The chirping of the birds and dampness of the dew woke the young farmer. She was lying in the grass by the river. She raised herself up on one elbow and looked around, bewildered. The buckets were right next to her, overturned. She wondered how she could have fallen asleep on the way to fetch water. On the horizon, the sun was rising. Despite the cool morning air, she was sweating. Her nightmare had shaken her, and she was still shaking. This dream would haunt her for days on end.
She walked over to the river and rinsed her face in the water, despite the risks it might pose. Touching her cheeks, her fingers met small, hard growths. She panicked. She untied her blouse so quickly that she broke the laces. She looked at the diamonds that studded her throat and the golden threads embroidered
