Joseph may have been in prison, but he didn't languish there. He kept busy, helping administer in the jail despite his difficult circumstances. One of the lessons we see in the life of Joseph is to bloom where you're planted - to make the most out of the situations you find yourself in. Joseph consistently did that, and it always prepared him for advancement. Even if it sometimes took quite awhile for him to be noticed.
You never know when opportunities will present themselves. One day it happened for Joseph. Two of Pharaoh's servants were put in prison with him: the cupbearer and the baker. Somehow they had offended Pharaoh and were now paying the price. It would only be natural for each man to wonder how long they would be left in prison.
Perhaps that is why these thoughts invaded their dreams as well as their waking moments. On the same night, both men had dreams that troubled them. When they tell Joseph of this, he offers to interpret the dreams and explain their meanings to the men. (Apparently Joseph isn't just a dreamer himself; he's got an inside connection with God that allows him to interpret the dreams of others!)
The cupbearer goes first and describes a dream of a vine with three branches, clusters of grapes, and Pharaoh's cup. Joseph encourages the cupbearer by giving him a pleasant interpretation - the man will soon be restored to his prior service. His head will be "lifted up" by Pharaoh in three days. Joseph asks only to be remembered by the cupbearer when his luck turns, pointing out that he is suffering in prison unjustly.
When the baker hears the cupbearer's good news, he divulges the content of his dream as well. In his vision, he saw three baskets on his head, and he was trying to shoo the birds away from eating the baked goods for Pharaoh in them. Unfortunately for the baker, his interpretation was not nearly as positive. Joseph tells him that his head, too, will be "lifted up" by Pharaoh in three days. However, this "lifting" is more literal than figurative! The baker will be executed by hanging, and the birds will devour his flesh.
For both men, things came to pass just as Joseph had foreseen.
Dreams can come true - but it isn't always nice when they do!
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