g her." Then said his Majesty, "Excellent exceedingly is what
has been said to us"; and they sent them. And many days after these things
the people who were sent to strange lands came to give report unto the
King: but there came not those who went to the valley of the acacia, for
Bata had slain them, but let one of them return to give a report to the
King. His Majesty sent many men and soldiers, as well as horsemen, to
bring her back. And there was a woman among them, and to her had been
given in her hand beautiful ornaments of a woman. And the girl came back
with her, and they rejoiced over her in the whole land.

And his Majesty loved her exceedingly, and raised her to high estate; and
he spake unto her that she should tell him concerning her husband. And she
said, "Let the acacia be cut down, and let one chop it up." And they sent
men and soldiers with their weapons to cut down the acacia; and they came
to the acacia, and they cut the flower upon which was the soul of Bata,
and he fell dead suddenly.

And when the next day came, and the earth was lightened, the acacia was
cut down. And Anpu, the elder brother of Bata, entered his house, and
washed his hands; and one gave him a cup of beer, and it became troubled;
and one gave him another of wine, and the smell of it was evil. Then he
took his staff, and his sandals, and likewise his clothes, with his
weapons of war; and he betook himself forth to the valley of the acacia.
He entered the tower of his younger brother, and he found him lying upon
his mat; he was dead. And he wept when he saw his younger brother verily
lying dead. And he went out to seek the soul of his younger brother under
the acacia tree, under which his younger brother lay in the evening. He
spent three years in seeking for it, but found it not. And when he began
the fourth year, he desired in his heart to return into Egypt; he said, "I
will go to-morrow morn." Thus spake he in his heart.

Now when the land lightened, and the next day appeared, he was walking
under the acacia; he was spending his time in seeking it. And he returned
in the evening, and labored at seeking it again. He found a seed. He
returned with it. Behold this was the soul of his younger brother. He
brought a cup of cold water, and he cast the seed into it: and he sat
down, as he was wont. Now when the night came his soul sucked up the
water; Bata shuddered in all his limbs, and he looked on his elder
brother; his soul was in the