When Pharaoh Amen-em-het ruled Egypt
in about the year 2000 BC he brought peace and prosperity to a country
that had been torn by civil war and rebellion for nearly two hundred
years. During his reign adventurers and traders went on many expeditions
to the south—either up the Nile through Nubia and even as far as
Ethiopia, or along the Red Sea and out into the Indian Ocean to
the mysterious land of Punt, whence they brought back jewels and
spices and other treasures.
The Royal Court, whether it was in residence
at Thebes or Memphis, was thronged with ships' captains and the
leaders of expeditions, each with a tale to tell—and each anxious
to win a commission from Pharaoh to command some royal venture on
the strength of his past achievements.
One day such a wanderer stopped the Grand
Vizier in the palace courtyard at Thebes, and said to him, "My lord,
harken to me a while. I come with costly gifts for Pharaoh, nor
shall his counselors such as yourself be forgotten. Listen, and
I will tell you of such adventures as have not been told: Pharaoh
himself—life, health, strength be to him!—will reward you for bringing
to his presence a man with such adventures to tell. I have been
to a magic island in the sea far to the south—far beyond Nubia,
to the south even of Ethiopia. I beg of you to tell Pharaoh that
I am here and would tell my tale to him."
The Grand Vizier was accustomed to such
appeals, and he looked doubtfully at the wanderer and said, "It
seems to me that you speak foolishly and have only vain things to
tell. Many men such as you think that a tall story will win them
a commission from Pharaoh—but when they tell their tale they condemn
themselves out of their own mouths. If what you have to tell is
one of these, be sure that I shall have you thrown out of the palace.
But if it is of sufficient interest, I may bring you before Pharaoh.
Therefore speak on at your own risk, or else remain silent and trouble
me no more."
"I have such a tale to tell," answered
the wanderer, 'that I will risk your anger with an easy mind. When
you have heard it, you will beg me to come before Pharaoh and tell
it to him—even to the good god Pharaoh Amen-em-het who rules the
world. Listen, then:
"I was on my way to the mines of Pharaoh
in a great ship rowed by a hundred and fifty sailors who had seen
heaven and earth and whose hearts were stronger than lions. We rowed
and sailed for many days down the Red Sea and out into the ocean
beyond.
"The captain and the steersman swore
that they knew the signs of the weather and that the wind would
not be strong but would waft us gently on our way. Nevertheless
before long a tempest arose suddenly and drove us towards the land.
As we drew near the shore the waves were eight cubits in height
and they broke over the ship and dashed it upon the rocks. I seized
a piece of wood and flung myself into the sea just as the ship ran
aground: a moment later it was smashed to pieces and every man perished.
"But a great wave raised the board to
which I clung high over the sharp rocks and cast me far up the shore,
on level sand, and I was able to crawl into the shelter of the trees
out of reach of the cruel, angry sea.
"When day dawned the tempest passed away
and the warm sun shone out. I rose up to see where I was, giving
thanks to the gods for my delivery when all the rest had perished.
I was on an island with no other human being to be a companion to
me. But such an island as no man has seen! The broad leaves of the
thicket where I lay formed a roof over my head to shield me from
the burning midday sun. When I grew hungry and looked about for
food, I found all ready for me within easy reach: figs and grapes,
all manner of good herbs, berries and grain, melons of all kinds,
fishes and birds for the taking.
"At first I satisfied my hunger on the
fruits around me. And on the third day I dug a pit and kindled a
fire in it on which I made first of all a burnt offering to the
gods, and then cooked meat and fish for myself.
"As I sat there comfortably after an
excellent meal I suddenly heard a noise like thunder. Nearly beside
myself with terror, I flung myself on the ground, thinking that
it was some great tidal wave come to engulf the island: for the
trees were lashing as if at the breath of the tempest and the earth
shook beneath me.
"But no wave came, and at last I cautiously
raised my head and looked about me. Never shall I forget the horror
of that moment. Moving towards me I saw a serpent thirty cubits
long with a beard of more than two cubits. Its body was covered
with golden scales and the scales round its eyes shaded off into
blue as pure as lapis lazuli.
"The serpent coiled up its whole length
in front of where I lay with my face on the ground, reared its head
high above me, and said: 'What has brought you, what has brought
you here, little one? Say, what has brought you to my island? If
you do not tell me at once I will show you what it is to be burnt
with fire, what is it to be burnt utterly to nothing and become
a thing invisible. Speak quickly, I am waiting to hear what I have
not heard before, some new thing!'
"Then the serpent took me in his huge
jaws and carried me away to his cave, and put me down there without
hurting me. Yes, though he had held me in his sharp teeth he had
not bitten me at all; I was still whole.
"Then he said again, 'What has, brought
you, what has brought you here, little one? Say what has brought
you to this island in the midst of the sea with the waves breaking
on all sides of it?'
"At this I managed to speak, crouching
before him and bowing my face to the ground as if before Pharaoh
himself.
" 'I sailed by command of Amen-em-het,
Pharaoh of Egypt, in a great ship one hundred and fifty cubits in
length to bring treasure from the mines of the south. But a great
tempest broke upon us and dashed the ship upon the rocks so that
all who sailed in her perished except for myself. As for me, I seized
a piece of wood and was lifted on it over the rocks and cast upon
this island by a mighty wave, and I have been here for three days.
So behold me, your suppliant, brought hither by a wave of the sea.'
"Then the serpent said to me, 'Fear not,
fear not, little one, nor let your face show sadness. Since you
have come to my island in this way, when all your companions perished,
it is because some god has preserved and sent you. For surely Amon-Re
has set you thus upon this island of the blessed where nothing is
lacking, which is filled with all good things. And now I will tell
you of the future: here in this isle shall you remain while one
month adds itself to another until four months have passed. Then
a ship shall come, a ship of Egypt, and it shall carry you home
in safety, and at length you shall die in your own city and be laid
to rest in the tomb which you have prepared.
" 'And now I will tell you of this island.
For it is pleasant to hear strange things after fear has been taken
away from you—and you will indeed have a tale to tell when you return
home and kneel before Pharaoh, your lord and master. Know then that
I dwell here with my brethren and my children about me; we are seventy-five
serpents in all, children and kindred. And but one stranger has
ever come amongst us: a lovely girl who appeared strangely and on
whom the fire of heaven fell and who was turned into ashes. As for
you, I do not think that heaven holds any thunderbolts for one who
has lived through such dangers. It is revealed to me that, if you
dwell here in patience, you shall return in the fullness of time
and hold your wife and children in your arms once more.'
"Then I bowed before him, thanking him
for his words of comfort, and said, 'All that I have told you is
true, and if what you have said to me happens indeed, I shall come
before Pharaoh and tell him about you, and speak to him of your
greatness. And I will bring as offerings to you sacred oils and
perfumes, and such incense as is offered to the gods in their temples.
Moreover I shall tell him of all the wonders of this isle, and I
shall sacrifice asses to you, and Pharaoh shall send out a ship
filled with the riches of Egypt as presents to your majesty.'
" 'The king serpent laughed at my words,
saying, 'Truly you are not rich in perfumes—for here in this island
I have more than in all the land of Punt. Only the sacred oil which
you promise me is scarce here—yet you will never bring it, for when
you are gone this island will vanish away and you shall never more
see it. Yet doubtless the gods will reveal it in time to come to
some other wanderer.'
"So I dwelt happily in that enchanted
island, and the four months seemed all too short. When they drew
to a close I saw a ship sailing over the smooth sea towards me,
and I climbed into a high tree to see better what manner of men
sailed in it.
"And when I perceived that they were
men of Egypt, I hastened to the home of the serpent king and told
him. But he knew already more than I did myself, and said to me,
'Farewell, brave wanderer. Return in safety to your home and may
my blessing go with you.'
"Then I bowed before him and thanked
him, and he gave me gifts of precious perfumes—of cassia and sweet
woods, of kohl and cypress, of incense, of ivory and of other precious
things. And when I had set these upon the ship and the sailors would
have landed, the island seemed to move away from them, floating
on the sea. Then night fell suddenly, and when the moon shone out
there was no island in sight but only the open waves.
"So we sailed north and in the second
month we came to Egypt, and I have made haste to cross the desert
from the sea to Thebes. Therefore, I pray you, lead me before Pharaoh,
for I long to tell him of my adventures and lay at his feet the
gifts of the King of the Serpents, and beg that he will make me
commander of a royal ship to sail once more into the ocean that
washes the shores of Punt."
When the wanderer's tale was ended, the
Grand Vizier laughed heartily, crying, "Whether or not I believe
your adventures, you have told a tale such as delights the heart
of Pharaoh—life, health, strength be to him! Therefore come with
me at once, and be sure of a rich reward: to you who tell the tale,
and to me who brings before him the teller of the tale."
So the wanderer passed into the presence
of the good god Pharaoh Amen-em-het, and Pharaoh delighted in the
story of the shipwrecked sailor so much that his chief scribe Ameni-amen-aa
was set to write it down upon a roll of papyrus where it may be
read to this very day.
