The board and its pieces were put before them. They played at the
fifty-two, and Naneferkaptah won a game from Setna. He [Naneferkaptah]
read a spell over him; he [Setna] defended himself with the game-board
that was before him. He [Naneferkaptah] made him [Setna] go into the
ground as far as his feet. He did its like in the second game; he won it
from Setna, he made him go into the ground as far as his middle. He did
its like in the third game; he made him go into the ground as far as his
ears. After these things Setna made a great blow on the hand of
Naneferkaptah. Setna called to Anheru, his brother by Anherart,[98]
saying: "Make haste and go up upon the earth, do thou relate of
everything that has happened to me before Pharaoh, and do thou bring the
amulets of Ptah my father,[99] and my rolls of magic."
He hastened up upon earth, he related before Pharaoh of everything that
had happened to Setna. Said Pharaoh, "Take to him the amulets of Ptah
his father, and his rolls of magic."
Anheru hastened down into the tomb; he laid the talismans on the body of
Setna, he [Setna] sprang to heaven at the moment named.[100] Setna
caused his hand to go after the roll, he took it. It came to pass that
Setna went up from the tomb, Light walking before him and Darkness
walking behind him, and Ahura weeping after him, saying, "Hail to thee,
King Darkness! Farewell to thee, King Light! All consolation is gone
that was in the tomb."
Said Naneferkaptah to Ahura, "Be not troubled of soul; I will make him
bring this book hither, there being a fork for a staff in his hand,
there being a pan of fire on his head."[101]
And Setna came up from the tomb, he made it fast behind him in its
manner.
Setna went before Pharaoh, he related before him of the thing that had
happened to him with the roll. Said Pharaoh to Setna, "Take this roll to
the tomb of Naneferkaptah in the manner of a prudent man, else he will
make thee bring it, there being a fork for a staff in thine hand, there
being a pan of fire on thine head."
Not did Setna hearken to him. It came to pass that Setna had no habit on
earth but unrolling the roll and reading it before everybody.
After these things there was a day when Setna passed time in the court
of Ptah, and saw a woman beautiful exceedingly, there being no woman of
her beauty. There were ornaments of much gold upon her, there were
children and women walking behind her, there were fifty-two persons of
chiefs of households assigned to her. The hour that Setna saw her he
knew not the place on earth where he was. Setna called to his attendant
youth, saying, "Go quickly to the place where this woman is; learn what
comes under her command."
The attendant youth went quickly to the place where the woman was, he
addressed the handmaid who walked behind her, he asked her, saying,
"What person is this woman?" She said to him, "She is Tabubua, the
daughter of the prophet of Bast, lady of Ankhtaui, she having come
hither to pray before Ptah the great god."
The youth went back to Setna, he related before him of everything that
she had told him--all.
[In his infatuation for this woman, Setna forgets all decorum
and all duty, and follows her home to Bubastis, and "ashamed
was every one that was about Setna." To win the favor of
Tabubua, he hands over to her all his possessions and the
inheritance of his children; and at length she demands that
his children should be put to death to prevent disputes.]
Setna said, "Let there be done unto them the abomination that has
entered thy heart."
She caused his children to be slain before his face; she caused them to
be cast down from the window before the dogs and the cats. They devoured
their flesh, he hearing them, he drinking with Tabubua.
[Setna awakens from the trance in which he has in imagination
sunk to such depths of wickedness, to find himself lying naked
in a strange place.]
An hour it was that passed when Setna saw a great man riding on a
chariot, there being many men running at his feet, he being like
Pharaoh. Setna came to rise; he could not rise for shame, for there was
no clothing upon him. Pharaoh said, "Setna, what has befallen thee in
this state in which thou art?"