tian remains, which have more or less of
interest, and show that the people was not altogether devoid of
imagination, though their imagination was far from lively. Seb, for
instance, once upon a time, took the form of a goose, and laid the
mundane egg, and hatched it. Thoth once wrote a wonderful book, full of
wisdom and science, which told of everything concerning the fowls of the
air, and the fishes of the sea, and the four-footed beasts of the earth.
He who knew a single page of the book could charm the heaven, the
earth, the great abyss, the mountains, and the seas. Thoth took the work
and enclosed it in a box of gold, and the box of gold he placed within a
box of silver, and the silver box within a box of ivory and ebony, and
that again within a box of bronze; and the bronze box he enclosed within
a box of brass, and the brass box within a box of iron; and the box,
thus guarded, he threw into the Nile at Coptos. But a priest discovered
the whereabouts of the book, and sold the knowledge to a young noble for
a hundred pieces of silver, and the young noble with great trouble
fished the book up. But the possession of the book brought him not good
but evil. He lost his wife; he lost his child; he became entangled in a
disgraceful intrigue. He was glad to part with the book. But the next
possessor was not more fortunate; the book brought him no luck. The
quest after unlawful knowledge involved all who sought it in calamity.

Another myth had for its subject the proposed destruction of mankind by
Ra, the Sun-god. Ra had succeeded Phthah as king of Egypt, and had
reigned for a long term of years in peace, contented with his subjects
and they with him. But a time came when they grew headstrong and unruly;
they uttered words against Ra; they plotted evil things; they grievously
offended him. So Ra called the council of the gods together and asked
them to advise him what he should do. They said mankind must be
destroyed, and committed the task of destruction to Athor and Sekhet,
who proceeded to smite the men over the whole land. But now fear came
upon mankind; and the men of Elephantine made haste, and extracted the
juice from the best of their fruits, and mingled it with human blood,
and filled seven thousand jars, and brought them as an offering to the
offended god. Ra drank and was content, and ordered the liquor that
remained in the jars to be poured out; and, lo! it was an inundation
which covered the whole land of Egyp