Poor Joseph was carried into Egypt, and there sold again to a rich man,
whose name was Potiphar. Potiphar was very proud of his new slave, so
tall and strong and beautiful was he; and for a time Joseph dwelt most
happily in his new home. But Potiphar's wife was a bad woman. And
because he refused, at her desire, to do evil, she had him thrown into
prison; and to Potiphar she told such stories about the boy that for a
time Potiphar himself was deceived, and so permitted Joseph to be in
prison, giving him no opportunity to prove to his master how untrue
these stories were.
Now, in prison with Joseph were servants of King Pharaoh. One morning,
when Joseph went to them, they were downcast and sad.
"Why look ye so sad?" said Joseph.
"We have dreamed dreams, and we have no one to interpret them," they
said.
"It is God who sends dreams," said Joseph. "Tell them to me. It may be I
can interpret them for you."
Then one of the servants told his dream. "I saw in my dream a vine; and
in the vine were three branches. They budded, the flowers came, the
fruit ripened. Then I took Pharaoh's cup, gathered the grapes and
pressed them in the cup, and gave it to Pharaoh."
"Take courage, my brother," said Joseph, "for it is a good dream. The
three branches are three days. The dream means that in three days
Pharaoh will liberate thee, and thou shalt give the cup into his hands.
"And do not forget me when thou art again free. For I have been sold
into bondage and stolen away from Canaan. Neither have I deserved to be
thrown into this dungeon. Speak then to Pharaoh for me, and beg him to
free me from this prison."
Then the other servant told his dream: "I had three baskets of meat upon
my head. They were baked meats for Pharaoh. The birds came and ate the
meat from the baskets."
"Alas!" said Joseph, "the meaning of thy dream is this: In three days
Pharaoh shall hang thee upon a tree; and the birds shall come and eat
thee."
Now, as it proved, Joseph had interpreted the dreams aright; for the
power of vision had been with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before him.
[Illustration: JOSEPH INTERPRETING PHARAOH'S DREAM.]
But the servant who went back into Pharaoh's home forgot Joseph when
once he was free himself; and so for two long years Joseph lay in
prison.
Then Pharaoh himself had two strange dreams, and no one in the land
could interpret them. Then the old servant, remembering how Joseph
interpreted his dream for him so long before, told Pharaoh of him; and
Pharaoh at once freed him from prison and bade him come before him to
interpret his dreams.
"I dreamed," said Pharaoh, "that I stood beside a river. Seven fat kine
came out from it and fed in the meadow. Soon seven more came out, thin
and bad. Then the seven lean kine ate up the seven fat kine.
"Then I awoke. But when I slept again, I dreamed that seven good ears of
corn came out upon one stem. And soon after, seven more, thin and bad.
And the seven bad ears ate up the seven good ears."
"The dreams, great king," said Joseph, "mean this: There shall be seven
years of great fruitfulness in the land. Then shall come seven years of
famine. And the seven years of famine shall eat up all the fruitfulness
of the first seven years.
"Now let Pharaoh take warning. Let him hoard up all the corn that can be
spared in these first seven years. Then, when the years of famine come,
there will be corn for all who dwell in the land."
Pharaoh was pleased with the wisdom of Joseph. He appointed him at once
to have charge over the corn, and commanded the people to obey him in
all that he bade them do. Then the king gave him a ring and a chain of
gold to wear upon his neck. He dressed him in fine linen and made him a
golden chariot. And the people loved Joseph and obeyed him.
Then followed seven years of fruitfulness, such as even the fertile
valley of Egypt had never known before; and the people hoarded their
corn until their store houses were full to bursting.
And when every house was full, then began the drought and famine; and no
food grew for the people in all the seven years that followed. Great
indeed might have been the suffering; for no rain came, no corn grew,
and everywhere the people were crying to Joseph for food.
And the famine spread even into the country of Canaan; and Joseph's own
people were starving.
[Illustration: JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN.]
[Illustration]