ANPU AND BATA
SETNA AND THE MAGIC BOOK
XVIIITH DYNASTY
There was once in the time of King Men-kheper-ra a
revolt of the servants of his majesty who were in
Joppa; and his majesty said, “Let Tahutia go
with his footmen and destroy this wicked Foe in Joppa.”
And he called one of his followers, and said moreover,
“Hide thou my great cane, which works wonders,
in the baggage of Tahutia that my power may go with
him.”
Now when Tahutia came near to Joppa, with all the
footmen of Pharaoh, he sent unto the Foe in Joppa,
and said, “Behold now his majesty, King Men-kheper-ra,
has sent all this great army against thee; but what
is that if my heart is as thy heart? Do thou
come, and let us talk in the field, and see each other
face to face.” So Tahutia came with certain
of his men; and the Foe in Joppa came likewise, but
his charioteer that was with him was true of heart
unto the king of Egypt. And they spoke with one
another in his great tent, which Tahutia had placed
far off from the soldiers. But Tahutia had made
ready two hundred sacks, with cords and fetters, and
had made a great sack of skins with bronze fetters,
and many baskets: and they were in his tent,
the sacks and the baskets, and he had placed them
as the forage for the horses is put in baskets.
For whilst the Foe in Joppa drank with Tahutia, the
people who were with him drank with the footmen of
Pharaoh, and made merry with them. And when their
bout of drinking was past, Tahutia said to the Foe
in Joppa, “If it please thee, while I remain
with the women and children of thy own city, let one
bring of my people with their horses, that they may
give them provender, or let one of the Apuro run to
fetch them.” So they came, and hobbled
their horses, and gave them provender, and one found
the great cane of Men-kheper-ra (Tahutmes III.), and
came to tell of it to Tahutia. And thereupon
the Foe in Joppa said to Tahutia, “My heart is
set on examining the great cane of Men-kheper-ra, which
is named ’. . . tautnefer.’ By the
ka of the King Men-kheper-ra it will be in thy
hands to-day; now do thou well and bring thou it to
me.” And Tahutia did thus, and he brought
the cane of King Men-kheper-ra. And he laid hold
on the Foe in Joppa by his garment, and he arose and
stood up, and said, “Look on me, O Foe in Joppa;
here is the great cane of King Men-kheper-ra, the
terrible lion, the son of Sekhet, to whom Amen his
father gives power and strength.” And he
raised his hand and struck the forehead of the Foe
in Joppa, and he fell helpless before him. He
put him in the sack of skins and he bound with gyves
