['The Story of the Two Brothers' is in places incoherent, but
charms throughout by beautiful and natural touches. The copy
in which it has been preserved to us is practically complete,
but is full of errors of writing and of composition, whole
sentences having crept in that are useless, or contradictory
to the context. The style is however absolutely simple and
narrative, and the language entirely free from archaisms.
The papyrus, which bears the name of Seti II. as crown prince,
dates from the XIXth Dynasty. The beginnings of many of the
sentences and paragraphs are written in red: this is specially
the case when a sentence commences with an indication of time,
usually expressed in a fixed formula. In such cases the
translation of the passage written in red is here printed in
italics.]
Once there were two brothers, of one mother and one father; Anpu was the
name of the elder, and Bata was the name of the younger. Now, as for
Anpu, he had a house and he had a wife. His younger brother was to him
as it were a son; he it was who made for him his clothes, while he
walked behind his oxen to the fields; he it was who did the plowing; he
it was who harvested the corn; he it was who did for him all the work of
the fields. Behold, his younger brother grew to be an excellent worker;
there was not his equal in the whole land; behold, the strain of a god
was in him.
_Now when the days multiplied after these things_, his younger brother
followed his oxen as his manner was, daily; every evening he turned
again to the house, laden with all the herbs of the field, with milk and
with wood, and with all things of the field. He put them down before his
elder brother, who was sitting with his wife; he drank and ate; he lay
down in his stable with the cattle.
_Now when the earth lighted and the second day came_, he took bread
which he had baked, and laid it before his elder brother; and he took
with him his bread to the field, and he drave his cattle to pasture
them in the fields. And he used to walk behind his cattle, they saying
to him, "Good is the herbage which is in such a place;" and he hearkened
to all that they said, and he took them to the good pasture which they
desired. And the cattle which were before him became exceeding
excellent, and they became prolific greatly.
Now at the time of plowing, his elder brother said unto him, "Let us
make ready for ourselves a yoke of oxen for plowing; for the land hath
come out from the water; it is good for plowing in this state; and do
thou come to the field with corn, for we will begin the plowing in the
morrow morning." Thus said he to him; _and his_ younger brother did
everything that his elder brother had bidden him, to the end.
_Now when the earth lighted and the second day came_, they went to the
fields with their yoke of oxen; and their hearts were pleased
exceedingly with that which they accomplished in the beginning of their
work.
N_ow when the days were multiplied after these things_, they were in the
field; they stopped for seed corn, and he sent his younger brother,
saying, "Haste thou, bring to us corn from the farm." And the younger
brother found the wife of his elder brother; [some] one was sitting
arranging her hair. He said to her [the wife], "Get up, and give to me
seed corn, that I may run to the field, for my elder brother hastened
me; be not slow." She said to him, "Go, open the store, and thou shalt
take for thyself what is in thy heart; do not interrupt the course of my
hair-dressing."
The youth went into his stable; he took a large measure, for he desired
to take much corn; he loaded it with barley and spelt; and he went out
carrying them. She said to him, "How much of the corn that is wanted, is
that which is on thy shoulder?" He said to her, "Three bushels of spelt,
and two of barley, in all five; these are what are upon my shoulder;"
thus said he to her. And she spake with him, saying, "There is great
strength in thee, for I see thy might every day." And her desire was to
know him with the knowledge of youth. She arose and took hold of him,
and said to him, "Come, lie with me; behold, this shall be to thine
advantage, for I will make for thee beautiful garments." Then the youth
became like a leopard of the south in fury at the evil speech which she
had made to him; and she feared greatly. He spake with her, saying,
"Behold, thou art to me as a mother; thy husband is to me as a father;
for he who is elder than I hath brought me up. What is this great
wickedness that thou hast said? Say it not to me again. For I will not
tell it to any man, that it should go forth by the mouth of all men." He
lifted up his burden, and he went to the field and came to his elder
brother; and they took up their work, to labor at their task.
Now afterwards, at the time of evening, his elder brother was returning
to his house; the younger brother was following after his oxen; he
loaded himself with all the things of the field; he brought his oxen
before him, to make them lie down in their stable which was in the farm.
Behold, the wife of the elder brother was afraid for the words which she
had said. She took a pot of fat; she made herself as one who had been
beaten by miscreants, in order that she might say to her husband, "It is
thy younger brother who hath done this wrong." Her husband returned in
the even, as his manner was every day; he came unto his house; he found
his wife lying down, ill of violence; she did not put water upon his
hands as his manner was; she did not make a light before him; his house
was in darkness, and she was lying vomiting. Her husband said to her,
"Who hath spoken with thee?" Behold, she said, "No one hath spoken with
me except thy younger brother. When he came to take for thee seed corn
he found me sitting alone; he said to me, 'Come, let us lie together;
put on thy wig[79];' thus spake he to me. I would not hearken to him:
'Behold, am I not thy mother, is not thy elder brother to thee as a
father?' Thus spake I to him, and he feared, and he beat me to stop me
from making report to thee, and if thou lettest him live I shall kill
myself. Now behold, when he cometh to-morrow, seize upon him; I will
accuse him of this wicked thing which he would have done the day
before."
The elder brother became as a leopard of the south; he sharpened his
knife; he took it in his hand; he stood behind the door of his stable to
slay his younger brother as he came in the evening to let his cattle
into the stable.
Now the sun went down, and he loaded himself with all the herbs of the
field in his manner of every day. He came; his leading cow entered the
stable; she said to her keeper, "Behold, thy elder brother is standing
before thee with his knife to slay thee; flee from before him." He
heard what his leading cow had said; the next entered and said likewise.
He looked beneath the door of the stable; he saw the feet of his elder
brother standing behind the door with his knife in his hand. He put down
his load on the ground, he set out to flee swiftly; his elder brother
pursued after him with his knife. Then the younger brother cried out
unto Ra Harakhti, saying, "My good Lord! Thou art he who distinguishest
wrong from right." Ra hearkened to all his complaint; Ra caused to be
made a great water between him and his elder brother, full of
crocodiles; the one brother was on one bank, the other on the other
bank; and the elder brother smote twice on his hands at not slaying him.
Thus did he. The younger brother called to the elder on the bank,
saying, "Stand still until the dawn of day; when Ra ariseth I shall
argue with thee before him, and he giveth the wrong to the right. For I
shall not be with thee unto eternity. I shall not be in the place in
which thou art; I shall go to the Valley of the Acacia."
_Now when the earth lighted and the second day came_, Ra Harakhti[80]
shone out, and each of them saw the other. The youth spake with his
elder brother, saying:--"Wherefore earnest thou after me to slay me
wrongfully, when thou hadst not heard my mouth speak? For I am thy
younger brother in truth; thou art to me as a father; thy wife is to me
even as a mother: is it not so? Verily, when I was sent to bring for us
seed corn, thy wife said to me, 'Come lie with me.' Behold, this has
been turned over to thee upside down." He caused him to understand all
that happened with him and his wife. He swore an oath by Ra Harakhti,
saying, "Thy coming to slay me wrongfully, having thy spear, was the
instigation of a wicked and filthy one." He took a reed knife and
mutilated himself; he cast the flesh into the water, and the silurus
swallowed it. He sank; he became faint; his elder brother chided his
heart greatly; he stood weeping for him loudly, that he could not cross
to where his younger brother was, because of the crocodiles. The younger
brother called unto him, saying, "Whereas thou hast devised an evil
thing, wilt thou not also devise a good thing, or such a thing as I
would do unto thee? When thou goest to thy house thou must look to thy
cattle; for I stay not in the place where thou art, I am going to the
Valley of the Acacia. Now as to what thou shalt do for me: verily,
understand this, that things shall happen unto me; namely, that I shall
draw out my soul, that I shall put it upon the top of the flowers of the
acacia; the acacia-tree will be cut down, it shall fall to the ground,
and thou shalt come to seek for it, and if thou passest seven years
searching for it, let not thy heart sicken. Thou shalt find it; thou
must put it in a cup of cold water that I may live again, that I may
make answer to what hath been done wrong. Thou shalt understand this;
namely, that things are happening to me, when one shall give to thee a
pot of beer in thy hand and it shall foam up: stay not then, for verily
it shall come to pass with thee."
He went to the Valley of the Acacia; his elder brother went to his
house; his hand was laid on his head; he cast dust on his head; he came
to his house, he slew his wife, he cast her to the dogs, and he sat in
mourning for his younger brother.
* * * * *
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, his younger
brother was in the Valley of the Acacia; there was none with him; he
spent the day hunting the game of the desert, he came back in the even
to lie down under the acacia, the top-most flower of which was his soul.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, he built himself
a tower with his hand, in the Valley of the Acacia; it was full of all
good things, that he might provide for himself a home.
He went out from his tower, he met the Ennead of the gods,[81] who were
going forth to arrange the affairs of their whole land. The Nine Gods
talked one with another, they said unto him: "Ho! Bata, Bull of the
Ennead of the gods, art thou remaining alone, having fled thy village
from before the wife of Anpu thy elder brother? Behold, his wife is
slain. Thou hast given him an answer to all that was transgressed
against thee." Their hearts were sad for him exceedingly. Ra Harakhti
said to Khnumu,[81] "Behold, frame thou a wife for Bata, that he may not
sit alone." Khnumu made for him a mate to dwell with him. She was more
beautiful in her limbs than any woman who is in the whole land. Every
god was in her. The seven Hathors came to see her: they said with one
mouth, "She will die a sharp death."
He loved her very exceedingly, and she dwelt in his house; he passed his
time in hunting the game of the desert, and brought what he took before
her. He said, "Go not outside, lest the sea seize thee; for I cannot
rescue thee from it, for I am a woman like thee: my soul is placed on
the top of the flower of the acacia; and if another find it, I shall be
vanquished by him." He explained to her all about his soul.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, Bata went to
hunt as his daily manner was. The girl went to walk under the acacia
which was by the side of her house; the sea saw her, and cast its waves
up after her. She set out to run away from it; she entered her house.
The sea called unto the acacia, saying, "Oh, catch hold of her for me!"
The acacia brought a lock from her hair, the sea carried it to Egypt,
and dropped it in the place of the washers of Pharaoh's linen. The smell
of the lock of hair entered into the clothes of Pharaoh. They were wroth
with Pharaoh's washers, saying, "The smell of ointment is in the clothes
of Pharaoh." The men were rebuked every day; they knew not what they
should do. The chief of the washers of Pharaoh went down to the seaside;
his soul was black within him because of the chiding with him daily. He
stopped and stood upon the sandy shore opposite to the lock of hair,
which was in the water; he made one go in, and it was brought to him;
there was found in it a smell, exceeding sweet. He took it to Pharaoh;
the scribes and the wise men were brought to Pharaoh; they said unto
Pharaoh:--"This lock of hair belongs to a daughter of Ra Harakhti; the
strain of every god is in her; it is a tribute to thee from a strange
land. Let messengers go to every foreign land to seek her: as for the
messenger who shall go to the Valley of the Acacia, let many men go with
him to bring her." Then said his Majesty, "Excellent exceedingly is what
we have said;" and the men were sent.
_When the days were multiplied after these things_, the people who went
abroad came to give report unto the king: but there came not those who
went to the Valley of the Acacia, for Bata had slain them; he spared one
of them to give a report to the king. His Majesty sent many men and
soldiers as well as horsemen, to bring her back. There was a woman among
them, into whose hand was put every kind of beautiful ornaments for a
woman. The girl came back with her; there were rejoicings for her in the
whole land.
His Majesty loved her exceedingly, and raised her to be a princess of
high rank; he spake with her that she should tell concerning her
husband. She said to his Majesty, "Let the acacia be cut down, and let
one chop it up." They sent men and soldiers with their weapons to cut
down the acacia; they came to the acacia, they cut the flower upon which
was the soul of Bata, and he fell dead upon the instant.
_Now when the earth lighted and the second day came_, the acacia was cut
down. And Anpu, the elder brother of Bata, entered his house; he sat
down and washed his hands: one gave him a pot of beer, it foamed up;
another was given him of wine, it became foul. He took his staff, his
sandals, likewise his clothes, with his weapons of war; he set out to
walk to the Valley of the Acacia. He entered the tower of his younger
brother; he found his younger brother lying on his bed; he was dead. He
wept when he saw his younger brother verily lying dead. He went out to
seek the soul of his younger brother under the acacia tree, under which
his younger brother used to lie in the evening. He spent three years in
seeking for it, but found it not. When he began the fourth year, he
desired in his heart to return into Egypt; he said, "I will go
to-morrow;" thus spake he in his heart.
_When the earth lighted and the second day came_, he went out under the
acacia, and set to work to seek it again. He found a seed-pod. He
returned with it. Behold, this was the soul of his younger brother. He
brought a cup of cold water, he dropped it into it: he sat down, as his
manner of every day was. Now when the night came his [Bata's] soul
absorbed the water; Bata shuddered in all his limbs, he looked on his
elder brother; his soul was in the cup. Then Anpu took the cup of cold
water in which the soul of his younger brother was; he [Bata] drank it,
his soul stood again in its place, he became as he had been. They
embraced each other, and they spake with one another.
Bata said to his elder brother, "Behold, I am to become as a great bull,
with all the right markings; no one knoweth its history, and thou must
sit upon his back. When the sun arises we will go to that place where my
wife is, that I may return answer to her; and thou must take me to the
place where the king is. For all good things shall be done for thee, and
one shall lade thee with silver and gold, because thou bringest me to
Pharaoh; for I become a great marvel, they shall rejoice for me in all
the land. And thou shalt go to thy village."
_When the earth lighted and the second day came_, Bata became in the
form which he had told to his elder brother. And Anpu his elder brother
sat upon his back until the dawn. He came to the place where the king
was; they made his Majesty to know of him; he saw him, and he rejoiced
exceedingly. He made for him great offerings, saying, "This is a great
wonder which has come to pass." There were rejoicings over him in the
whole land. They loaded him with silver and gold for his elder brother,
who went and settled in his village. They gave to the bull many men and
many things, and Pharaoh loved him exceedingly above all men that are in
this land.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, the bull entered
the place of purifying; he stood in the place where the princess was; he
began to speak with her, saying, "Behold, I am alive indeed." She said
to him, "Who then art thou?" He said to her: "I am Bata. Thou knewest
well when thou causedst that they should cut down the acacia for
Pharaoh, that it was to my hurt, that I might not be suffered to live.
Behold, I am alive indeed, being as an ox." Then the princess feared
exceedingly for the words that her husband had spoken to her. And he
went out from the place of purifying.
His Majesty was sitting, making a good day with her: she was at the
table of his Majesty, and the king was exceeding pleased with her. She
said to his Majesty, "Swear to me by God, saying, 'What thou shalt say,
I will obey it for thy sake.'" He hearkened unto all that she said. And
she said, "Let me eat of the liver of this bull, because he will do
nothing;" thus spake she to him. He was exceedingly vexed at that which
she said, the heart of Pharaoh was grieved exceedingly.
_Now when the earth lighted and the second day came_, there was
proclaimed a great feast with offerings to the ox. The king sent one of
the chief butchers of his Majesty, to have the ox sacrificed. Afterwards
it was caused to be sacrificed, and when it was in the hands of the men,
it shook its neck, and threw two drops of blood over against the double
door of his Majesty. One fell upon the one side of the great door of
Pharaoh, and the other upon the other side. They grew as two great
Persea trees; each of them was excellent.
[Illustration: _THE SPHYNX._
From an Original Drawing illustrating "Mizraim."
Published by Henry G. Allen, New York.
Reproduced by Permission.]
One went to tell unto his Majesty, "Two great Persea trees have grown,
as a great marvel for his Majesty, in the night, by the side of the
great gate of his Majesty." There was rejoicing for them in all the
land, and there were offerings made to them.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, his Majesty was
adorned with a blue crown, with garlands of flowers on his neck; he was
upon the chariot of electrum; he went out from the palace to behold the
Persea trees: the princess also went out with horses behind Pharaoh. His
Majesty sat beneath one of the Persea trees, and it spake thus with his
wife:--"Oh thou deceitful one, I am Bata; I am alive, though I have
suffered violence. Thou knewest well that the causing of the acacia to
be cut down for Pharaoh was to my hurt. I then became an ox, and thou
hadst me slain."
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, the princess
stood at the table of Pharaoh, and the king was pleased with her. She
said to his Majesty, "Swear to me by God, saying, 'That which the
princess shall say to me I will obey it for her.' Thus do thou." And he
hearkened unto all that she said. She said, "Let these two Persea trees
be cut down, and let them be made into goodly timber." He hearkened unto
all that she said.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, his Majesty sent
skillful craftsmen, and they cut down the Persea trees of Pharaoh, while
the princess, the royal wife, stood by and saw it. A chip flew up and
entered into the mouth of the princess; and she perceived that she had
conceived, and while her days were being fulfilled Pharaoh did all that
was in her heart therein.[82]
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, she bore a male
child. One went to tell his Majesty, "There is born to thee a son." They
brought him [_i. e._, the child, to the king], and gave to him a nurse
and servants; there were rejoicings in the whole land. The king sat
making a good day; they performed the naming of him, his Majesty loved
him exceedingly on the instant, the king raised him to be the royal son
of Kush.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, his Majesty made
him heir of all the land.
_Now when the days were multiplied after these things_, when he had
fulfilled many years as heir of the whole land, his Majesty flew up to
heaven. There was command given, "Let my great nobles of his Majesty be
brought before me, that I may make them to know all that has happened to
me." And they brought to him his wife, and he argued with her before
them, and their case was decided. They brought to him his elder brother;
he made him hereditary prince in all his land. He was thirty years King
of Egypt, and he died, and his elder brother stood in his place on the
day of burial.
_Excellently finished in peace, for the_ Ka _of the scribe of the
treasury, Kagabu, of the treasury of Pharaoh, and for the scribe Hora,
and the scribe Meremapt. Written by the scribe Anena, the owner of this
roll. He who speaks against this roll, may Tahuti be his opponent._
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.