Egyptian Tales, 1st series | Page 3

with the servant. Now there was a lodge in the
garden of Uba-aner; and one day the page said to the wife of Uba-aner,
'In the garden of Uba-aner there is now a lodge; behold, let us therein
take our pleasure.' So the wife of Uba-aner 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 and tell Uba-aner of this matter.' Now when
this day was past, and another day came, then went the steward to
Uba-aner, and told him of all these things.
"Then said Uba-aner, 'Bring me my casket of ebony and electrum.' And
they brought it; and he fashioned a crocodile 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 wont
to do, then throw in this crocodile behind him.' And the steward went
forth bearing the crocodile.
"And the wife of Uba-aner 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 wont 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 seized on the page.
"And Uba-aner 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-aner went before him.
"And Uba-aner said unto his majesty, 'Will your majesty come and see
this wonder that has come to pass in your days unto a page?' And the
king went with Uba-aner. And Uba-aner called unto the crocodile and
said, 'Bring forth the page.' And the crocodile came forth from the Jake
with the page. Uba-aner 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-aner stooped and took up the
crocodile, and it became in his hand a crocodile of wax. And then
Uba-aner 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 brought forth the wife of Uba-aner 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-aner."
His majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, then said, "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-aner; for I have seen the token of his learning."
And they did all things as his majesty commanded.

BAUFRA'S TALE
The royal sou Bau-f-ra then stood forth and spake. He said, "I will tell

thy majesty of a wonder which came to pass in the days of thy father
Seneferu, the blessed, of the deeds of the chief reciter Zazamankh. One
day King Seneferu, being weary, went throughout 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 rolls
Zazamankh'; and they straightway brought him. And the king said, 'I
have sought in my palace for some delight, but I have found none.'
Then said Zazamankh 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