paid no
attention to them whatsoever. At the end of this time this peasant set
out on a journey to the south, to the city of Hensu, in order to lay his
complaint before Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward, and he found him
just as he was coming forth from the door in the courtyard of his house
which opened on the river bank, to embark in his official boat on the
river. And this peasant said, "I earnestly wish that it may happen that
I may make glad thy heart with the words which I am going to say!
Peradventure thou wilt allow some one to call thy confidential servant
to me, in order that I may send him back to thee thoroughly well
informed as to my business." Then Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward,
caused his confidential servant to go to this peasant, who sent him back
to him thoroughly well informed as to his business. And Rensi, the son
of Meru, the steward, made inquiries about this Tehutinekht from the
officials who were immediately connected with him, and they said unto
him, "Lord, the matter is indeed only one that concerneth one of the
peasants of Tehutinekht who went [to do business] with another man near
him instead of with him. And, as a matter of fact, [officials like
Tehutinekht] always treat their peasants in this manner whensoever they
go to do business with other people instead of with them. Wouldst thou
trouble thyself to inflict punishment upon Tehutinekht for the sake of a
little soda and a little salt? [It is unthinkable.] Just let Tehutinekht
be ordered to restore the soda and the salt and he will do so
[immediately]." And Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward, held his peace;
he made no answer to the words of these officials, and to this peasant
he made no reply whatsoever.

And this peasant came to make his complaint to Rensi, the son of Meru,
the steward, and on the first occasion he said, "O my lord steward,
greatest one of the great ones, guide of the things that are not and of
these that are, when thou goest down into the Sea of Truth,[5] and dost
sail thereon, may the attachment (?) of thy sail not tear away, may thy
boat not drift (?), may no accident befall thy mast, may the poles of
thy boat not be broken, mayest thou not run aground when thou wouldst
walk on the land, may the current not carry thee away, mayest thou not
taste the calamities of the stream, mayest thou never see a face of
fear, may the timid fish come to thee, and mayest thou obtain fine, fat
waterfowl. O thou who art the f