There once lived a man in Badgad who was very rich. But misfortune befell him and he lost everything he owned. The grief and sorrow weighed him down, and he had no choice but to go begging the next day. That night, however, he had a dream. A man appeared to him and said: "Go to Egypt, you will find treasure there!"

The next morning, the man immediately set off for Egypt. After a long journey, he arrived there exhausted and hungry. But nobody wanted to let a poor beggar in, so he found a corner to sleep in a mosque.

But in the middle of the night, thieves came into the mosque and wanted to hide there. The soldiers pursued them, but the only one they found was the sleeping man. They grabbed the poor man, beat him and shouted: "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Baghdad, but don't hit me anymore, I'm innocent!"

"From Baghdad? Then what are you doing here in this mosque?"

"I dreamt that I found a treasure here."

The soldier laughed and said: "What a fool you are! I also had a dream years ago. A voice came and said: 'Go to a house in Badgad with a big mulberry tree in front of it, you'll find a treasure under the tree. But I'm not as stupid as you, I stayed here and worked. Here, take these few pennies and go back home to Baghdad."

The poor man took the pennies and made his way back to Baghdad as quickly as he could. Tired, he reached his house and looked contentedly at the magnificent mulberry tree in front of it. Then he grabbed a spade and began to dig. It wasn't long before a great treasure was revealed and the man lived richly, contentedly and happily ever after.

Fassung Djamila Jaenike, nach: C. Hassan. N. A. Mustafa, Aku Maku. 42 irakische Märchen, Hanau 2014, englische Fassung Lysander Jaenik ©Mutabor Märchenstiftung