lt the biggest of the
Pyramids, had nothing else to do, he called his sons and his wise men
together, and said, "Is there anyone among you who can tell me the tales
of the old magicians?" Then the King's son, Prince Baufra, stood up and
said, "Your Majesty, I can tell you of a wonder that happened in the
days of your father, King Seneferu. It fell on a day that the King grew
weary of everything, and sought through all his palace for something to
please him, but found nothing. Then he said to his officers, 'Bring to
me the magician Zazamankh.' And when the magician came, the King said to
him, 'O Zazamankh, I have sought through all my palace for some delight,
and I have found none.' Then said Zazamankh, 'Let thy Majesty go in thy
boat upon the lake of the palace, and let twenty beautiful girls be
brought to row thee, and let their oars be of ebony, inlaid with gold
and silver. And I myself will go with thee; and the sight of the
water-birds, and the fair shores, and the green grass will cheer thy
heart.' So the King and the wizard went down to the lake, and the twenty
maidens rowed them about in the King's pleasure-galley. Nine rowed on
this side, and nine on that, and the two fairest stood by the two
rudders at the stern, and set the rowing song, each for her own side.
And the King's heart grew glad and light, as the boat sped hither and
thither, and the oars flashed in the sunshine to the song of the rowers.

"But as the boat turned, the top of the steering-oar struck the hair of
one of the maidens who steered, and knocked her coronet of turquoise
into the water; and she stopped her song, and all the rowers on her
side stopped rowing. Then his Majesty said, 'Why have you stopped
rowing, little one?' And the maiden answered, 'It is because my jewel of
turquoise has fallen into the water.' 'Row on,' said the King, 'and I
will give you another.' But the girl answered, 'I want my own one back,
as I had it before.' So King Seneferu called Zazamankh to come to him,
and said, 'Now, Zazamankh, I have done as you advised, and my heart is
light; but, behold, the coronet of this little one has fallen into the
water, and she has stopped singing, and spoiled the rowing of her side;
and she will not have a new jewel, but wants the old one back again.'

"Then Zazamankh the wizard stood up in the King's boat, and spoke
wonderful words. And, lo! the water of one half of the lake rose up, and
heaped itself upon the top of the water of t