Interpretation of "The Carpet of Dreams"
A small carpet shop in the old city of Herat was at the end of a wiggly path. The shop smelled of wool. Wool was everywhere, hanging on the ceilings and on looms. This is where Arif and his family lived. Arif was so sick of making carpets all day that his mother told him to go outside for a while. Arif then decided he wanted to be a merchant and travel on the Silk Road. He fell asleep on a carpet and began to dream.
In his dream he went to an unfamiliar city and a princess gave him a bright red ruby. As his father woke him up, Arif found an actual bright red ruby in the palm of his hand. He told his family all about the dream, princess, and ruby. They discovered that the carpet Arif slept on was a carpet of dreams. In the morning, Arif went to the Silk Road and began to start his journey trading carpets. Everyone loved them and said that they were fit for royalty. Then Arif went back to the family store to get some more carpets, and of course, he sold them too. As he traveled to Uzbekistan, he was greeted and told to go to Princess Yulduz. Behind her was the carpet his father made. She told him that the carpet was beautiful but asked why there was only one mistake. They claimed that it was the perfect mistake. Arif told her all about the dream and the ruby. He gave the ruby to Princess Yulduz that she claimed she lost years ago. They ended up happily married.
The book is called Tales Told in Tents by Sally Pomme Clayton. The story is called the "Carpet of Dreams"