The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg

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"These figs are very special," the

woman whispered. "They can make

your dreams come true."
Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-

hearted dentist, was given two
ordinary-looking figs as payment
for extracting a tooth from an old
woman's mouth.

Monsieur Bibot refused to
believe such nonsense and pro-
ceeded to eat one of the figs for a
bedtime snack. Although it was
possibly the finest, sweetest fig he
had ever tasted, it wasn't until the
next morning that Monsieur Bibot
realized it indeed had the power to

make his dreams come true. While

dragging his poor dog. Marcel, out
for his walk, he discovered that his

strange dream from the night before
was becoming all too real.

Determined to make good use

of the second fig. Monsieur Bibot
learns to control his dreams. But
can he control Marce) ?

Once again Chris Van Allsburg

explores the mysterious territory

between fantasy and reality in an
uncanny tale that will intrigue

readers of all ages.

Jacket art ©1993 by Chris Van Allsburg

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Van Allsburg, Chris.

The sweetest fig / written and illustrated by Chris van Allsburg.

p. cm.
Summary: After being given two magical figs that make his dreams
come true, Monsieur Bibot sees his plans for future wealth upset by

his long-suffering dog.

ISBN 0-395-67346-1 —2. Magic Fiction. —3- Dogs Fiction.}

—[1. Dreams Fiction.

I. Title.

PZ7.V266SW 1993 93-12692

[Fic]-dc20 CIP

AC

©Copyright 1993 by Chris Van Allsburg

All rights reserved. For information about permission
to reproduce selections from this book, write to

Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue

South, New York, New York 10003.

Printed in the United States of America

HOR 10 987654321

3^^t^f^mAi/^Mk

CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG

Houghton Mifflin Company

Boston 1993
BRIGHTON



Monsieur Bibot, the dentist, was a very

fussy man. He kept his small apartment as

neat and clean as his office. If his dog, Marcel,
jumped on the furniture, Bibot was sure to

teach him a lesson. Except on Bastille Day, the

poor animal was not even allowed to bark.

One morning, Bibot met an old woman waiting

at his office door. She had a toothache and begged

the dentist to help.

"But you have no appointment," he told her.

The woman moaned. Bibot looked at his watch.

Perhaps there was time to make a few extra francs.

He took her inside and looked in her mouth. "This

tooth must come out," he said with a smile.

When he was done, the dentist said, "I will give

you some pills to kill the pain."





The old woman was very grateful. "I can't pay you in
money, but I have something much better." She took

two figs from her pocket and handed them to Bibot.

"Figs!?" he said angrily.

"These figs are very special," the woman

whispered. "They can make your dreams come true."
She winked at him and put her finger to her lips.

It was clear to Bibot that the woman was crazy. He

set the figs down and took her by the arm. When she

reminded him about the pills, he said, 'Tm sorry, only

for paying customers," and shoved her out the door.

That evening, Bibot took his little dog to the
park. Poor Marcel loved to sniff the tree trunks
and bushes, but whenever he stopped, Bibot
would pull sharply on the leash.

Just before going to bed, the dentist had a

small snack. He sat at his dining room table and
ate one of the figs the old woman had given him.

It was delicious. Possibly the finest, sweetest fig

he'd ever had.





In the morning, Bibot dragged Marcel

down the stairs for his morning walk. The

steep steps were hard for the short-legged dog,
but Bibot wouldn't think of carrying his pet.

He hated to get Marcels white hairs on his

beautiful blue suit.

,

As he walked along the crowded sidewalk,

Bibot could not help noticing people looking

at him. "They are admiring my suit," he

thought. But when Bibot saw his reflection in

the window of a cafe, he stopped in horror. He

was dressed only in his underwear.

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The dentist turned and ran into an alley. "Sacre m'^m!M^> m*i!im>*>m! mm at

bleu," he thought. "What has happened to my mm m\

clothes?" Then he remembered the dream he'd had i

last night. In his dream, he'd stood in front of that 1
very cafe, dressed in his underwear.

Something else had happened in his dream, and

Bibot struggled to recall it. Marcel, looking out

from the shadows of the alley, began to bark. The
dentist looked up and saw the rest of his dream
come true.

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No one noticed Bibot as he ran home in his

underwear. All the eyes of Paris were fixed on
the Eiffel Tower, which slowly drooped over as

if it were made of soft rubber.
Bibot understood now that the old woman

with the figs had told him the truth. He would

not waste the second fig.

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Over the next few weeks, as reconstruction
of the Eiffel Tower began, the dentist read
dozens of books on hypnotism. Each night
before he went to sleep, he gazed into a mirror
and whispered over and over, "Bibot is the

richest man on earth, Bibot is the richest man

on earth."





Soon, in his dreams, that's exactly what
he was. As he slept, the dentist saw himself

steering his speedboat, flying his aeroplane,

and living in luxury on the Riviera. Night
after night it was the same.

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One evening, Bibot took the second fig from

his cupboard. It would not last forever. "Tonight,"

he thought, "is the night." He put the ripe fruit

on a dish and set it on his table. Tomorrow he

would wake up the richest man in the world. He

looked down at Marcel and smiled. The little dog

would not be coming along. In his dreams Bibot
had Great Danes.

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^w^ As the dentist reached into his cupboard
to take out some cheese, he heard the crash

of breaking china. He turned to see Marcel

standing on a chair with his front paws on
the table, chewing the last of the fig.

Bibot was furious! He chased the dog

around the apartment. When Marcel ran

beneath the bed Bibot yelled at him,
"Tomorrow, I'll teach you a lesson you'll

never forget!" Then the dentist, angry and

heartbroken, went to sleep.



^







BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 9999 02046 159 4

Boston Public Library

BRIGHT

BRANCH LI BR BR

J

VANALLSBU

C

The Date Due Card in the pocnet ium.

cates the date on or before which this
book should be returned to the Library.

Please do not remove cards from this

pocket.

WITHDRAWN Since the publication of his first book
for children, The Garden ofAbdul
No longer fhe property of the Gasazi, in 1979, Chris Van Allsburg
has been enchanting and mystifying
Boston Public Library. readers of all ages. The Polar Express,
Sale of this material benefited the Ubrary. his best-known book, is a Christmas
classic, and his unprecedented talent
has been recognized with two
Caldecott Medals and one Caldecott
Honor, as well as numerous other
awards. His most recent book. The
Widow's Broom, a warm, mysterious,
and supernatural tale illustrated with

hauntingly beautiful sepia tone illus-

trations, is also destined to become a

holiday tradition.

Books by Chris Van Allsburg:

The Garden ofAbdul Gasazi

A Caldecott Honor Book

Jumanji
Winner of the Caldecott Medal

Ben's Dream

The Wreck ofthe Zephyr

The Mysteries ofHarris Burdick

The Polar Express
Winner of the Caldecott M'^^-'

The Stranger

The Z Wa^ ZapptU

Two Bad Ants

Just a Dream

Swan Lake
Text by Mark Helprin

The Wretched Stone

The Widow's Broom

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