end thereof.

[Footnote 1: _i.e._ the waters of the Inundation had subsided, leaving
the ground visible.]

Now when the two brothers had been living in this way for a considerable
time, they were in the fields one day [ploughing], and Anpu said to
Bata, "Run back to the farm and fetch some [more] seed corn." And Bata
did so, and when he arrived there he found his brother's wife seated
dressing her hair. And he said to her, "Get up and give me some seed
corn that I may hurry back to the fields, for Anpu ordered me not to
loiter on the way." Anpu's wife said to him, "Go thyself to the grain
shed, and open the bin, and take out from it as much corn as thou
wishest; I could fetch it for thee myself, only I am afraid that my hair
would fall down on the way." Then the young man went to the bin, and
filled a very large jar full of grain, for it was his desire to carry
off a large quantity of seed corn, and he lifted up on his shoulders the
pot, which was filled full of wheat and barley, and came out of the shed
with it. And Anpu's wife said to him, "How much grain hast thou on thy
shoulders?" And Bata said to her, "Three measures of barley and two
measures of wheat, in all five measures of grain; that is what I have on
my shoulders." These were the words which he spake to her. And she said
to him, "How strong thou art! I have been observing thy vigorousness day
by day." And her heart inclined to him, and she entreated him to stay
with her, promising to give him beautiful apparel if he would do so.
Then the young man became filled with fury like a panther of the south
because of her words, and when she saw how angry he was she became
terribly afraid. And he said to her, "Verily thou art to me as my
mother, and thy husband is as my father, and being my elder brother he
hath provided me with the means of living. Thou hast said unto me what
ought not to have been said, and I pray thee not to repeat it. On my
part I shall tell no man of it, and on thine thou must never declare the
matter to man or woman." Then Bata took up his load on his shoulders,
and departed to the fields. And when he arrived at the place where his
elder brother was they continued their ploughing and laboured diligently
at their work.

And when the evening was come the elder brother returned to his house.
And having loaded himself with the products of the fields, Bata drove
his flocks and herds back to the farm and put them in their enclosures.

And behold