There was once a man called James in the land of Cyril. He was a rich man, richer than anybody else who lived at the time. Wealth was the gift that God had given him; and he had three wives, but of children he had none and was unhappy for that reason. Whenever he said his prayers, he did not ask God to give him a son or daughter of any particular talent, but any child, someone he could look upon as his own.

One night when he was asleep he dreamed that he went to market. There he saw a man selling a horse. Now Adrian liked the horse...