Egyptian Tales, 1st series | Page 4

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, inlayed with
gold, with blades of light wood, inlayed 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 her song, and rowed not; and her companions
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 Zazamankh,' and they brought him.
And his majesty said, 'Zazamankh, my brother, I have done as thou
sayedst, 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 to 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 again back in
its setting."' Then the chief reciter Zazamankh 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 shard; and he took it up and gave it
unto its mistress. And the water, which was twelve cubits deep in the
middle, reached now to twenty-four cubits after he turned it. And he
spake, and used his magic speech; and he brought 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 reciter Zazamankh with
all good things. Behold, 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 rolls, Zazamankh." 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 draughts of beer, an ox, and two jars of incense to the king of
Upper and Lower Egypt, Sene-feru, 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 rolls, Zazamankh; 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 who 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 Dedi, who
dwells at Dedsneferu. He is a man of one hundred and ten years old;
and he eats five hundred loaves of bread, and a side 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 halter 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 in his pyramid."

And his majesty said, "Thou, thyself, Hordedef, my son, bring him to
me." Then were