INTRODUCTION of EGYPTION TAILS TRANSLATED FROM THE PAPA-RIE. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Timothy Ferguson. INTRODUCTION TAILS TRANSLATED FROM THE PAPA-RIE. First series by Sir W. M. Flinders-Petry. INTRODUCTION. It is strange that while literature occupies so much attention as it present, and while fiction is the largest division of our book work, the oldest literature and fiction of the world should yet have remained unpresented to English readers. The tales of ancient Egypt have appeared collectively only in French in the charming volume of Masbro's Contes Populares, while some have been translated into English at scattered times in volumes of the records of the past. But research moves forward and translations that were excellent twenty years ago may now be largely improved as we attain more insight into the language. For another reason also there is a wide ground for the present volume, in no case have any illustrations been attempted to give the basis for imagination, which is all the more needed when reading of an age and a land unfamiliar to our ideas. When following a narrative, whether of relevance or of fiction, many persons, perhaps most, find themselves unconsciously framing in their minds the scenery and the beings of which they are reading. To give a correct picture of the character of each of the various ages to which these tales belong has been the aim of the present illustrations. A definite period has been assigned to each tale in accordance with the indications or the history involved in it, and so far as our present knowledge goes, all the details of life in the scenes here illustrated are rendered in accord with the period of the story. To some purely scholastic minds it may seem presumptuous to intermingle translations of notable documents with fanciful illustrations, but considering the greater precision with which in recent years we have been able to learn the changes and the fashions of ancient life in Egypt, and the essentially unhistorical nature of most of these tales, there seems ample reason to provide such material for the reader's imagination in following the stories. It may give them more life and reality, and may emphasize the differences which existed between the different periods to which these tales refer. It will be noticed how the growth of the novel is shadowed out in the varied grounds and treatment of the tales. The earliest is purely a collection of marvels or fabulous incidents of the simplest kind. Then we advance to contrasts between town and country, between Egypt and foreign lands. Then personal adventure and the interest in schemes and successes becomes the stable material, while only in the later periods does character come in as the groundwork. The same may be seen in English literature, first the tales of wonders and strange lands, then the novel of adventure, and lastly, the novel of character. In translating these documents into English I have freely used the various translations already published in other languages, but in all cases more or less revision and retranslation from the original has been made. In this matter I am indebted to Mr. F. L. Griffith who has, in some cases, as in Anpu and Bata, almost entirely retranslated the original papyrus. The material followed in each instance will be found stated in the notes accompanying the tales. As to the actual phraseology, I am alone responsible for that. How far original idiom should be retained in any translation is always a debated question, and must entirely depend on the object in view. Here the purpose of rendering the work intelligible to ordinary readers required the modifying of some idioms and the paraphrasing of others, but so far as is possible the style and tone of the original has been preserved and whatever could be easily followed has been left to speak for itself. In many plainnesses of speech the old Egyptian resembled the modern oriental or our own forefathers, more than ourselves in this age of squeamishness as yet unparalleled in the world. To avoid offence a few little modifications of words have been made, but rather than give a false impression by tampering with any of the narrative I have omitted the sequel of the last tale and given only an outline of it. The diction adopted has been the oldest that could be used without affectation when dealing with the early times. It has been purposely modified in the later tales, and in the last, which is of Ptolemaic authorship, a modern style has been followed as more compatible with the later tone of the narrative. For the illustrations Mr. Tristram Ellis' familiarity with Egypt has been of good account in his lifelike scenes he used. For each drawing I have searched for the material among the monuments and remains of the age. The details of the dresses, the architecture and the utensils are all in accord with the period of each tale. In the tale of Setnow two different styles are introduced. Ahura is probably of the time of Amenhotep III, whereas Setnow is a son of Ramesu II, and the change of fashion between the two different dynasties has been followed as a distinctive of the two persons, one a car or double of the deceased, the other a living man. To the reader who starts with the current idea that all Egyptians were alike, this continual change from one period to another may seem almost fanciful, but it rests on such certain authority that we may hope that this little volume may have its use as an object lesson in practical archaeology. The use and abuse of notes is a matter of dispute. To be constantly interrupted in reading by some needless and elementary explanation is an impertinence both to the author and the reader. The one cannot resent it, the other therefore resents it for both. But what is to be deemed needless entirely depends on the reader. I have been asked in what country Pompeii is, as it is not in the English Gazeta. Rather than intrude then on the reader when he is in high discourse with the ancients, I humbly set up my interpreter's booth next door, and if he cares to call in and ask about any difficulties, I shall be glad to help him if I can. Not even numbers are intruded to refer to notes, for how often an eager reader has been led off his trail and turned blithely to refer to 37 or 186 only to find C.J.Z.38, 377, at which he gnashed his teeth and cursed such interruptions. So those to whom the original tales are obscure are humbly requested to try for some profit from the remarks after them that have been gleaned by the translator. Much might be said by a folklorist in proportion to his ardour, but as there are folklorists and folklorists and the schools of Rabbi Andrew and Rabbi Joseph write different targums, I have left each to make his own commentary without prejudice. End of introduction. Recording by Timothy Ferguson, Gold Coast, Australia. Chapter 1 of Egyptian Paparai, First Series. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by Timothy Ferguson. Egyptian Tales, First Series by Sir W. M. Flinders Petrie. Chapter 1. Tales of the Magicians. One day when King Khufu reigned over all the land, he said to his Chancellor who stood before him, Go call me my sons and my counsellors, that I may ask them of a thing, and his sons and his counsellors came and stood before him, and he said to them, No ye a man who can tell me tales of the deeds of the Magicians? Then the Royal Son Kaphra stood forth and said, I will tell thy Majesty a tale of the days of thy forefather Nebka, the blessed, of what came to pass when he went into the Temple of Tahr of Ankh Taui. Kaphra's Tale. His Majesty was walking unto the Temple of Tahr and went unto the house of the Chief Reciter, Uba Anna, with his train. Now when the wife of Uba Anna saw a page among those who stood behind the King, her heart longed after him and sent her servant unto him with the present of a box full of garments. And he came then with the servant. Now there was a lodge in the garden of Uba Anna, and one day the page said to the wife of Uba Anna, In the garden of Uba Anna there is now a lodge, behold let us therein take our pleasure. So the wife of Uba Anna sent to the steward who had charge over the garden, saying, Let the lodge which is in the garden be made ready, and she remained there, and rested and drank with the page until the sun went down. And when the even was now come, the page went forth to bathe, and the steward said, I must go until Uba Anna of this matter. Now when this day was passed and another day came, then went the steward to Uba Anna and told him of all these things. Then said Uba Anna, Bring me my casket of ebony and electrum, and they bought it, and he fashioned a crocodile out of wax, seven fingers long, and he enchanted it and said, When the page comes and bathes in my lake, seize on him. And he gave it to the steward, and said to him, When the page shall go down into the lake to bathe, as he is daily want to do, then throw in this crocodile behind him. And the steward went forth, bearing the crocodile. And the wife of Uba Anna sent to the steward who had charge over the garden, saying, Let the lodge which is in the garden be made ready, for I come to tarry there. And the lodge was prepared with all good things, and she came and made merry therein with the page. And when the even was now come, the page went forth to bathe as he was want to do, and the steward cast in the wax crocodile after him into the water, and behold it became a great crocodile, seven cubits in length, and it sigged on the page. And Uba Anna abode yet seven days with the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, the blessed, while the page was stifled in the crocodile. And after the seven days were passed, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, the blessed, went forth, and Uba Anna went before him. And Uba Anna said unto his majesty, come and see this wonder that has come to pass in your days unto a page. And the king went with Uba Anna, and Uba Anna called unto the crocodile and said, Bring forth the page. And the crocodile came forth from the lake with the page. Uba Anna said unto the king, Behold, whatever I command this crocodile, he will do it. And his majesty said, I pray you send back this crocodile. And Uba Anna stooped and took up the crocodile, and it became in his hand a crocodile of wax. And then Uba Anna told the king that which had passed in his house with the page and his wife. And his majesty said unto the crocodile, Take to thee thy prey. And the crocodile plunged into the lake with his prey, and no man knew whither he went. And his majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka the blessed, commanded. And they bought forth the wife of Uba Anna to the north side of the harem and burnt her with fire and cast her ashes in the river. This is a wonder that came to pass in the days of thy forefather, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, of the acts of the chief reciter, Uba Anna. His majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, let there be presented to the king Nebka, the blessed, a thousand loaves, a hundred draughts of beer, an ox, two jars of incense, and let there be presented a loaf, a jar of beer, a jar of incense, and a piece of meat to the chief reciter Uba Anna, for I have seen the token of his learning. And they did all things as his majesty commanded. Balfra's Tale The royal son Balfra then stood forth in spake, he said, I will tell thy majesty of a wonder which came to pass in the days of thy father, Senafuru, the blessed, of the deeds of the chief reciter, Zazamank. One day, King Senafuru, being weary, went through his palace, seeking for a pleasure to lighten his heart, but he found none. And he said, haste and bring before me the chief reciter and scribe of the role, Zazamank. And they straightaway bought him, and the king said, I have sought in my palace for some delight, but I have found none. Then said Zazamank to him, let thy majesty go upon the lake of the palace, and let there be made ready a boat, with all the fair maidens of the harem of thy palace, and the heart of thy majesty shall be refreshed with the sight in seeing their rowing up and down the water, and seeing the goodly pools of the birds upon the lake, and beholding its sweet fields and grassy shores, thus will thy heart be lightened, and I also will go with thee. Bring me twenty oars of ebony inlaid with gold, with blades of light wood inlaid with electrum, and bring me twenty maidens fair in their limbs, their bosoms and their hair, all virgins, and bring me twenty nets, and give these nets unto the maidens for their garments. And they did according to all the commands of his majesty, and they rowed down the stream and up the stream, and the heart of his majesty was glad with the sight of their rowing. But one of them, at the steering, struck her hair, and her jewel of new malachite fell into the water, and she ceased to song and rowed not, and her companion ceased and rowed not, and his majesty said row you not further, and they replied, our little steerer here stays and rows not, his majesty then said to her wherefore rowest thou not? she replied it is for my jewel of new malachite which is fallen in the water, and he said to her row on for behold I will replace it, and she answered but I want my own piece back in its setting, and his majesty said haste bring me the chief reciter Zazamank, and they bought him, and his majesty said Zazamank my brother I have done as thou sayest, and the heart of his majesty is refreshed with the sight of their rowing but now a jewel of new malachite of one of the little ones is fallen in the water, and she ceases and rows not, and she has spoilt the rowing of her side, and I said to her wherefore rowest thou not, and she answered me it is for my jewel of new malachite which is fallen in the water, I replied to her row on for behold I will replace it, and she answered to me but I want my own piece back again in its setting in the chief reciter Zazamank spake his magic speech, and he placed one part of the waters of the lake upon the other, and discovered the jewel lying upon a side, and he took it up, and gave it unto its mistress, and the water which was 12 cubits deep in the middle reached now to 24 cubits after he turned it, and he spake, and used his magic speech, and he bought again the water of the lake to its place, and his majesty spent a joyful day with the whole of the royal house, then rewarded he the chief reciters Zazamank with all good things told, this is a wonder that came to pass in the days of thy father, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Seneferu of the deeds of the chief reciter, the scribe of the roles Zazamank then said the majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu the blessed, let there be presented an offering of a thousand cakes one hundred drafts of beer, an ox, and two jars of incense to the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Seneferu the blessed, and let there be given a loaf a jar of beer and a jar of incense to the chief reciter the scribe of the roles Zazamank for I have seen the token of his learning, and they did all things as his majesty commanded. Hordedef's tale the royal son Hordedef then stood forth and spake, he said hitherto hast thou only heard tokens of those that have gone before, and of which no man knoweth their truth but I will show thy majesty a man of thine own days. And his majesty said who is he Hordedef? And the royal son Hordedef answered it is a certain man named Deddy who dwells at Dednesferu. He is a man of one hundred and ten years old and he eats five hundred loaves of bread and a loaf of beef and drinks one hundred draughts of beer unto this day. He knows how to restore the head that is smitten off, he knows how to cause the lion to follow him trailing his altar on the ground, he knows the designs of the dwelling of Tahuti. The majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu the blessed, has long sought for the designs of the dwelling of Tahuti that he may make the like of them here amid. And his majesty said thou thyself Hordedef my son bring him to me. Then were the ships made ready for the king's son Hordedef and he went up the stream to Dednesferu. And when the ships had moored at the haven he landed and sat him in a litter of ebony the poles of which were of cedar wood overlaid with gold. Now when he drew near to Deddy they set down the litter and he greeted Deddy and found him lying on a palm stick couch at the door of his house. One servant held his head and rubbed him and another rubbed his feet. And the king's son Hordedef said thy state is that of one who lives to good old age for old age is the end of our voyage the time of embalming, the time of burial. Lie then in the sun free of infirmities without the babble of dotage. This is the salutation to the worthy age. I come from far to call thee with a message from my father Khufu the blessed for thou shall eat of the best which the king gives and of the food which those have who follow after him that he may bring thee in good estate to thy fathers who are in the tomb. And Deddy replied to him peace to thee, peace to thee Hordedef son of the king, father Khufu the blessed praise thee. May he advance thee amongst the elders. May thy car prevail against the enemy. May thy soul know the right road to the gate of him who closely afflicted. This is the salutation to the king's son. Then the king's son Hordedef stretched forth his hands to him and raised him up and went with him to the haven giving unto him his arm then said Deddy let there be given me a boat to bring me my youths and my books and they may ready for him two boats with their rowers and Deddy went down the river in the barge in which was the king's son Hordedef and when he had reached the palace the king's son Hordedef entered in to give a count unto his majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt. Then said the king's son Hordedef O king, life, wealth and health, my lord I have bought Deddy. His majesty replied bring him to me speedily and his majesty went into the hall of columns of pharaoh, life, wealth and health and Deddy was led before him and his majesty said wherefore is it Deddy that I have not yet seen thee? And Deddy answered he who was called it is that comes. The king, life, wealth and health calls me and behold and his majesty said is it true that which men say that thou canst restore the head which is smitten off? And Deddy replied truly I know that O king life, wealth and health my lord and his majesty said let one bring me a prisoner who is in prison that his punishment may be fulfilled and Deddy said let it not be a man O king my lord do not even thus to our cattle and a duck was bought under him and its head was cut off and the duck was laid on the west side of the hall and its head on the east side of the hall and Deddy spake his magic speech and the duck fluttered along the ground and its head came likewise and when it had come part to part the duck stood and quack and they bought likewise a goose before him and he did even so unto it his majesty caused an ox to be bought and its head cast on the ground and Deddy spake his magic speech and the ox stood upright behind him and followed him with his halter trailing on the ground and king Khufu said and is it true what is said that thou knowest the number of the designs of the dwelling of Deddy and Deddy replied pardon me I know not their number O king life, wealth and health but I know where they are and his majesty said where is that and Deddy replied there is a chest of wet stone in a chamber named the plan room in Heliopolis there in this chest and Deddy said further unto him O king life, wealth and health my lord it is not that is to bring them to thee and his majesty said who then is it that shall bring them to me and Deddy answered to him it is the eldest of the three children who are in the body of Radidet who shall bring them to thee and his majesty said would that it may be as thou sayest and who is this Radidet and Deddy replied she is the wife of a priest of Ra lord of Sakhebu and she has conceived these three sons of Ra lord of Sakhebu and the god has promised her that they shall fulfil this noble office of reigning over all this land and that the eldest of them shall be high priest in Heliopolis and his majesty's heart became troubled for this but Deddy spoke unto him what is this that thou thinkest O king life, wealth and health my lord is it because of these three children I tell thee thy son shall reign and thy son son and then one of them his majesty said and when shall Radidet bear these and he replied she shall bear them on the 26th of the month Tybee and his majesty said when the banks of the canal of Litoopolis are cut I will walk there that I may see the temple of Ra lord of Sakhebu and Deddy replied that there be four cubits of water by the banks of the canal of Litoopolis when his majesty returned to his palace his majesty said let them place Deddy in the house of the royal son Hordedeth that he may dwell with him and let them give him a daily portion of a thousand loaves a hundred drafts of beer an ox and a hundred bunches of onions and they did everything as his majesty commanded and one day it came to pass that Radidet felt the pains of birth and the majesty of Ra lord of Sakhebu said unto Isis to Nebhat to Meskent to Hat and to Khnumu Go ye and deliver Radidet of these three children that she shall bear who are to fulfill this noble office over all this land that they may build up your temples furnish your altars with offerings supply your tables of libation and increase your endowments then went these deities their fashion they made as that of dancing girls and Numu was with them as a porter they drew near unto the house of Ra Usa and found him standing with his girdle fallen and they played before him with their instruments of music but he said unto them my ladies behold there is a woman who feels the pains of birth they said to him let us see her for we know how to help her and he replied come then and they entered in straight away to Radidet and they closed the door on her and on themselves then Isis stood before her and Nebhat stood behind her and Hakt helped her and Isis said oh child by thy name of Usareff do not do violence and the child came upon her hands as a child of a cubit its bones were strong the beauty of its limbs was like gold and its hair was like true lapis lazuli they washed him and prepared him and placed him on a carpet on the brickwork then Miss Kent approached him and said this is a king who shall reign over all the land and Numu gave him strength to his limbs then Isis stood before her and Nebhat stood behind her and Hakt helped her and Isis said oh child by thy name of Usareff stay not in her then the child came upon her hands a child of a cubit its bones was strong the beauty of its limbs was like gold and its hair was like true lapis lazuli they washed him and prepared him and laid him on a carpet on the brickwork then Miss Kent approached him and said this is a king who shall reign over all the land and gave strength to his limbs then Isis stood before her and Nebhat stood behind her and Hakt helped her and Isis said oh child by thy name of Kaku remain not in darkness in her and the child came upon her hands a child of a cubit and its bones was strong the beauty of its limbs was like gold and its hair was like true lapis lazuli and Miss Kent approached him and said this is a king who shall reign over all the land and Numu gave strength to his limbs and they washed him and prepared him and laid him on a carpet on the brickwork and the deities went out having delivered radidate of the three children and they said rejoice O Ra Usareff for behold three children are born unto thee and he said unto them my ladies and what shall I give unto ye give this bushel of barley here unto your porter that ye may take it as your reward to the brew house and Numu loaded himself with the bushel of barley and they went away toward the place from which they came and Isis spake unto these goddesses and said wherefore have we come without doing a marvel for these children that we may tell it to their father who has sent us then made they the divine diadems of the king life wealth and health and lay them in the bushel of barley and they caused the clouds to come with wind and rain and they turned back again unto the house and they said let us put this barley in a closed chamber sealed up until we return northward dancing and they placed the barley in a closed chamber and radidate purified herself with purification of fourteen days and she said to her handmaid is the house made ready and she replied all things are made ready but the brewing barley is not yet brought and radidate said wherefore is the brewing barley not yet bought and the servant said it would all of it long since be ready if the barley had not been given to the dancing girls and lay in the chamber under their seal radidate said go down and bring of it and right you sir will give them in its stead when he shall come and the handmaid went and opened the chamber and she had talking and singing music and dancing quavering and all things which are performed for a king in his chamber and she returned and told to radidate all that she had heard and she went through the chamber but she found not the place where the sound was and she laid her temple to the sack and found that the sounds were in it she placed it in a chest and put that in another locker and tied it fast with leather and laid it in the storeroom and filled it and raw came from the field and radidate repeated unto him these things and his heart was glad above all things and they sat down and made a joyful day and after these days it came to pass that radidate was wroth with her servant and beat her with stripes and the servant said unto those that were in the house shall it be done thus to me she has born three kings and I will go and tell this to His Majesty King Khufu the Blessed and she went and found the eldest brother of her mother who was binding his flax on the floor and he said to her with a goest thou, my little maid and she told him of all these things and her brother said to her wherefore comest thou thus to me shall I agree to treachery and he took a bunch of flax to her and laid on her a violent blow and the servant fed her a handful of water and a crocodile carried her away her uncle went therefore to tell of this to radidate and he found radidate sitting her head on her knees and her heart beyond measure sad and he said to her my lady why makeest thou thy heart thus and she answered it is because of this little wretch that was in the house behold she went out saying I will go and tell it and he bowed his head unto the ground and said my lady she came and told me of these things and made her complaint unto me and I laid on her a violent blow and she went forth to drill water and a crocodile carried her away the rest of the tale is lost remarks the tales of the magicians are preserved only in a single copy and of that the beginning of the story is entirely lost Papyrus was bought from Egypt by an English traveller and was purchased by the Berlin Museum from the property of Lepseus who had received it from the owner Miss Westcar hence it is known as the Westcar Papyrus it was written probably in the 12th dynasty but doubtless embodied tales which had been floating for generations before about the names of the early kings it shows us probably the kind of material that existed for the great recension of the pre-monumental history of the time of Seti I those ages of the first three dynasties were as long before that recension as we are after it and this must always be remembered in considering the authority of the Egyptian records this Papyrus has been more thoroughly studied than most perhaps more than any other Urman has devoted two volumes to it publishing the whole in photographic facsimile transcribed into hieroglyphs transcribed into the modern alphabet translated literally translated freely commented on and discussed word by word with the complete glossary of all the words used in it this exhaustive publication is named Demarchan des Papyrus Westcar moreover Maspero has given it a current translation in the contest popularies second edition pages 53 to 86 the scheme of these tales is that they are all told to King Khufu by his sons and as the beginning is lost eight lines are here added to explain this and introduce the subject the actual papyrus begins with the last few words of a previous tale concerning some other magician under an earlier king then comes the tale of Kafra next that of Balfra and finally that of Hordedef it need hardly be said that these tales are quite fictitious the king and his successor Kafra are real but the other sons cannot be identified and the confusion of supposing three kings of the fifth dynasty to be triplets born early in the fourth dynasty shows what very vague ideas of their own histories the Egyptians had when these tales were formed this does not prevent our seeing that they embodied some very important traditions and gives us an unequalled picture of the early civilization in the earliest tale of the three there seems at first sight merely a sketch of faithlessness and revenge but there is probably much more in it to read it right we must bear in mind the position of woman in ancient Egypt if in later ages Islam has gone to the extreme of man determining his own divorce at a word in earlier times almost the opposite system prevailed all property belonged to the woman all that a man could earn or inherit was made over to his wife and families always reckoned back further on the mother side than the fathers as the changes in historical times have been in the direction of men's rights it is very unlikely that this system of female predominance was invented or introduced but rather that it descends from primitive times in this tale we see then at the beginning of our knowledge of the country the clashing of two different social systems the reciter is strong for men's rights he brings destruction on the wife even gives her name but always merely calls her the wife of uberana but behind all this there is probably the remains of a very different system the servant employed by the mistress seems to see nothing outrageous in her proceedings even the steward who is on the master's side waits a day or two before reporting matters when we remember the supremacy and property and descent which women held in Egypt and then read this tale it seems that it belongs to the close of a social system like that of the nares in which the lady makes her selection with variations from time to time the incident of sending a present of clothing is curiously like the tale about a certain English envoy whose proprieties were sadly ruffled in the near country when a lady sent him a grand shawl with an intimation of her choice the priestesses of Amon retained to the last this privilege of her choice as being under divine and not human protection but it seems to have become unseemly in late times the hinging of this tale and of those that follow it upon the use of magic shows how thoroughly the belief in magic powers was ingrained in the Egyptians now such a belief implies the presence of magicians and shows how familiar must have been the claim to such powers and the practicing of tricks of witchcraft so prevalent in Africa in modern times the efficacy of a model such as this crocodile of wax is an idea continually met with in Egypt the system of tomb furniture and decoration of car statues of Ushhabtis or figures to work for the deceased and the models placed in foundation deposits all show how a model was supposed to have the efficacy of an actual reality even in the latest tale of all written in Ptolemaic times Setnow makes a model of a boat and men to be sunk in the river to work for him the reconversion of the crocodile to wax on being taken up by the magician reminds us of the serpent becoming a rod again when taken up by Aaron the punishment of burning alive is very rarely if ever mentioned in Egyptian history though it occurs in modern Egyptian tales and it looks as if it were bought in here rather as a dire horror for the climax than as a probable incident the place of the penalty in front of the harem or the private portion of the palace was evidently for the intimidation of other ladies at the close of each tale King Khufu to whom it is told orders funerary offerings by the usual formula to be presented in honour of the king under whom the wonders took place on the tablets of the tombs in the early times there is usually recorded the offering or rather the pious desire that there should be offered thousands of loaves of oxen of gazelles of cranes and such for a deceased person such expression cost no more by the thousand than by the dozen so thousands came to be the usual expression in all ordaining of offerings we are so accustomed to think of tedium as something modern that it seems strange to find in the oldest tales in the world how the first king of whom we know anything was bought by his pleasures a reward for discovering a new pleasure is the very basis of the tale of Snaferu and the wise man's remedy of a day in the country is still the best resource though all that we know as human history has tried its own experiments and enjoyment since then the flavour of the ballet thrown in by the introduction of the damsels of the household clad in fishing nets is not yet obsolete in modern amusements and even in this century Muhammad Ali had resourced to the same way of killing time as he was wrote about by his harem but on an artificial lake the use of two large oars for steering explains the detail of the story the oars were one on each side of the stern and were each managed by a stirrer from the tale we see the stirrer led the song of the rowers and if the leader ceased all that side of the boat ceased also the position of the lost jewel upon the hair shows that it was a fillet within laying like that seen on early figures such as Nefert at Medem who wears a fillet of rosettes to retain the hair and the position of the steering oar attached to the post with the handle rising high in the air explains how it could strike the fillet and displace the jewel the last tale is really double a tale within a tale it begins with the wonders done by Daddy and then goes on with the history of the children about whom he prophesied to Khufu the village of Daddy was probably near Medem as in the temple of Sneferu at Medem an offering was found presented by a worshiper to the gods of dead Sneferu hence the background which is here given for the scene of Hordedef leading old Daddy the translation of the designs of the dwelling of Tahuti is not certain but the passage seems to refer to some architectural plan that was desired for the pyramid the story of Radidet is remarkable historically she is said to be the wife of the priest of Ra her children are the sons of Ra and they are the first three kings of the fifth dynasty and supplanted the line of Khufu this points to the fifth dynasty having been a priestly usurpation and so on looking at its history we see two confirmations of this the title son of Ra is so common in most ages in Egypt that it is taken for granted and is applied in lists to any second cartouche but it is not found until well until the fifth dynasty the earlier kings were not descendants of Ra and it is only on arriving at this dynasty which claimed descent from Ra through the wife of the priest of Ra that we find the claim of each king to be a son of Ra another confirmation of this priestly descent is the abundance of priesthoods established for the kings of the fifth dynasty a care which agrees with their having a priestly origin well it is particularly said that they would build up the temples, furnish the altars with offerings, supply the tables with libations and increase the religious endowments the names of the three children are a play upon the names of the first three kings of the fifth dynasty Usakaaf is made into Usaref Sahura is written Sarah and Khaka is Khaku thus making allusions to their births the comparison of the hair to the true lapis lazuli seems very strange but there is often a confusion between black and blue and Azraq means either dark blue or green or black in present arabic lapis lazuli is brought into the name of the queen of Rameesu the sixth who was called who was called golden lazuli Nub Kesteb recalling the comparison here of personal beauty to these precious metals it is noticeable here that in a tale of the fifth dynasty certainly written as early as the twelfth dynasty we find professional dancers commonly recognised and going on travels through the country with a porter from this tale we also learn that egyptian women underwent a purification of fourteen days during which they kept apart and did not attend to any household matters the mistress of the house here inquires if the preparations are made for the feast on her return to household affairs and here is how the beer cannot be made for lack of the barley the securing of the sack is just in accord with the remains of this early period the use of boxes of thongs of leather for tying and of clay seals for securing property were all familiar matters in the twelfth dynasty as we learn from Kahun the present close of the tale is evidently only a stage in it when the treacherous maid meets with the common doom of the wicked in egyptian romance how it was continued is a matter of speculation but Khufu ought certainly to reappear and to order great rewards for Dedi who up to this has only had maintenance on his requisite scale provided for him yet it is imperative that the children shall be saved from his wrath as they are the kings of the fifth dynasty there may be a long episode lost of their flight and adventures one reference to a date needs notice the twenty-fifth of the month Tibi is said to be the predicted birthday of the children and Khufu refers to going to Sakhibu at about that time apparently when the banks of the canal are cut and the land was drying after the inundation the twenty-fifth of the month Tibi is said to be the predicted birthday of the children and Khufu refers to going to Sakhibu about that time apparently when the banks of the canal are cut and the land was drying after the inundation where on Dedi threatens that the water shall still be deep there this points to the twenty-fifth Tibi being about the close of the inundation this would be about the case in the beginning of the fourth dynasty and also in the twelfth dynasty when the papyrus was perhaps written hence there is nothing conclusive to draw from this illusion so far but when we compare this tale with those following we see good ground for its belonging to a time before the twelfth dynasty the following tale of the peasant and the workman evidently belongs to the ninth or tenth dynasties when Heracliopolis was the capital and Sanahat is certainly of the twelfth dynasty yet in those we see character and incident made the basis of interest in the place of the childish profusion of marvels of the tales of the magicians it seems impossible not to suppose that they belong to very different ages and canons of taste and hence we cannot refer the cruises of the Khufu tales to the time of the far more elaborate and polished recycle of the adventures of Sanahat in the twelfth dynasty being thus obliged to suppose an earlier date for these tales the illusion to the month of Tibi throws us back to a very early period the fourth dynasty for their original outlines doubtless they were modified by reciters and probably took shape in the fifth or sixth dynasties but yet we must refer to them as belonging practically to the age to which they refer end of chapter one recording by Timothy Ferguson Gold Coast Australia chapter two of Egyptian paparite first series this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Timothy Ferguson Egyptian tales first series by Sir W. M. Flinders Petrie chapter two the peasant and the workman in the Sekhat Himat ninth dynasty the workman they're dwelt in the Sekhat Himat or salt country a peasant called Sekti with his wife and children his asses and his dogs and he trafficked in all good things of the Sekhat Himat to Hennan Setten behold now he went with rushes, natron and salt with wood and pods with stones and seeds and all good products of the Sekhat Himat this Sekti journeyed to the south under Hennan Setten and when he came to the lands of the house of FIFA north of Dinat he found a man there standing on the bank a man called Hemti the workman son of a man called Azri who was a surf of the high steward Marui Tenza now said this Hemti when he saw the asses of Sekti that were pleasing in his eyes oh that some good god would grant me to steal away the goods of Sekti from him now Hemti's house was by the dike of the topath which was straightened and not wired as much as the width of a waste cloth on the one side of it was the water and on the other side of it grew his corn Hemti said then to his servant hasten bring me a shawl from the house and it was brought instantly then he spread out this shawl on the face of the dike and it lay with its fastening on the water and its fringe on the corn now Sekti approached along the path used by all men said Hemti have a care Sekti you are not going to trample my clothes said Sekti I will do as you like I will pass carefully then he went up on the higher side but Hemti said go you over my corn instead of the path said Sekti I am going carefully this high field of corn is not my choice but you have stopped your path with your clothes and will you then not let us pass by the side of the path and one of the asses filled its mouth with a cluster of corn said Hemti look you I will take away your ass Sekti for eating my corn behold it will have to pay accordingly to the amount of the injury said Sekti I am going carefully the one way is stopped therefore I took my ass by the enclosed ground and do you seize it for filling its mouth with a cluster of corn moreover I know unto whom this domain belongs even unto the Lord Steward Marui Tenza he it is who smites every robber in this whole land and shall I then be robbed in his domain said Hemti this is the proverb which men speak a poor man's name is only his own matter I am he of whom you spake even the Lord Steward of whom you think thereupon he took to him branches of green tamarisk and scourged all his limbs took his asses and draved them into the pasture and Sekti wept very greatly by reason of the pain of what he had suffered said Hemti lift up not your voice Sekti or you shall go to the demon of silence Sekti answered you beat me you steal my goods and now you would take away even my voice oh demon of silence if you will restore my goods then I will cease to cry out at your violence Sekti stayed the whole day petitioning Hemti but he would not give ear unto him and Sekti went his way to Kenan Sutton to complain to Lord Steward Marui Tenza he found him coming out of the door of his house to embark on his boat that he might go to the judgement hall Sekti said oh turn that I may please thy heart with this discourse now at this time that one of thy followers come to me that I may send him to thee concerning it the Lord Steward Marui Tenza made his follower whom he chose go straight unto him and Sekti sent him back with an account of all these matters then the Lord Steward Marui Tenza accused Hemti unto the nobles who sat with him and they said unto him by your leave as to this Sekti of yours let him bring a witness behold thou it is our custom with our Sekti's witnesses come with them behold that is our custom then it will be fitting to beat this Hemti for a trifle of natrin and a trifle of salt if he is commanded to pay for it he will pay for it but the High Steward Marui Tenza held his peace for he would not reply unto these nobles but would reply unto the Sekti now Sekti came to appeal to the Lord Steward Marui Tenza and said oh my Lord Steward greatest of the great guide of the needy when thou embarkest on the lake of truth mayest thou sail upon it with a fair wind may thy mainsail not fly loose may there not be lamentation in thy cabin may not misfortune come after thee may not thy mainstays be snapped mayest thou not run aground may not the wave seize thee mayest thou not taste the impurities of the river mayest thou not see the face of fear may the fish come to thee without escape mayest thou reach unto plump waterfowl for thou art the orphan's father the widow's husband the desolate woman's brother the garment of the motherless let me celebrate thy name in this land for every virtue a guide without greediness of heart a great one without any meanness destroying deceit encouraging justice coming to the cry and allowing utterance let me speak do thou here and do justice oh praised whom the praised ones praise abolish oppression behold me I am overladen reckon with me behold me defrauded now the secti made this speech in the time of the majesty of the king Nebka Enra blessed the lord steward Marie Tenza went straight away my lord I have found one of these secti excellent of speech in very truth stolen are his goods and he has come to complain to me of the matter his majesty said as thou wishest that I may see his health lengthen out his complaint without replying to any of his speeches he who desireeth him to continue speaking should be silent behold bring us his words in writing that we may listen to them but provide for his wife and children and let the secti himself also have a living thou must cause one to give him his portion without letting him know that thou art he who is giving it to him there were given to him four loaves and two draughts of beer each day which the lord steward Marie Tenza provided for him giving it to a friend of his who furnished it unto him then the lord steward Marie Tenza sent the governor of Seket Hemat for the wife of the secti three rations of corn each day then came the secti a second time and even a third time unto the lord steward Marie Tenza but he told two of his followers to go unto the secti and seize him and beat him with staves but he came again unto him even unto six times and said my lord steward destroying deceit and encouraging justice raising up every good thing every evil as plenty comes removing famine as clothing covers nakedness as clear sky after storm warms the shivering as fire cooks that which is raw as water quenches the thirst look with thy face upon my lot do not covet but content me without fail do the right and do not evil but yet Marie Tenza would not harken unto his complaint the secti came yet and yet again even unto the ninth time then the lord steward told two of his followers to go unto the secti and the secti feared that he should be beaten as at the third request but the lord steward Marie Tenza said unto him fear not secti for what thou hast done the secti has made many speeches delightful to the heart of his majesty and I take an oath as I eat bread and as I drink water that thou shalt be remembered to eternity said the lord steward moreover thou shalt be satisfied when thou shalt hear of thy complaints he caused to be written on a clean roll of papyrus each petition to the end and the lord steward Marie Tenza sent it to the majesty of the king Nebcaenara blessed and it was good to him more than anything that is in the whole land but his majesty said to Marie Tenza to himself I do not desire it the lord steward Marie Tenza made two of his followers go to the sect at himat and bring a list of the household of the secti and its amount was six persons beside his oxen and his goats his wheat and his barley his asses and his dogs and moreover he gave all that which belonged unto the hemti to the secti more than all his overseers and eight of all the good things of the king with all his household remarks off the tale of the peasant and the workman three copies more or less imperfect remain to us at Berlina two paparai numbers two and four containing parts of the tale published in facsimile in the Denkmaler of lepsias volume six pages 108 110 and 113 more portions of another copy exist in the Butler papyrus and lately fragments of the same have been collated in the collection of Lord Amherst of Hackney these last have been published in the proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology volume 14 page 558 the number of copies seem to show that this was a popular tale in early times it is certainly of a more advanced type than the earlier tales of magic though it belongs to a simpler style than the tales which follow it has been translated partially by Chabas and Goodwin and also by Maspero but most completely by Griffin in the proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology referred to above the beginning of the tale is lost in all the copies and an introductory sentences here added in brackets to explain the position of affairs at the opening of the fragment the essence of the tale is the difference in social position between the secti peasant and the empty or workman the fella and the client of the noble and the impossibility of getting justice against a client unless by some extraordinary means of attracting his patron's attention is the basis of the action there is not a single point of incident here which might not be true in modern times every turn of it seems to live as one reads it in view of country life in Egypt the region of the tale this was the seat of the 9th and 10th dynasties apparently ejected from memphis by a foreign invasion of the delta and here it is that the high steward lives and goes to speak to the king the district of the secti is indicated by his travelling south to the hen and seton and going with asses and not by boat hence we are led to look for the secat himat or salt country in the borders of the feyum and in the south of the country in the borders of the feyum lake once the journey would be southward and across the desert this lake was not regulated artificially until the 12th dynasty and hence at the period of this tale it was a large sheet of water fluctuating with each rise and full of the Nile and bordered by lagoons where rushes would flourish and where sultan naitrin would accumulate during the dry season of each year at the present time the lake is brackish and the cliffs which border it contains so much salt that rain pools which collect on them are not drinkable the paths and roads of Egypt are not protected by law as in western countries each person encroaches on a path or diverts it as may suit his purpose only checked by the liberties taken by passers-by in trespassing if a path be insufficient hence it is very usual to see a house built over half a path and driving the traffic into the field or almost over the bank in this case the hemp tea had taken in as much of the path as he could and left but a narrow strip along the top of the canal bank the frequent use of the public way for drying clothes or spreading out property gave the idea of choking the whale together and leaving no choice but trespassing on the crops no sooner does a donkey pause or even pass by a field of corn than he snatches a mouthful and in a delay or altercation such as this the beast is sure to take the advantage donkeys carrying loads by cornfields are usually muzzled with rope nets to prevent their feeding and even sheep and goats are also fended in the same way the proverb of poor man's name is only his own matter refers to the independent fella having no patron or protector who will take up and defend his name from accusations as the interests of clients and serfs would be protected this being the case, hemp tea therefore seizes on the property and drives the asses into his own pasture field the scene of marui tensa laying the case before the nobles who sat with him is interesting as showing that even simple cases were not decided by one judge but referred to a council similarly Una lays stress on the private trial of the queen being confided to him and only one other judge apparently referring cases to a bench of judges was the means of preventing corruption the speeches of the secti were given at least in the papyrus but owing to injuries we cannot now entirely recover them they are all in much the same strain only the first and last translated here and the others are passed over the style of these speeches was evidently looked on as eloquent in those days and this papyrus really seems to show the time when long drawn comparisons in flowery wishes were in fashion it is far different from later compositions as it is also from the earlier simple narration of crude marvels in the tales of the magicians the close of the tale is defective but from the remains it appears to have ended by the gift of the Hempti's property to the oppressed secti and the triumph of the injured peasant end of chapter 2 recording by Timothy Ferguson, Gold Coast, Australia chapter 3 of Egyptian paparai first series this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Timothy Ferguson Egyptian tales first series by Sir W. M. Flinders Petrie chapter 3 going to Wallat twelfth dynasty the shipwrecked sailor the wise servant said let thy heart be satisfied, O Lord for that we have come back to the country after we have long been on board and rode much the prow has at last touched land all the people rejoice and embrace one after another moreover we have come back in good health and not a man is lacking although we have been to the ends of Wallat and gone through the land of Senmut we have returned in peace and our land, behold we have come back to it hear me, my Lord, I have no other refuge wash thee and turn the water over thy ringers then go and tell the tale to the majesty his Lord replied, thy heart continues still it's wandering words but although the mouth of a man may save him his words may also cover his face with confusion wilt thou do as thy heart moves thee? this thou wilt say tell quietly the sailor then answered now I shall tell that which has happened to me to my very self I was going to the mines of Pharaoh and I went down on the sea on a ship of a hundred and fifty cubits long forty cubits wide with a hundred and fifty sailors of the best of Egypt who had seen heaven and earth and whose hearts were stronger than lions they had said the wind would not be contrary or that there would be none but as we approached the land the wind arose and threw up waves eight cubits high as for me I seized a piece of wood but those who were in the vessel perished without one remaining a wave threw me on an island after that I had been three days alone without a companion beside my own heart I laid me in a thicket and the shadow covered me then I stretched my limbs to try and find something for my mouth I found there figs and grapes all manner of good herbs berries and grain melons of all kinds fishes and birds nothing was lacking and I satisfied myself and left on the ground that which was over of what my arms had been filled wherewithal I dug a pit I lighted a fire and I made a burnt offering unto the gods suddenly I heard noises of thunder which I thought to be that of a wave of the sea the tree shook and the earth was moved I uncovered my face and I saw that a serpent drew near he was thirty cubits long and his beard greater than two cubits his body was overlaid with gold and his colour was that of the true lazuli he coiled himself before me then the serpent opened his mouth while I lay on my face before him and he said to me what has bought thee what has bought thee little one what has bought thee if thou sayest not speedily what has bought thee to this isle I will make thee know thyself as a flame thou shalt vanish if thou tellest me not something I have not heard or which I knew not before thee then he took me in his mouth and carried me to his resting place and he laid me down without any hurt I was whole and sound and nothing was gone from me then he opened his mouth against me while I lay on my face before him and he said what has bought thee what has bought thee little one what has bought thee to this isle which is in the sea and of which the shores are in the midst of the waves I cried to him and holding my arms low before him I said to him I was embarked for the mines by the order of the majesty in a ship a hundred and fifty cubits was its length and the width of it forty cubits it had a hundred and fifty sailors of the best of Egypt who had seen heaven and earth and the hearts of whom were stronger than lions they said that the wind would not be contrary or that there would be none each of them exceeded his companion his heart and the strength of his arm and I was not beneath any of them a storm came upon us while we were on the sea hardly could we reach to the shore when the wind waxed yet greater and the waves rose even eight cubits as for me I seized a piece of wood while those who were in the boat perished without one being left with me for three days behold me now before thee for I was bought to this isle by a wave of the sea then he said to me fear not fear not little one and make not thy face sad if thou hast come to me it is God who has let thee live for it is he who has bought thee to this isle of the blessed where nothing is lacking and which is filled with all good after another until thou shalt be four months in this isle then a ship shall come from thy land with sailors and thou shalt leave with them and go to thy country and thou shalt die in thy town converse is pleasing and he who tastes of it passes over his misery I will therefore tell thee of that which is in this isle I am here with my brethren and my children around me we are seventy-five serpents children and kindred without naming a young girl who was bought unto me by chance and fires of heaven fell and burnt her to ashes as for thee if thou art strong and if thy heart waits patiently thou shalt press thy infants to thy bosom and embrace thy wife thou shalt return to thy house which is full of all good things thou shalt see thy land where thou shalt dwell in the midst of thy kindred then I bowed in my abesience and I touched the ground before him behold that which I have told thee before I shall tell of thy presence unto Pharaoh I shall make him to know of thy greatness and I will bring to thee of the sacred oils and perfumes and of incense of the temples with which all gods are honored I shall tell moreover of that which I do now see thanks to him and there shall be rendered to thee praises before the fullness of all the land I shall slay asses for thee and sacrifice I shall pluck for thee the birds and I shall bring for these ships full of all kinds of the treasures of Egypt as is comely to do unto a god a friend of men in a far country of which men know not then he smiled at my speech because of that which was in his heart for he said to me thou art not rich in perfumes for all that thou hast is but an incense as for me I am prince of the land of Punt and I have perfumes only the oil which thou sayest thou wouldest bring is not common in this isle but when thou shalt depart from this place thou shalt never more see this isle it shall be changed into waves and behold when the ship drew near according to all that he had told me before I got me up into an high tree to strive to see those who were within it then I came and told him this matter but it was already known unto him before and he said to me farewell go to thy house little one to see again thy children and let thy name be good in thy town these are my wishes for thee farewell then I bowed myself before him and held my arms low before him and he gave me gifts of precious perfumes of cassia of sweet woods of coal of cypress and abundance of incense of ivory tusks of baboons of apes and all kind of precious things I embarked all in the ship which was come and bowing myself and he said to me behold thou shalt come to thy country in two months thou shalt press to thy bosom thy children and thou shalt rest in thy tomb after this I went down to the shore unto the ship and I called to the sailors who were there then on the shore I rendered adoration to the master of this isle and to those who dwelt therein when we shall come in our return to the house of the pharaoh all the serpent has said we shall approach unto the palace and I shall go in before the pharaoh I shall bring the gifts which I have bought from this isle into the country then he shall thank me before the fullness of all the land grant then unto me a follower and lead me to the courtiers of the king cast thy eye upon me after that I am come to the land again after that I have both seen and proved this my prayer for it is good to listen to the people it was said unto me become a wise man and thou shalt come to honour and behold I have become such this is finished from its beginning unto its end even as it was found in a writing it is written by the scribe of cunning fingers Amini Aminah may he live in life, wealth and health remarks known only in one copy preserved in the Hermitage collection in St. Petersburg the papyrus has not been published either in facsimile or transcription but two translations of it have appeared by M. Golonshev from the earlier a modified translation is given by Maspero in the contest popularies 2nd edition pages 133 to 146 and the later translation is in M. Golonshev's excellent Aventaire de la collection Egyption Hermitage Imperial pages 177 to 182 the tale is that of a returned sailor speaking to his superior and telling his adventures to induce him to send him on an introduction to the king at first his master professes to disbelieve him and then the sailor protests that this happened to himself the idea of an enchanted island which has risen from the waves and will sink again is here found to be one of the oldest plots for a tale of marvels but the construction is far more advanced than that of the tales of the magicians the family of serpents and the manner of the great serpent is well conceived and there are many fine touches of literary quality such as the noise of thunder, the tree shaking and the earth being moved at the appearance of the great serpent the speeches of the serpent and his threat the sailors who had seen heaven and earth the contempt of the serpent for his offerings as to me I am prince of the land of Punt and I have perfumes and the scene of departure all of these points show a firm hand and practice taste although there is still a style of simplicity clinging to it which agrees well with its date of birth dynasty the great serpent is not of a type usual in egyptian designs the human headed uraeus is seldom bearded and the best example of such a monster is on an Ethiopian temple where a great uraeus has human arms and aligns head the colours again repeat that favourite combination expressive of splendor, gold and lazuli though lazuli is very rare in early times yet it certainly was known in the twelfth dynasty as shown by the forms of some beads of lazuli the slaughter of asses in sacrifice is a very peculiar offering and no sign of this is found in any representations or groups of offerings the colophon of the copyist at the end shows by the style of the name that it belongs to the earlier part of the twelfth dynasty and if so the composition might be referred to the opening of foreign trade under senkara or amenemhat the first end of chapter 3 recording by timothy ferguson gold coast australia chapter 4 of egyptian paparai first series this libra vox recording is in the public domain recording by timothy ferguson egyptian tales first series by sir w m flinders petri chapter 4 twelfth dynasty the adventures of sanahat the hereditary prince royal seal bearer confidential friend judge keeper of the gate of the foreigners true and beloved royal acquaintance the royal follower sanahat says i attended my lord as a follower of the king of the house of the hereditary princess the greatly favoured the royal wife ankhet usatesen who shares the dwelling of the royal son amenemhat in kanatha in the thirtieth year the month of payafi the seventh day of the god entered his horizon the king sihotep abra flew up to heaven and joined the son's disc the follower of the god met his maker the palace was silenced and in mourning the great gates were closed the courtiers crouching on the ground the people in hushed mourning his majesty had sent a great army with the nobles to the land of the temahu his son and heir the good king usatesen as their leader now he was returning and had brought away living captives and all kinds of cattle without end the counsellors of the palace had sent to the west to let the king know the matter that had come to pass in the inner hall the messenger was to meet him on the road and reach him at the time of evening the matter was urgent a hawk had soared with his followers he could not let the army know of it even if the royal sons who commanded in the army sent a message he was not to speak to a single one of them but i was standing near and heard his voice while he was speaking i fled far away my heart beating my arms failing trembling had fallen on all my limbs i turned about in running to seek a place to hide me and i threw myself between two bushes to wait while they should pass by then i turned toward the south not from wishing to come into this palace for i knew not if all was declared nor even thinking i wished to live after this sovereign i turned my back to the sycamore i reached Shishinifuru and rested on the open field in the morning i went on and overtook a man who passed by the edge of the road he asked me for mercy for he feared me by the evening i drew near to Kurarao and i crossed the river on a raft about a rudder carried over by the west wind i passed over to the east to the quarries of Aiku and the land of the goddess Heret mistress of the red mountain Gebel Amar then i fled on foot northward and reached the walls of the prince built to repel the sati i crouched in a bush for fear of being seen by the guards changed each day who watched on top of the fortress i took my way by night and at the lighting of the day i reached Paten the valley of Kumur and then thirst hastened me on i dried up and my throat narrowed and i said this is the taste of death when i lifted up my heart and gathered strength i heard a voice and the lowing of cattle i saw men of the sati and one of them a friend unto Egypt knew me behold he gave me water and boiled me milk and i went with him to his camp they did me good and one tribe passed me to another i passed on to the sun and reached the land of Adam, Adam when i had dwelt there half a year Amu Anshi who was the prince of the Upper Tenu sent for me and said dwelt thou with me that thou mayest hear the speech of Egypt he said thusfore that he knew of my excellence and had heard tell of my worth for men of Egypt who were there with him bore witness of me behold he said to me for what cause hast thou come hither has a matter come to pass in the palace has the king of the two lands Sahedep Abra gone to heaven that which happened about this is not known but i answered with concealment and said when i came from the land of the Tamahu and my desires were there changed in me if i fled away it was not by reason of remorse that i took the way of a fugitive i have not failed in my duty my mouth has not said any bitter words i have not heard any evil council my name has not come into the mouth of a magistrate i know not by what i have been said into this land and Amu and she said this is by the will of the god king of Egypt for what is a land like if it know not that excellent god of whom the dread is upon the lands of strangers as they dread Sekhet in a year of pestilence i spake to him and replied forgive me his son now enters the palace and has received the heritage of his father he is a god who has none like him and there is none before he is a master of wisdom prudent in his designs excellent in his decrees with goodwill to him who goes or who comes he subdued the land of strangers while his father yet lived in his palace and he rendered account of that which his father destined him to perform he is a brave man who verily strikes with his sword a valiant one who has not his equal he springs upon the barbarians and throws himself on the spoilers he breaks the horns and weakens the hands and those whom he smites cannot raise the buckler he is fearless and dashes the heads and none can stand before him he is swift afoot to destroy him who flies and none who flees from him reaches his home his heart is strong in his time he is a lion who strikes with the claw and never has he turned his back his heart is close to pity and when he sees multitudes there is none to live behind him he is a valiant one who springs in front when he sees resistance he is a warrior who rejoices when he flies on the barbarians he seizes the buckler he rushes forwards he never needs to strike again he slays and none can turn his lance and when he takes the bow the barbarians flee from his arms like dogs for the great goddess has given to him to strike those who know her not and if he reaches forth he spares none and leaves naught behind he is a friend of great sweetness who knows how to gain love his land loves him more than itself and rejoices in him more than in its own god men and women run to his call a king he has ruled from his birth he from his birth has increased births a soul being a divine essence by whom this land rejoices to be governed he enlarges the borders of the south but he covers not the lands of the north he does not smite the sati nor crush the Hima Shao if he descends here let him know thy name by the homage which thou will pay to his majesty for he refuses not to bless the land which obeys him and he replied to me Egypt is indeed happy and well settled behold thou art far from it whilst thou are with me I will do good unto thee and he placed me before his children he married his eldest daughter to me and gave me the choice of all his land even among the best of that which he had on the border of the next land it is a goodly land E.R. is its name there are figs and grapes there is wine commoner than water abundant is the honey many are its olives and all the fruits are upon its trees there is barley and wheat and cattle of kinds without end this was a truly great thing that he granted me when the prince came to invest me and establish me as a prince of a tribe in the best of his land I had my continual portion of bread and of wine each day of cooked meat, of roasted fowl as well as the wild game which I took or which was bought to me besides what my dogs captured they made me much butter and prepared milk of all kinds many years the children that I had became great each ruling his tribe when a messenger went or came to the palace he turned aside from the way to come to me for I helped every man I gave water to the thirsty I sent him on his way who went astray and I rescued the robbed the sati who went far to strike and turn back the princes of other lands I ordained their goings for the prince of the tinu for many years appointed me to be general of his soldiers in every land which I attacked I played the champion I took the cattle I led away the vassals I carried off the slaves I slew the people by my sword my bow my marches and my good devices I was excellent to the heart of my prince he loved me when he knew my power and set me over his children when he saw the strength of my arms a champion of the tinu came to defy me in my tent a bold man without equal for he had vanquished the whole country he said let san hat fight with me for he desired to overthrow me he thought to take my cattle for his tribe the prince counseled with me I said I know him not I certainly am not of his degree I held me far from his place have I ever opened his door or leaped over his fence it is some envious jealousy from seeing me does he think I am like some steer among the cows whom the bull overthrows if this is a wretch who thinks to enrich himself at my cost not a bedoui and a bedoui fit for fight then let us put the matter to judgement verily a true bull loves battle but a vanglorious bull turns his back for fear of contest if he has a heart for combat let him speak what he pleases will god forget what he is ordained and how shall that be known I lay down and when I rested I strung my bow I made ready my arrows I loosed my poignard I furbished my arms at dawn the land of the tinu came together it had gathered its tribes and called all the neighbouring people it's bake of nothing but the fight each heart burnt for me men and women crying out for each heart was troubled for me and they said is there another strong one who would fight with him behold the adversary has a buckler a battle axe and an armful of javelins then I drew him to the attack I turned aside his arrows and they struck the ground in vain one drew near to the other and he fell on me and then I shot him my arrow fastened in his neck he cried out and fell on his face I drove his lance into him and raised my shout of victory on his back whilst all the men of the land rejoiced I and his vassals whom he had oppressed gave thanks unto mentu this prince Amuanshi embraced me then I carried off his goods and took his cattle that which he had wished to do to me I did even so unto him I seized that which was in his tent I spoiled his dwelling as time went on I increased the richness of my treasures and the number of my cattle petition to the king of Egypt now behold what the god has done for me who trusted him having once fled away now yet there is a witness of me in the palace having once fled away as a fugitive now all the palace give unto me a good name after that I have been dying of hunger now I give bread to those around I had left my land naked and now I am clothed in fine linen after having been a wanderer without followers now I possess many serfs my house is fine my land is wide my memory is established in the temple of all the gods and let this flight obtain my forgiveness that I may be appointed in the palace that I may see the palace where my heart dwells how great a thing it is that my body should be embalmed in the land where I was born to return there is happiness I have made offering to God to grant me this thing his heart suffers who has run away unto a strange land let him hear the prayer of him who is far off that he may revisit the place of his birth and the place from which he removed may the king of Egypt be gracious to me that I may live in his favour and I render my homage to the mistress of the land who is in his palace may I hear the news of her children thus will my limbs grow young again now old age comes feebleness seizes me my eyes are heavy my arms are feeble my legs will not move lo death draws nigh to me soon shall they lead me to the city of eternity let me follow the mistress of all the queen his former mistress lo let her tell me the excellencies of her children may she bring eternity to me then the majesty of king Kepakara the blessed spake unto this my desire that I had made to him his majesty sent unto me with presents from the king that he might enlarge the heart of his servant like unto the province of any strange land and the royal sons who were in the palace addressed themselves unto me copy of the decree which was brought to me who speak to you to lead me back into Egypt the horus life of births lord of the crowns life of births king of upper and lower Egypt Kepakara son of the son amen emhat ever living unto eternity order for the follower sanahat behold this order of the king is sent to thee to instruct thee of his will now although thou hast gone through strange lands from Adam to Tenu and passed from one country to another at the wish of thy heart behold what hast thou done or what has been done against thee that is amiss moreover thou revilest not thy word was denied thou didst not speak again in the assembly of the nobles even if thou was desired now therefore that thou hast thought on this matter which has come to thy mind let thy heart not change again for this thy heaven queen who is in the palace is fixed she is flourishing she is enjoying the best of the kingdom of the land and her children are in the chambers of the palace leave all the riches that thou hast and that are with thee all together when thou shalt come into Egypt behold the palace and when thou shalt enter the palace bow thy face to the ground before the great house thou shalt be chief among the companions and day by day behold thou growest old thy vigor is lost and thou thinkest on the day of burial thou shalt see thyself come to the blessed state they shall give thee the handages from the hand of Tate the night of applying the oil of embalming they shall follow thy funeral and visit the tomb on the day of burial which shall be in a gilded case the head painted with blue a canopy of cypress wood above thee and oxen shall draw thee the singers going before thee and they shall dance the funeral dance the weepers crouching at the door of thy tomb thou cry aloud the prayers for offerings they shall slay victims for thee at the door of thy pit and thy pyramid shall be carved in white stone in the company of the royal children thus thou shalt not die in a strange land nor be buried by the Amu thou shalt not be laid in a sheepskin when thou art buried all people shall beat the earth and lament on thy body when thou goest to the tomb when this order came to me I was in the midst of my tribe when it was read unto me I threw me on the dust I threw dust in my hair I went round my tent rejoicing and saying how may it be that such a thing is done to the servant who with a rebellious heart has fled to strange lands now with an excellent deliverance and mercy delivering me from death thou shalt cause me to end my days in the palace copy of the answer to this order the follower Sanahat says in excellent piece above everything consider of this flight that he made here in his ignorance thou the good God lord of both lands, love of Ra favorite of Mentu the lord of Thebes and of Amen lord of thrones of the lands of Sibic, Ra Horus, Hathor Atom and his fellow gods of Sopdu Neferbiu Samsetu Horus, lord of the east and of the royal Eureus which rules on thy head of the chief gods of the waters of Min Horus of the desert Urit, mistress of Punt Nut Hanect Ra, all the gods of the land of Egypt and all of the isles of the sea may they give life and peace to thy nostril may they load thee with their gifts may they give to the eternity without end, everlastingness without bound may the fear of thee be doubled in the lands of the deserts mayest thou subdue the circuit of the sun's disk, this is the prayer to his master of the humble servant who is saved from a foreign land O wise king the wise words which are pronounced in the wisdom of the majesty of the sovereign thy humble servant fears to tell it is a great thing to repeat O great god, like unto Ra and fulfilling that to which he has set his hand what am I that he should take thought for me am I among those whom he regards and for whom he arranges thy majesty is as Horus and the strength of thy arms extends to all lands let his majesty bring Maki of Admar Kendi Aush of Kendi Kishu and Tinos from the two lands of the Fenku these are the princes who bear witness of me as to all that has passed out of love for thyself does not Tino believe that it belongs to thee like thy dogs behold this flight that I have made I did not have it in my heart it was like the leading of dream as a man of Adahai, Delta sees himself in Abu Alaphantine as a man of the plain of old Egypt who sees himself in the deserts there was no fear there was no hastening after me I did not listen to an evil plot my name was not heard in the mouth of a magistrate but my limbs went my feet wandered my heart drew me my god commanded this flight and drew me on but I am not stiff-necked does a man fear when he sees his own land Ra spread thy fear over the land thy terrors in every strange land behold me now in the palace behold me in this place and lo, thou art he who is over all the horizon the sun rises at thy pleasure the water in the rivers is drunk at thy will the wind in heaven is breathed at thy saying I who speak to thee shall leave my goods to the generations to follow in this land and even to this messenger who has come even let thy Majesty do as pleaseth him for one lives by the breath that thou giveest O thou who art beloved of Ra, of Horus and of Hathor meant to Lord of Thieves desires that thy august nostril should live forever I have made a feast in Ea to pass over my goods to my children my eldest son was leading my tribe all my goods passed to him and I gave him my corn and all my cattle my fruit and all my pleasant trees when I had taken my road to the south and arrived at the roads of Horus the officer who was over the garrison sent a messenger to the palace to give notice his Majesty sent the good overseer of the peasants of the king's domains and boats laden with presents from the king for the Seti who had come to conduct me to the roads of Horus I spoke to each one by his name and gave the presents to each as was intended I received and I returned the salutation and I continued thus until I reached the city of Theetu when the land was brightened and the new day began four men came with the summons for me and the four men went to lead me to the palace I saluted with both my hands on the ground the royal children stood at the courtyard to conduct me the courtiers who led me to the hall bought me on the way to the royal chamber I found his Majesty on the great throne in the Hall of Pale Gold then I threw myself on my belly this God in whose presence I was knew me not he questioned me graciously but I was as one seized with blindness my spirit fainted my limbs failed my heart was no longer in my bosom and I knew the difference between life and death his Majesty said to one of his companions lift him up let him speak to me and his Majesty said behold, thou hast come thou hast trodden the deserts thou hast played the wanderer decay falls on thee old age has reached thee it is no small thing that thy body should be embalmed that the Pentu shall not bury thee do not, do not be silent and speechless tell thy name is it fear that prevents thee I answered in reply I fear what is it that my Lord has said that I should answer it I have not called on me the hand of God but it is terror in my body like that which brings sudden death now behold, I am before thee thou art life let thy Majesty do what pleases him the royal children were brought in and his Majesty said to the Queen behold, thou Santa hat has come as an emu whom the Sati have produced she cried aloud and the royal children said to the Queen she cried aloud and the royal children spake with one voice saying before his Majesty verily it is not so, O King my Lord said his Majesty it is verily he then they brought forth their collars and their wands and their sister in their hands and displayed them before his Majesty and they sang may thy hands prosper, O King may the ornaments of the Lady of Heaven continue may the Goddess Nub give life to thy nostril may the mistress of the stars favour thee when thou sailest south and north all wisdom is in the mouth of thy Majesty thy Eureus is on thy forehead thou drivest away the miserable thou art pacified O Ra, Lord of the Lands they call on thee as the mistress of all strong as thy horn thou letst fly thine arrow grant the breath to him who is without it grant good things to this travel Sanahit the Pedty born in the land of Egypt who fled away from fear of thee and fled this land from thy terrors does not the face grow pale of him who beholds thy countenance does not the eye fear which looks upon thee said his Majesty let him not fear let him be free from terror he shall be a royal friend amongst the nobles he shall be put within the circle of the courtiers go ye to the chamber of praise to seek wealth for him when I went out from the palace the royal children offered their hands to me we walked afterwards to the great gates I was placed in a house of the king's son in which were delicate things a place of coolness fruits of the granary treasures of the White House clothes of the king's wardrobe frankincense the finest perfumes of the king and the jewels whom he loves in every chamber all the servitors were in their several offices years were removed from my limbs I was shaved and pulled the locks of my hair the foulness was cast to the desert with the garments of Namausha I clothed me in fine linen and anointed myself with the fine oil of Egypt I laid me on a bed I gave up the sand to those who lie on it the oil of wood to him who would anoint himself therewith that was given to me the mansion of a lord of serfs which had belonged to a royal friend there were many excellent things were in its buildings all its wood was renewed there were bought to me portions from the palace thrice and four times each day beside the gifts of the royal children always without ceasing there was built for me a pyramid of stone amongst the pyramids the overseer of the architects measured its ground the chief treasurer wrote it the sacred masons cut the well the chief of the labourers on the tombs bought the bricks all things used to make strong a building were there used there were given to me peasants there were made for me a garden and fields in it before my mansion as is done for the chief royal friend my statue was inlaid with gold its girdle of pale gold his majesty caused it to be made such is not done for a man of low degree may I be in the favour of the king until the day shall come of my death this is finished from beginning to end as was found in the writing remarks the adventures of santa hat appears to have been a popular tale as portions of three copies remain the first papyrus known berlin number one was imperfect at the beginning but since then a flake of limestone found in a tomb bore the beginning of the tale and the same part is found on a papyrus in the amherst collection the main text has been translated by chabas the papyrus de berlin 37 to 51 goodwin in maspero vol. 3, 68 p. 140 and contest populaire 89 to 130 while the beginning is treated in memoirs de la institut egyptian vol. 2 1 to 23 and in proceedings sba 452 the translation is mainly based on mr griffith's readings in all cases of difficulty this is perhaps the most interesting of all the tales because it bears such signs of being written in the times of which it treats it throws so much light on the life of the time in Egypt in Syria and if not a real narrative it is at least so probable that it may be accepted without much difficulty for my own part I inclined to look on it as strictly historical and in the absence of a single point of doubt shall he be treated as seriously as the biographical inscriptions of the early tombs probably some day the tomb of sanahat may be found and the whole inscription be read complete upon the walls the name sanahat means son of the sycamore probably from his having been born or living at some place where there was a celebrated sacred sycamore this was a commentary in ancient as in modern Egypt but an allusion to the tale to sanahat turning his back on the sycamore when he was fleeing apparently up the west side of the delta makes it probable that the sycamore was that of Ar-tenan now Bat-nun at the middle of the west side of the delta the titles given to sanahat at the opening are of a very high rank and imply that he was the son either of the king or of a great noble and his position in the queen's household allows him to have been of importance the manner in which he is received by the royal family at the end implying that he was quite familiar with them in the early days but the great difficulty in the account has been the sudden panic of sanahat on hearing of the death of Aman-emhat and no explanation of this has yet been brought forward it seems not unlikely that he was the son of Aman-emhat by some concubine this would at once account for his high titles for his belonging to the royal household for his fear of his elder brother Usatesan you might see him as a rival and try and slay him after his father's death for the command to him to leave all his possessions and family behind him in Syria as the condition of his being allowed to return to end his days in Egypt for his familiar reception by the royal family and for the property given to him on his return the date recorded for the death of Sehoti Pabra Aman-emhat I the founder of the 12th dynasty agrees with the limit of his reign on the monuments and the expressions for his death are valuable as showing the manner in which a king's disease was regarded under the emblem of a hawk the bird of Ra he flew up and joined the son sometime before his death Aman-emhat had been in retirement after 20 years of reign which was probably rather late in his life as he seems to have forced his way to the front as a successful man and founder of a family he had associated his son the first usatesan on the throne and apparently resigned active life for in the third year of usatesan we find the co-regent summoning his court and agreeing the founding of the temple of Heliopolis without any mention of his father the old king however lived yet 10 years after his retirement and dies as this narrative shows us during an expedition of his son usatesan the time of year mentioned here would fall in the middle of the inundation in those days hence it seems that the military expeditions were made after the harvest was secured and while the country was under water and the population disengaged from other labour the course of san ahat's flight southward reaching the Nile at Cairo after two days haste indicates that the army was somewhere west of the delta this would point to it being on the road to the oasis of the natron lake which would be the natural course of a man needing water supply he's throwing himself between two bushes to hide from the army shows that the message came early in the day otherwise he would have fled in the dark then he fled a day's journey to the south turning his back on the sycamore and slept in the open field at Chisnaferu somewhere below the barrage the second day he reached the Nile opposite old Cairo in the afternoon and ferried himself over past the quarries at Gebel Mokatam and the red hill of Gebel Amar and came to a frontier wall before dark this cannot have been far from old Cairo by the time and as Heliopolis was in the course of building by Ussatesen it would be probably on the desert near there for the protection of the town passing the desert guards by night he pushed on and reached Paten near Belbius by dawn and turned east toward the valley of Kimur Wadi Tumulat here in his extremity he was found by the Saati or Asiatics and Rescued this shows that the eastern desert was left to the wandering tribes and was without any regular government at the period though all the eastern delts was already well in Egyptian hands as we know by the monuments at the Bastis, Dedamin and Tannis the land of Adim to which Sanhat fled appears to be the same as Edom in the east corner of Syria it was evidently near the Upper Tinu or Rutanu which seemed to have dwelt on the hill country of Palestine the hill and the plain of Palestine are so markedly different that in all the ages they have tended to be held by opposing people in the time of Sanhat the Upper Tinu who held the hills were opposed to the Tinu in general who held the plains later on the sea mites of the hills opposed the Philistines on the plain Phala of the hills opposed the Bedouin of the plain the district of Amunshi in which Sanhat settled was a goodly land bearing figs and grapes and olives flowing with wine and honey and oil yielding barley and wheat without end and much cattle this abundance points rather to the hill country near Hebron or between there and Beljibran as the south part of the hills is notably fertile the Tinu who came to defy Sanhat being in opposition to the Upper Tinu were probably those of the plain and the opposition to Sanhat may have arisen from his encroaching on the fertile plains at the foot of his hills as he was in the best of the land on the border of the next land the Egyptian was evidently looked on as being a superior race by the Tinu and his civilisation won for him the confidence which many wandering Englishmen now find in Africa or Polynesia like John Dunn the set combat of two champion seems by the large gathering to have been a well recognised custom among the Tinu while it exactly accords with Goliath's offer in later times and raising the shout of victory on the back of the fallen champion reminds us of David standing on Goliath the transition from the recital of the Syrian adventures to the petition to Pharaoh is not marked in the manuscript but from the construction the beginning of the petition is evidently at the place here marked the manner in which Sanhat appeals to the queen how well he must have been known to her in his former days the degree in reply to Sanhat is in the regular style of royal decrees of the period apparently by a clerical era the scribe has substituted the name Amenhamat for Yusetessen but the horus name and the throne name leave no doubt that Yusetessen the first is intended here the tone of the reply is as gracious as possible according to the king's character as stated by Sanhat the friend of great sweetness and knows how to gain love he quite recognizes the inquiries after the queen and replies concerning her and then he assures Sanhat of his welcome on his return and promises him all that he asks including a tomb in the company of the royal children a full recognition of his real rank incidentally we learn that the Amu buried their dead wrapped in a sheep's skin as we also learn further on that they anointed themselves with oil or the hair long and slept on the ground the funeral that is promised accords with the burials of the 12th dynasty the gilded case, the head painted blue and the canopy of Cyprus wood are all known of this period but would be out of place in describing a ramicide burial Sanhat's reply is a full course of the usual religious adulation and differs in this remarkably from his petition in fact it is hard to be certain that this petition begins possibly the opening of it has been lost out of the text in the copying from a mutilated papyrus or possibly it was sent merely as a memorandum of Sanhat's position and desires without venturing to address it personally to the king or even it may have not been allowable then to make such petitions formally so as to leave the initiative to the king's free will just as it is not allowable nowadays to question royalty but only to answer when spoken to the proposal to bring forward his fellow sheikhs as witnesses of his unabated loyalty is very curious and seems superfluous after Eustatessen's assurances beyond Abyssa of the Amu at Beni Hassan these are the only early period names of Syrians that we know the Fengku in this collection can hardly be other than the Phoenicians and if so this points to they're being already established in southern Syria at this date but these chiefs were not allowed to come forward seems to have been the policy of Egypt to keep the Syrians off as much as possible not a single man who came with Sanhat being allowed to cross the frontier the allusion to the Tenu belonging to the Pharaoh like his dogs is peculiarly fitting to this period as the dog seems to have been more familiarly domesticated in the 11th and 12th dynasties than at any other age and dogs are often represented on the funerial stelaes even with their names the expression for strangeness as a man of the delta sees himself at the cataract as a man of the plain who sees himself in the deserts is true to this day nothing upsets an Egyptian self-reliance like going back a few miles into the desert and almost any man of the cultivated plain will flee with terror if he finds himself left alone far in the desert or even taken to the top of the desert hills we learn incidentally that the Egyptian frontier even in the later years of Usitessin the first had not been pushed beyond the Wadi Tumulat for Sanhat travels south to the roads of Horus where he finds the frontier garrison and leaves his Syrian friends and their laden boats meet him showing that it must have been somewhere along a waterway from the Nile the abasement of Sanhat might well be due to natural causes beside the reverence for the divine person of the king the Egyptian court must have seemed oppressively splendid with the brilliant costly workmanship of Usitessin to one who had lived a half wildlife for so many years and more than that the recalling of all his early days and habits and friendships would overwhelm his mind and make it difficult to collect his thoughts. Sanhat's appearance was so much changed by his long hair his age and his strange dress that his former mistress and companions could not recognise him. The use of collars and sceptres in the song and dance is not clear to us the best to beat or rattle in time with the song the sceptres or wands were perhaps the same as the engraved ones of ivory common in the 12th dynasty or of the blue glazed wear of the 18th and would have been used to wave or beat time with but the use of the collar and counter poise or Menat is unexplained though figures of dances are shown holding a collar and Menat and such objects were found buried in the ceremonial foundation deposit in the court mess the third at Coptos. This song of the princesses is clearly in parallel phrases first are four wishes for the king and queen in four lines second an inscription of wisdom and power in two lines, third a comparison of the king to Ra and of the queen to the great goddess in two lines fourth an inscription of writing power fifth a petition for Sanhat winding up with a statement of fear inspired by the king as explaining Sanhat's abasement. To this he responds by reassuring Sanhat and promising him position and wealth the account of Sanhat's renewal of his old national ways can best be appreciated by anyone who has lived a rough life for a time and then comes back to civilization doubtless these comforts were all more grateful to him in his old age when he was weary of his unsettled life in the preparation of his tomb it is stated to have been a pyramid with a rock cut world chamber and built of bricks above towards with the construction of the pyramids of the twelfth dynasty the last phrase implies that this was composed during Sanhat's life and such a life would be so remarkable that this biography might be prepared with good reason also it is very unlikely that a mere storyteller would have dropped the relation without describing his grand funeral which was promised to him from suddenly stopping at the preparation of the tomb without going further we have a strong presumption that this is a true narrative written at Sanhat's dictation and probably intended to be inscribed on his tomb wall in any case we have here an invaluable picture of life in Palestine and in Egypt and the relations of the two countries at an epoch before the time of Abraham and not paralleled by any other document until more than a thousand years later end of Egyptian tales translated from the paparai first series by Sir W. M. Flinders Petrie recording by Timothy Ferguson Gold Coast, Australia