ly the same way that in the close of a dream
or hypnotic illusions on awakening, the act of awakening is pictorially
presented. The symbolism of awakening brings indeed pictures of leave
taking, departing, opening of a door, sinking, going free out of a dark
surrounding, coming home, etc. The pictures for going to sleep are
sinking, entering into a room, a garden or a dark forest.

The fairy story also used the same forest symbol. Whether on sinking into
sleep I have the sensation of going into a dark forest or whether the hero
of the story goes into a forest (which to be sure has still other
interpretations), or whether the wanderer in the parable gets into a
tangle of underbrush, all amounts to the same thing; it is always the
introduction into a life of phantasy, the entrance into the theater of the
dream. The wanderer, if he had not chosen for his fairy tale the first
person, could have begun as follows: There was once a king whose greatest
joy was in the chase. Once as he was drawn with his companions into a
great forest, and was pursuing a fleet stag, he was separated from his
followers, and went still further from the familiar paths, so that finally
he had to admit that he had lost his way. Then he went farther and farther
into the woods until he saw far off a house....

The wanderer comes through the woods to the Pratum felicitatis, the Meadow
of Felicity, and there his adventures begin. Here, too, our symbolism is
maintained; by sleeping or the transition to revery we get into the dream
and fairy tale realm, a land to which the fulfillment of our keenest
wishes beckons us. The realm of fairy tales is indeed--and the
psychoanalyst can confirm this statement--a Pratum felicitatis, in spite of
all dangers and accidents which we have there to undergo.

The dream play begins and the interpretation, easy till now, becomes more
difficult. We shall hardly be able to proceed in strictly chronological
order. The understanding of the several phases of the narrative does not
follow the sequence of their events. Let us take it as it comes.

The wanderer becomes acquainted with the inhabitants of the Pratum
felicitatis, who are discussing learned topics, he becomes involved in the
scientific dispute, and is subjected to a severe test in order to be
admitted to the company. The admission thus does not occur without trouble
but rather a great obstacle is placed in the way of it. The wanderer tells
us that his examiners haule