Confused and amazed beyond bounds by this strange day, the apprentice trekked back to the forest to see if he could find any trickle of a stream that would provide he and his master with something to drink. He searched high and he searched low, but everywhere the apprentice jeweler looked he could find no trace of water. All the usual streams and pools had dried up long ago as the land withered for lack of rain.
The apprentice searched until nearly dusk, but he found nothing to drink. His footsteps as he walked back to the village were slow and unsteady, and his tongue felt thick and coarse in his mouth. The bag of pearls weighed heavy in his pocket and for a moment the apprentice considered selling one or two of them for a drink of water, but he knew it would be in vain: no one else had any water to spare—even for a princely sum.
By the time the apprentice returned to his master’s house he was staggering with thirst and his head was hot and feverish. All he wanted was a glass of cool water—nay, a sip of cool water would do. A sliver of liquid to soften the desert in his throat. The apprentice realized that if he did not die from thirst soon, he would surely go mad from it first.
Having no hope in his heart the apprentice prepared for bed, saying his prayers as best he could. And whether from whim or a strange fever-induced desire, the apprentice took a few of the pearls from the velvet bag and laid them on the table next to his bed. Their brilliance lit up his eyes and smoothed down the path to sleep, and sleep he did.
Time passed and the moon rose high over the village. The moonlight shone through his open window and bathed the pearls in glory, making each appear to be a moon entire and capable of lighting the earth themselves.
Their light was so great the apprentice awoke, sure that dawn had already arisen. But what he saw was not the warm rosy light of dawn.
The whole of his room was filled with pure white light that somehow shimmered with indescribable colors the like of which the apprentice had only ever seen in his dreams. Most of the light seemed to be coming from the pearls, but as he turned his head to look around the apprentice suddenly realized that someone was sitting at the foot of his bed.
It was a beautiful girl, dark haired with skin as pale as the moon. She seemed to glow with the same internal fire as the pearls and the apprentice could not think of a word to say. In fact, he had the niggling suspicion that thirst had indeed driven him mad and that this was no more than a fever-dream. But the girl spoke to him.
‘What are you doing with my father’s pearls?’
The apprentice blinked in confusion. ‘Your father?’ he croaked.
‘Those are my father’s pearls. How did you get them?’
‘This afternoon. I—he gave them—he—‘ and the apprentice started coughing and could not stop and grew so lightheaded that he fainted.
When he came to the girl was sitting right next to him, bathing his forehead with a cool cloth. ‘Drink,’ she said, holding a cup to his lips. The apprentice did as he was told and nearly fainted again—this time from ecstasy—as cool clean water passed his lips and slid its way down his throat.
‘How, where—‘
‘I drew it from the well—you had no water in the house.’
‘The well is dry.’ The apprentice objected.
‘I needed water.’ And the girl smiled at him. Amazed and dazzled the apprentice continued drinking the water, unwilling to let even a drop of it go to waste. When he had finished the girl helped him sit up all the way.
‘Where did you come from?’ the apprentice could not help but ask.
‘From my father’s house,’ was her reply.
‘But how did you know I had his pearls?’
‘I could see their light and I followed it.’ She looked out the window and then back at the apprentice. ‘I can’t stay much longer. Tomorrow night, you must put out the pearls exactly as you did this night, and I will find you again.’
The apprentice nodded and at that moment the moonlight left the room and all was dim as normal night. Blinking hard to clear his eyes, the apprentice could no longer see the strange girl and he wondered if he had been dreaming.
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