then, is it that shall
bring them to me?" And Dedi answered to him, "It is the eldest of the
three children who are in the body of Rud-didet who shall bring them to
thee." And his Majesty said: "Would that it may be as thou sayest! And who
is this Rud-didet?" And Dedi replied: "She is the wife of a priest of Ra,
lord of Sakhebu. And she has conceived these three sons by Ra, lord of
Sakhebu, and the god has promised her that they shall fulfil this noble
office (of reigning) over all this land, and that the eldest of them shall
be high-priest in Heliopolis." And his Majesty's heart became troubled for
this; but Dedi spake unto him: "What is this that thou thinkest, O King
(life, wealth, health), my lord? Is it because of these three children? I
tell thee thy son shall reign, and thy son's son, and then one of them."
His Majesty said, "And when shall Rud-didet bear these?" And he replied,
"She shall bear them on the twenty-fifth of the month Tybi." And his
Majesty said, "When the banks of the canal of Letopolis are cut, I will
walk there that I may see the temple of Ra, lord of Sakhebu." And Dedi
replied, "Then I will cause that there be four cubits of water by the
banks of the canal of Letopolis." When his Majesty returned to his palace,
his Majesty said: "Let them place Dedi in the house of the royal son
Hordedef, that he may dwell with him, and let them give him a daily
portion of 1,000 loaves, 100 draughts of beer, an ox, and 100 bunches of
onions." And they did everything as his Majesty commanded.

And one day it came to pass that Rud-didet felt the pains of birth. And
the majesty of Ra, Lord of Sakhebu, said unto Isis, to Nebhat, to
Meskhent, to Hakt, and to Khnumu: "Go ye, and deliver Rud-didet of these
three children that she shall bear, who are to fulfil this noble office
over all this land; that they may build up your temples, furnish your
altars with offerings, supply your tables of libation, and increase your
endowments." Then went these deities; their fashion they made as that of
dancing-girls, and Khnumu was with them as a porter. They drew near unto
the house of Ra-user, and found him standing, with his girdle fallen. And
they played before him with their instruments of music. But he said unto
them, "My ladies, behold, here is a woman who feels the pains of birth."
They said to him, "Let us see her, for we know how to help her." And he
replied, "Come, then." And they entered in straightway to Rud-didet, and
t