There was, once upon a time, a couple who had just one child, and one day the child suddenly fell ill, and before the sun had set, passed away

The mother wept inconsolably, heart broken, but the father remained calm and quiet. Seeing this, a friend asked the father, “How is it that you show no emotion at the loss of your only son?”

The man replied, “Friend, last night I had a dream. In that dream I was a king, ruling over a large kingdom, and with my queen we had seven children. The children were all loving and beautiful, and I had great joy in watching them play. I can still see their smiling faces, and I could tell you their names as well. But then I awoke from that dream, and those children completely vanished. Now, here, my son has also vanished – but should I mourn for him more than I mourn for the seven? Is not this life also only a dream?”