Egyptian Tales, Translated from the Papyri: First series, IVth to XIIth dynastyPetrie, W. M. Flinders (William Matthew Flinders)
General
Egyptian Tales, Translated from the Papyri: First series, IVth to XIIth dynasty
Petrie, W. M. Flinders (William Matthew Flinders)
Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
"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 behind 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 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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