Since I have dwelled so extensively on the types of dire outcomes usually associated with precognitive dreams, I would like also to present some dreams that have led to the desirable result of increasing one's wealth. The classic account, which should probably be considered as somewhat of a folktale because it has come down to us from the 15th century with so many variations, involves the dream of the Swaffham tinker, John Chapman.

One night Chapman had a dream indicating that if he took a journey to London and placed himself at a certain spot on London Bridge, he would meet someone who would tell him something of great importance regarding his future affairs. He thought about making the trip to London but was dissuaded from doing so by his wife, who laughed at him for being so foolish. When the same dream reappeared the next two nights, it made such a powerful impression on him that he decided to go to London regardless of how much belittlement he received from his wife. Upon arriving in London, he stood for three consecutive days at the bridge. Towards night on the third day, when his confidence in the dream was beginning to wane, a stranger came up to him and asked why he had been at that spot for so long. The tinker told him, except he did not let him know where he came from. The stranger tolerantly smiled at him and suggested that he return home and not pay any more attention to dreams. To emphasize how silly dreams were, the stranger told him that he had recently dreamed that if he went to a place called Swaffham and dug under an apple tree in a certain garden on the north side of town he would find a box of money.

Astonished, the tinker returned to Swaffham and began to dig on the spot he thought had been indicated by the stranger.