| The lad listened to the words of his dog. He said to him “Oh, you sharp of face, what shall be done? How shall I be placed upon the throne of my father while my step-mother hates me?”
Then the lad and his dog devised a good plan. He entered the palace in the garments of a prince of Naharin and no one recognized him. The long hair of his head and his beard hid his face. Nothing could be seen except his nose and his eyes, all of which were of a beautiful nature. Thus, the lad appeared before his step-mother, who sat on the throne of his father in the manner of a king. The sight of her was an aberration unto both gods and men, but the lad made obeisance unto her. Then she cried in a loud voice, “As Ptah loves me and as Ra shines above, I shall discover who is this beautiful one who has come to Egypt from a foreign land with a dog beside him!”
All those who served the step-mother of the prince said with one voice, “Ah, we do not know who he is and may the gods smite us if we speak falsely! Let him tell his name.” Then the step-mother said, “Let him, indeed, tell his name and if it pleases me to hear it, this beautiful lad will become my husband.” Thus spoke the lad: “I am the son of my father, who has flown to heaven and is in the company of the gods. My name is Fate. Indeed, I have come to make a bad end of her who opposes me.” “What is the meaning of your words?” said the step-mother of the lad. “Why have you come before me to talk nonsense in the language of Egypt?” “It is the truth,” the lad said to his step-mother. “It is no lie. I am the son of your husband, the king, true of voice. I left the land of Egypt in order to wander afar. The Seven Hathors foretold that I would meet my end by a crocodile, a snake or a dog. The fate of a man cannot be escaped though he run from it to the ends of the earth, even unto Naharin. This is the meaning of the divination of the goddesses: the crocodile is the enemy known to a man, the one who may slay him in battle. The snake is the enemy he does not know, the one who may kill him by stealth. Even though he may overcome both the crocodile and the snake, a man cannot drive off the dog-headed one, Anubis, who appears before him on his final day on earth and leads him into the life beyond.” “Ha, you wise one!” said the dog of the lad to his master. “Now you will surely prevail.” “Indeed, he is wise!” proclaimed the servants of the palace. “Indeed, his fate was prophesied for him according to his telling of it! Surely this lad is the son of the king, the Osiris, who has come to be placed upon the throne of his father!” They fell to the ground due to the miracle of the return of the rightful heir, who had the power to cause even a dog to speak fine words, and kissed the ground in obeisance before their lord. Then the dog of the lad leapt up with the rage of ten southern panthers and drove the step-mother of the true king from the throne of the Two Lands. She fled before him in great fear at that moment and is running from him to this very day with the speed of a greyhound. She has reached the four pillars of the heavens twice and knows the lay of every foreign land with its streams and mountains. That wretched one has traversed them all without pausing for breath. The lad placed himself on the seat of the one who had begotten him and the entire land hailed him in joy and satisfaction. His wisdom and might became known in every foreign country. Then His Majesty, l.p.h., sent an emissary to the lord of Naharin, giving many presents to him and to his daughter. One said to the prince of Naharin, "Give your daughter to the king of Egypt, for her beauty is known to him." That lord of Naharin sent his daughter as a wife to the king of Egypt with 300 of his people and many good products of the land of Naharin, as well. The daughter of the lord of Naharin recognized her husband and kissed him all over his body, rejoicing greatly. After that wonder had occurred, His Majesty, l.p.h., lived with his wife in peace and she gave birth to a son for whom was prophesied only good things. |