is the explanation of it: The three branches are three days: yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift. up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand as you used to do." Joseph then begged the chief butler to be kind to him, and to remember him, and to try to persuade the king to set him at liberty; and he told him he had been taken away from his father's country and sold as a slave, but that he had not done anything wrong although he was kept in the prison.

Then the chief baker, who was glad to find what a good meaning there was to the butler's dream, made haste to tell his own to Joseph, and said, “I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake-meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head." After hearing the dream Joseph told him he knew what it meant, and said: "The three baskets are three days: yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee."

And it came to pass that everything happened to the butler and the baker according to the explanation of

Joseph, for on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, the king made a feast for all his servants. And he remembered that the chief butler and the chief baker were in prison, and sent for them; but not for the same purpose. The chief butler he restored to his office, and let him have charge of the wine as heretofore; but he hanged the chief baker.

And did the chief butler remember Joseph? No; he was much pleased with him for explaining the dream, and foretelling his being restored unto the king's favour : but when he escaped from prison he thought no more of Joseph or his kindness, nor did he ask the king to release him.

THE KING'S DREAM.

ONE night about two years after King Pharaoh had forgiven his butler, and punished his baker, as we have just read, he had a strange dream himself.

He dreamed that he stood by a river, and that while he was looking round him, seven fine fat cows came up out of the water and began to feed in a field that was beside the river.

At the same time seven very thin ugly cows came up also out of the water, and stood close to the fat cows; and all at once, the thin cows ate the fat ones up. Then Pharaoh awoke.

But almost directly he fell asleep again, and this time he dreamed that he saw a stalk of corn grow out of the ground, with seven fine ears upon it, all full of grains and looking very pretty; but just then seven thin and shrivelled ears grew up close to the fine ones, and while Pharaoh was looking at them, the seven thin ears of corn ate up the seven fine ears.

And when the king awoke again he felt very sad. It was strange that he should have two dreams so much. alike, and that both should end so unfortunately-the bad things eating up the good. What could it mean?

Now King Pharaoh felt just as the two men in prison. had felt; he could not be happy till he was able to understand why he had dreamed these things. So he sent for all the wise men of his kingdom, and told one after another what his dreams had been, but none of them could tell him what they meant. At last the chief butler heard of these dreams; and he, remembering his own dream in the prison, went to the king and told him that when he and the chief baker were in prison they each had a strange dream, and that a young man belonging to the prison had showed them what the dreams meant. The young man told him that he (the chief butler) should be restored to favour and serve the king again, but that the chief baker should be hanged; and these things came to pass according to his explanation.

When King Pharaoh heard this he was pleased, and sent to fetch Joseph to the palace to hear his dreams. Then Pharaoh's servants came to Joseph and brought him hastily out of the prison. prison. And Joseph shaved