Tales of Ancient Egypt

The Shipwrecked Sailor

c. 2200 BC

THE wise servant said, “Let thy heart be satisfied, O my lord, for that we
have come back to the country; after we have been long on board, and rowed much,
the prow has at last touched land. All the people rejoice and embrace us one after
another. Moreover, we have come back in good health, and not a man is lacking;
although we have been to the ends of Wawat [Nubia], and gone through the land
of Senmut [Kush], we have returned in peace, and our land—behold, we have come
back to it. Hear me, my lord; I have no other refuge. Wash thee, and turn the
water over thy fingers; then go and tell the tale to the majesty.”

His lord replied, “Thy heart continues still its wandering words! but although
the mouth of a man may save him his words may also cover his face with confusion.
Will you do then as your heart moves you? This that you will say, tell quietly.”

The sailor then answered, “Now I shall tell that which has happened to me,
to my very self. I was going to the mines of Pharaoh, and I went down on the sea
in a ship of one hundred and fifty cubits long and forty cubits wide, with one
hundred and fifty sailors of the best of Egypt who had seen heaven and earth,
and whose hearts were stronger than lions. They had said that the wind would not
be contrary, or that there would be none. But as we approached the land, the wind
arose, and threw up waves eight cubits high. As for me, I seized a piece of wood;
but those who were in the vessel perished, without one remaining. A wave threw
me on an island, after that I had been three days alone, without a companion beside
my own heart. I laid me in a thicket, and the shadow covered me. Then stretched
I my limbs to try to find something for my mouth. I found there figs and grain,
melons of all kinds, fishes, and birds. Nothing was lacking. And I satisfied myself;
and left on the ground that which was over, of what my arms had been filled withal.
I dug a pit, I lighted a fire, and I made a burnt offering unto the gods.

“Suddenly I heard a noise as of thunder, which I thought to be that of a wave
of the sea. The trees shook, and the earth was moved. I uncovered my face, and
I saw that a serpent drew near. He was thirty cubits long, and his beard greater
than two cubits; his body was as overlaid with gold, and his color as that of
true lazuli. He coiled himself before me. “Then he opened his mouth, while that
I lay on my face before him, and he said to me, “What has brought you, what has
brought you, little one, what has brought you? If you say not speedily what has
brought you to this isle, I will make you know yourself; as a flame you shall
vanish, if you tell me not something I have not heard, or which I knew not, before
you.’

“Then he took me in his mouth and carried me to his resting-place, and laid
me down without any hurt. I was whole and sound, and nothing was gone from me.
Then he opened his mouth against me, while that I lay on my face before him, and
he said, “What has brought you, what has brought you, little one, what has brought
you to this isle which is in the sea, and of which the shores are in the midst
of the waves?’

“Then I replied to him, and holding my arms low before him, I said to him,
“I was embarked for the mines by the order of the majesty, in a ship, one hundred
and fifty cubits was its length, and the width of it forty cubits. It had one
hundred and fifty sailors of the best of Egypt, who had seen heaven and earth,
and the hearts of whom were stronger than lions. They said that the wind would
not be contrary, or that there would be none. Each of them exceeded his companion
in the prudence of his heart and the strength of his arm, and I was not beneath
any of them. A storm came upon us while we were on the sea. Hardly could we reach
to the shore when the wind waxed yet greater, and the waves rose even eight cubits.
As for me, I seized a piece of wood, while those who were in the boat perished
without one being left with me for three days. Behold me now before you, for I
was brought to this isle by a wave of the sea.’

“Then said he to me, “Fear not, fear not, little one, and make not your face
sad. If you have come to me, it is God who has let you live. For it is He who
has brought you to this isle of the blest, where nothing is lacking, and which
is filled with all good things. See now, you shall pass one month after another,
until you shall be four months in this isle. Then a ship shall come from your
land with sailors, and you shall leave with them and go to your country, and you
shall die in your town.’

‘”Converse is pleasing, and he who tastes of it passes over his misery. I will
therefore tell you of that which is in this isle. I am here with my brethren and
my children around me; we are seventy-five serpents, children, and kindred; without
naming a young girl who was brought unto me by chance, and on whom the fire of
heaven fell, and burned her to ashes. As for you, if you are strong, and if your
heart waits patiently, you shall press your infants to your bosom and embrace
your wife. You shall return to your house which is full of all good things, you
shall see your land, where you shall dwell in the midst of your kindred.’

“Then I bowed in my obeisance, and I touched the ground before him. “Behold
now that which I have told you before. I shall tell of your presence unto Pharaoh,
I shall make him to know of your greatness, and I will bring to you of the sacred
oils and perfumes, and of incense of the temples with which all gods are honored.
I shall tell, moreover, of that which I do now see (thanks to him), and there
shall be rendered to you praises before the fullness of all the land. I shall
slay asses for you in sacrifice, I shall pluck for you the birds, and I shall
bring for you ships full of all kinds of the treasures of Egypt, as is comely
to do unto a god, a friend of men in a far country, of which men know not.’

“Then he smiled at my speech, because of that which was in his heart, for he
said to me: “You are not rich in perfumes, for all that you have is but common
incense. As for me, I am prince of the land of Punt, and I have perfumes. Only
the oil which you say you would bring is not common in this isle. But, when you
shall depart from this place, you shall never more see this isle; it shall be
changed into waves.’

“And behold, when the ship drew near, according to all that he had told me
before, I got up into an high tree, to strive to see those who were within it.
Then I came and told to him this matter, but it was already known unto him before.
Then he said to me, “Farewell, farewell, go to your house, little one, see again
your children, and let your name be good in your town; these are my wishes for
you.’

“Then I bowed myself before him, and held my arms low before him, and he, he
gave me gifts of precious perfumes, of cassia, of sweet woods, of kohl, of cypress,
an abundance of incense, of ivory tusks, of baboons, of apes, and all kinds of
precious things. I embarked all in the ship which was come, and bowing myself,
I prayed God for him. Then he said to me, “Behold you shall come to your country
in two months, you shall press to your bosom your children, and you shall rest
in your tomb.’ After this I went down to the shore unto the ship, and I called
to the sailors who were there. Then on the shore I rendered adoration to the master
of this isle and to those who dwelt therein.

“When we shall come, in our return, to the house of Pharaoh, in the second
month, according to all that the serpent has said, we shall approach unto the
palace. And I shall go in before Pharaoh, I shall bring the gifts which I have
brought from this isle into the country. Then he shall thank me before the fullness
of the land. Grant then unto me a follower, and lead me to the courtiers of the
king. Cast your eye upon me after that I have both seen and proved this. Hear
my prayer, for it is good to listen to people. It was said unto me, “Become a
wise man, and you shall come to honor,’ and behold I have become such.”

This is finished from its beginning unto its end, even as it was found in a
writing. It is written by the scribe of cunning fingers, Ameni-amenaa; may he
live in life, wealth, and health!

Source:

From: Eva March Tappan, ed., The World’s Story: A History of the World in Story,
Song and Are, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1914), Vol. III: Egypt, Africa, and Arabia,
trans. W. K. Flinders Petrie, pp. 41-46.

Scanned by: J. S. Arkenberg, Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton. Prof.
Arkenberg has modernized the text.