Egyptian Tales, 1st series | Page 2

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 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's familiarity with Egypt has been
of good account in his life-like scenes here used. For each drawing I
have searched for the material among the monuments and remains of
the age in question. The details of the dresses, the architecture, and the
utensils, are all in accord with the period of each tale. In the tale of
Setnau two different styles are introduced. Ahura is probably of the
time of Amenhotep III., whereas Setnau is a son of Ramessu II.; and
the change of fashion between the two different dynasties has been
followed as distinctive of the two persons, one a ka 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 Pompei is, as it is not in the English Gazetteer. 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, "See J. Z. xxxviii. 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 "folk-lorist"--in proportion to his ardour. But
as there are folk-lorists and folk-lorists, and the schools of Rabbi
Andrew and Rabbi Joseph write different targums, I have left each to
make his own commentary without prejudice.

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
councillors, that I may ask of them a thing." And his sons and his
councillors came and stood before him, and he said to them, "Know ye
a man who can tell me tales of the deeds of the magicians?"
Then the royal son Khafra 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 Ptah of Ankhtaui."

KHAFRA'S TALE

"His majesty was walking unto the temple of Ptah, and went unto the
house of the chief reciter Uba-aner, with his train. Now when the wife
of Uba-aner saw a page, among those who stood behmd the king, her
heart longed after him; and she sent her servant unto him, with a
present of a box full of garments.
"And he came then