The Literature of the Ancient EgyptiansBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
History
The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- History and criticism; Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
When the body and the head came close
together, the head leaped on to the body, and the goose stood up on its
legs and cackled.
Then a goose of another kind called _khetâa_ was brought to Teta, and he
did with it as he had done with the other goose. His Majesty next caused
an ox to be taken to Teta, and when he had cut off its head, and recited
magical spells over the head and the body, the head rejoined itself to
the body, and the ox stood up on its feet. A lion was next brought to
Teta, and when he had recited spells over it, the lion went behind him,
and followed him [like a dog], and the rope with which he had been tied
up trailed on the ground behind the animal.
King Khufu then said to Teta, "Is it true what they say that thou
knowest the numbers of the Apet chambers (?) of the shrine (?) of
Thoth?" Teta replied, "No. I do not know their number, O king my lord,
but I do know the place where they are to be found." His Majesty asked,
"Where is that?" Teta replied, "There is a box made of flint in a house
called Sapti in Heliopolis." The king asked, "Who will bring me this
box?" Teta replied, "Behold, O king my lord, I shall not bring the box
to thee." His Majesty asked, "Who then shall bring it to me?" Teta
answered, "The oldest of the three children of Rut-tetet shall bring it
unto thee." His Majesty said, "It is my will that thou shalt tell me who
this Rut-tetet is." Teta answered, "This Rut-tetet is the wife of a
priest of Rā of Sakhabu,[1] who is about to give birth to three children
of Rā. He told her that these children should attain to the highest
dignities in the whole country, and that the oldest of them should
become high priest[2] of Heliopolis." On hearing these words the heart
of the king became sad; and Teta said, "Wherefore art thou so sad, O
king my lord? Is it because of the three children? I say unto thee,
Verily thy son, verily his son, verily one of them." His Majesty asked,
"When will these three children be born?" Teta answered, "Rut-tetet will
give them birth on the fifteenth day of the first month of Pert."[3] The
king then made a remark the exact meaning of which it is difficult to
follow, but from one part of it it is clear that he expressed his
determination to go and visit the temple of Rā of Sakhabu, which seems
to have been situated on or near the great canal of the Letopolite
nome. In reply Teta declared that he would take care that the water in
the canal should be 4 cubits (about 6 feet) deep, _i.e._ that the water
should be deep enough for the royal barge to sail on the canal without
difficulty. The king then returned to his palace and gave orders that
Teta should have lodgings given him in the house of Prince Herutataf,
that he should live with him, and that he should be provided with one
thousand bread-cakes, one hundred pots of beer, one ox, and one hundred
bundles of vegetables. And all that the king commanded concerning Teta
was done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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