Comic Title: Essential Vertigo:The Sandman #9
Publisher: DC
Imprint: Vertigo
Cover Date: April 1997
On Sale Date: February 12, 1997 Direct Market Date February 12, 1997
Source: Previews, Vol. 6 #12 (#96)

Direct Market Date February 12, 1997
Source: ComicList, Diamond : New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, February 12, 1997

Cover Price: $1.95
Page Count: 32
Editor: Bob Kahan

Title: "Tales in the Sand"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Sandman (Morpheus)

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Penciller: Mike Dringenberg
Inker: Malcolm Jones III
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Robbie Busch

Reprinted From:
Sandman #9 (1989)

Feature Character(s)

• Dream (also called Kai'ckul in this story; in flashback; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #13)

Supporting Character(s)

• Cain (in flashback; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Secret Origins #24)
• Abel (in flashback; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #2)

Other Character(s)

• Nada (dies in flashback; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #4)
• Nada's people (in flashback; no further appearances)
• A young tribesman and his grandfather (no further appearances)
• The king of birds and a weaverbird (in flashback; no further appearances)

Comments:
This story is told predominantly in flashback. The flashback takes place approximately 10,000 years ago. This date is derived from Dream's comment in Sandman #4 that Nada had been condemned to Hell 10,000 years ago.

Synopsis:
A young tribesman partakes in a ritual with his grandfather which has been passed down through the men of his tribe for generations. He is taken to the desert and told to search for an object. The young man returns to his grandfather carrying a shard of green glass. The older man then tells the young man a tale.

The grandfather explains that their tribe derived from the first people. Long ago, there was a giant city of glass ruled by the benevolent and beautiful queen, Nada. The queen was beloved by her people, but she had no man in her life. One day a dark stranger came to the city and met Nada's gaze. That night she dreamed of the stranger and fell in love. However, the next morning the stranger was gone.

Nada searched for the stranger inside the city and without. The search turned up nothing. Finally, a tiny weaverbird declared that he had seen the stranger. The king of birds advised Nada not to pursue her love for the stranger was neither man or god. Nada was undaunted and with the weaverbird's help swallowed the berry of a burning tree. The berry took Nada to the dream world where she met the master of dreams, Kai'ckul. When Kai'ckul removed his helmet, Nada learned the truth. The stranger was the lord of dreams, one of the Endless.

Though she had hunted her love, she knew it was wrong. Kai'ckul loved her too and offered to make her queen of the dream world. She refused and fled. Dream tracked her down and despite her resistance, the two consummated their love. The next morning, her city of glass was destroyed by a fireball. Nada regretted her decision to love Dream and killed herself to prevent further harm to her people.

Even with the death of his lover, Dream pursued. He offered to bring Nada to the dream world, but she again pursued. Spurned by his lover, Dream condemned Nada's soul to eternal pain. A fate she willingly accepted to save what remained of her people.

With the tale complete, the young tribesman returns the glass shard to the desert where it was found. He and his grandfather then rejoin their tribe.