shepherd always takes his chances

with wolves and with drought, and that's what makes a shepherd's life exciting.

"I have had the same dream twice," he said. "I dreamed that I was in a field with my sheep, when a child

appeared and began to play with the animals. I don't like people to do that, because the sheep are afraid

of strangers. But children always seem to be able to play with them without frightening them. I don't

know why. I don't know how animals know the age of human beings."

"Tell me more about your dream," said the woman. "I have to get back to my cooking, and, since you

don't have much money, I can't give you a lot of time."

"The child went on playing with my sheep for quite a while," continued the boy, a bit upset. "And

suddenly, the child took me by both hands and transported me to the Egyptian pyramids."

He paused for a moment to see if the woman knew what the Egyptian pyramids were. But she said

nothing.

"Then, at the Egyptian pyramids,"—he said the last three words slowly, so that the old woman would

understand—"the child said to me, If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.' And, just as she

was about to show me the exact location, I woke up. Both times."

The woman was silent for some time. Then she again took his hands and studied them carefully.

"I'm not going to charge you anything now," she said. "But I want one-tenth of the treasure, if you find it."

The boy laughed—out of happiness. He was going to be able to save the little money he had because of