But after the days of these things were passed, the
youth said to his wife, “I am doomed to three
fates—a crocodile, a serpent, and a dog.”
She said to him, “Let one kill the dog which
belongs to thee.” He replied to her, “I
am not going to kill my dog, which I have brought up
from when it was small.” And she feared
greatly for her husband, and would not let him go
alone abroad.
And one went with the youth toward the land of Egypt,
to travel in that country. Behold the crocodile
of the river, he came out by the town in which the
youth was. And in that town was a mighty man.
And the mighty man would not suffer the crocodile
to escape. And when the crocodile was bound,
the mighty man went out and walked abroad. And
when the sun rose the mighty man went back to the
house; and he did so every day, during two months
of days.
Now when the days passed after this, the youth sat
making a good day in his house.
And when the evening came he lay down on his bed,
sleep seized upon his limbs; and his wife filled a
bowl of milk, and placed it by his side. Then
came out a serpent from his hole, to bite the youth;
behold his wife was sitting by him, she lay not down.
Thereupon the servants gave milk to the serpent, and
he drank, and was drunk, and lay upside down.
Then his wife made it to perish with the blows of
her dagger. And they woke her husband, who was
astonished; and she said unto him, “Behold thy
God has given one of thy dooms into thy hand; He will
also give thee the others.” And he sacrificed
to God, adoring Him, and praising His spirits from
day to day.
And when the days were passed after these things,
the youth went to walk in the fields of his domain.
He went not alone, behold his dog was following him.
And his dog ran aside after the wild game, and he
followed the dog. He came to the river, and entered
the river behind his dog. Then came out the crocodile,
and took him to the place where the mighty man was.
And the crocodile said to the youth, “I am thy
doom, following after thee. ...”
[Here the papyrus breaks off.]
This tale is preserved in one of the Harris papyri
(No. 500) in the British Museum. It has been
translated by Goodwin, Chabas, Maspero, and Ebers.
The present version is adapted from that of Maspero,
with frequent reference by Mr. Griffith to the original.
The marvellous parentage of a fated or gifted hero
is familiar in Eastern tales, and he is often described
as a divine reward to a long-childless king.
This element of fate or destiny is, however, not seen
before this age in Egyptian ideas; nor, indeed, would
it seem at all in place with the simple, easygoing,
joyous life of the early days. It belongs to
an age when ideals possess the mind, when man struggles
against his circumstances, when he wills to be different
from what he is. Dedi or the shipwrecked sailor
