eit with thy knife was an
abomination." Then the youth took a knife, and cut off of his flesh, and
cast it into the water, and the fish swallowed it. He failed; he became
faint; and his elder brother cursed his own heart greatly; he stood
weeping for him afar off; he knew not how to pass over to where his
younger brother was, because of the crocodiles. And the younger brother
called unto him, saying: "Whereas thou hast devised an evil thing, wilt
thou not also devise a good thing, even like that which I would do unto
thee? When thou goest to thy house thou must look to thy cattle, for I
shall not stay in the place where thou art; I am going to the valley of
the acacia. And now as to what thou shalt do for me; it is even that thou
shalt come to seek after me, if thou perceivest a matter, namely, that
there are things happening unto me. And this is what shall come to pass,
that I shall draw out my soul, and I shall put it upon the top of the
flowers of the acacia, and when the acacia is cut down, and it falls to
the ground, and thou comest to seek for it, if thou searchest for it seven
years do not let thy heart be wearied. For thou wilt find it, and thou
must put it in a cup of cold water, and expect that I shall live again,
that I may make answer to what has been done wrong. And thou shalt know of
this, that is to say, that things are happening to me, when one shall give
to thee a cup of beer in thy hand, and it shall be troubled; stay not
then, for verily it shall come to pass with thee."

And the youth went to the valley of the acacia; and his elder brother went
unto his house; his hand was laid on his head, and he cast dust on his
head; he came to his house, and he slew his wife, he cast her to the dogs,
and he sat in mourning for his younger brother.

Now many days after these things, the younger brother was in the valley of
the acacia; there was none with him; he spent his time in hunting the
beasts of the desert, and he came back in the even to lie down under the
acacia, which bore his soul upon the topmost flower. And after this he
built himself a tower with his own hands, in the valley of the acacia; it
was full of all good things, that he might provide for himself a home.

And he went out from his tower, and he met the Nine Gods, who were walking
forth to look upon the whole land. The Nine Gods talked one with another,
and they said unto him: "Ho! Bata, bull of the Nine Gods, art thou
remaining alone? Thou has