ild. They
decreed that one should be born to him. And his wife, after her time was
fulfilled, brought forth a son. Then came the Hathors to decree for him a
destiny; they said, "His death is to be by the crocodile, or by the
serpent, or by the dog." Then the people who stood by heard this, and they
went to tell it to his Majesty. Then his Majesty's heart sickened very
greatly. And his Majesty caused a house to be built upon the desert; it
was furnished with people and with all good things of the royal house,
that the child should not go abroad. And when the child was grown, he went
up upon the roof, and he saw a dog; it was following a man who was walking
on the road. He spoke to his page, who was with him, "What is this that
walks behind the man who is coming along the road?" He answered him, "This
is a dog." The child said to him, "Let there be brought to me one like
it." The page went to repeat it to his Majesty. And his Majesty said, "Let
there be brought to him a little pet dog, lest his heart be sad." And
behold they brought to him the dog.

Then when the days increased after this, and when the child became grown
in all his limbs, he sent a message to his father saying, "Come, wherefore
am I kept here? Inasmuch as I am fated to three evil fates, let me follow
my desire. Let God do what is in his heart." They agreed to all he said,
and gave him all sorts of arms, and also his dog to follow him, and they
took him to the east country, and said to him, "Behold, go thou whither
thou wilt." His dog was with him, and he went northward, following his
heart in the desert, while he lived on all the best of the game of the
desert. He went to the chief of Naharaina.

And behold there had not been any born to the chief of Naharaina, except
one daughter. Behold, there had been built for her a house; its seventy
windows were seventy cubits from the ground. And the chief caused to be
brought all the sons of the chiefs of the land of Khalu, and said to them,
"He who reaches the window of my daughter, she shall be to him for a
wife."

And many days after these things, as they were in their daily task, the
youth rode by the place where they were. They took the youth to their
house, they bathed him, they gave provender to his horses, they brought
all kinds of things for the youth, they perfumed him, they anointed his
feet, they gave him portions of their own food; and they spake to him,
"Whence comest thou, goodly youth?" He said t