The Ancient Egyptians wrote the first short story  - 3395 years ago :
 

There were two brothers. The elder brother was Anpu and the younger was Bata. Anpu had a house and a wife and
he treated his brother as his son. Bata was taking care of their work. He was a great worker and of course, the
god's soul was looking after him. After taking the cows to the field as a routine, he returned home carrying the
herbs and milk and he put everything before his brother who was usually sitting with his wife. After eating and
drinking, he slept in the shed. Usually at dawn, he got up and took his bread and put it before his brother. Then , he
took his share and went to the field. When ploughing was due, Anpu asked Bata to till the ground and they must
have two cows. Bata responded to his brother.

Next day, the sun rose and they went together to the field and they started working. Then they stopped working as
Anpu sent Bata to get the seeds from the farm. When he went there, he saw his brothers wife combing her hair. He
told her to go and fetch him seeds. Yet she told him to go to the stable and fetch whatever he wanted.

Thus, he went there and he fetched the grains. Then, he came out carrying a sack of grains. She told him that he
was very vigorous and she noticed his strength and she got up asking him to stay with her.

Also, she would make him a good garment. Yet, he became furious and he told her that he considered her as his
mother. He warned her against repeating such bad statements. Moreover, he told her that he would not tell his
brother of such mean talk and he carried his sack and went back to the field.

Anpu's wife was afraid as she thought Bata might have told his brother of what had happened. But she told her
husband that his brother had talked with her, on coming to take the grains. He said to her let's stay and comb your
hair together. "But I did not respond to him and I told him am I not as your mother and my husband as your father?
Then, he hit me".

On hearing that, Anpu became furious, he wielded his knife to kill his brother. Next to this, Anpu's wife told Bata to
runaway and his brother followed him. Bata was still running till he reached Rehorakhty and he screamed:" My
great god you know the difference between evil and good". Ra listened to his complaint, consequently he made a
big lake full of crocodiles to separate between the two brothers. Then the younger told his brother to remain in his
place till dawn. And Ra would know who the good is and who the bad is. "As I would never stay in a place in which
you exist. I would go to the tree valley". Next day, Ra woke up, the two brothers looked at each other.

Then, the younger told his brother that he was not his father and "you followed me to kill me. You believed your
wife but the truth is different", and he explained to his brother what happened. Yet, Anpu did not know how to reach
the other side of the lake. Bata told his brother that he would remove and put his soul on the sant flowers. And when
these trees are cut, his soul would fall on the floor and his brother must come to search for it and this would take 7
years. Also, he must not worry as he would find it and he would make him know who had committed this evil-doing.
Moreover, he would know what happened to him. A glass person would give him a glass of beer and his hand would
shake. Then, Anpu went back home and he killed his wife.

Few days later, Bata went out of his tower to meet the nine gods who were surveying everything. Then they called
and asked Bata, "Are you still here alone?" They told him the god had given him a wife. She was a unique woman,
yet she would die in a terrible way. Bata loved her and asked her not to leave the house. Yet, when he was out, she
went out to walk on the sea shore. But the sea asked the sant trees to have her hair-pin. Consequently, the sea
carried her pin and dropped it in the Pharaoh garments. Yet, the Pharaoh blamed his train for that. He told them
that he must send his messengers to find the owner of the hair-pin. Then, the Pharaoh loved her so deeply and he
told her to tell her husband of what had happened and he ordered cutting the sant trees. They cut the flower on
which Bata's life rests. Thus, he died. A person gave Anpu a glass of beer and when his hands were shaken.

He went to the sant trees valley and he searched for his brother's soul for three years. In the fourth year, he found
a seed in which Bata's soul existed. Then Bata returned to life and both of embraced each other. Bata told his
brother that he would be an ox and he must make him go to the king's place. Next morning, Anpu sat on Bata's
back and when the king saw him he was in his utmost happiness. They let Anpu go back to his village and they gave
the ox a lot of things and the Pharaoh loved it so much.

He met the princess and told her that he was alive. Yet she told the Pharaoh that they must eat the ox's liver. Next
morning, they gave the ox a lot of givings. Then, the king ordered his butcher to slaughter the ox who agreed and
two drops of his blood fell. One had fallen on the Pharaoh's door and the other was on the other door. The two drops
were transformed into two marvelous percy trees. The days had elapsed and the king went out of his palace to see
the percy trees and the princess followed him. The tree talked to her saying that he knew who were behind all that.
The sant trees were his house and he knew who was responsible for cutting them. Then, he was transformed into an
ox and this was the reason for killing him. Few days later, the Princess asked the king to cut those percy tress.
Then, the Pharaoh sent his industrious workers to cut such trees. She was watching what was going on. As workers
cut the trees, a piece of wood came into the princess mouth. She become pregnant and gave birth to a boy. They sat
together to name the child. The child was brought up and he inherited all the lands of the world. After becoming a
ruler, he flew to the sky. They brought him all he asked for, and his wife and elder brother. He was the king of
Egypt and he died. Then his brother succeeded him.