to what I say. Now know that certain things are about to happen to
me. I am going to cast a spell on my heart, so that I may be able to
place it on a flower of the Acacia tree. When this Acacia is cut down my
heart shall fall to the ground, and thou shalt come to seek for it. Thou
shalt pass seven years in seeking for it, but let not thy heart be sick
with disappointment, for thou shalt find it. When thou findest it, place
it in a vessel of cold water, and verily my heart shall live again, and
shall make answer to him that attacketh me. And thou shalt know what
hath happened to me [by the following sign]. A vessel of beer shall be
placed in thy hand, and it shall froth and run over; and another vessel
with wine in it shall be placed [in thy hand], and it shall become sour.
Then make no tarrying, for indeed these things shall happen to thee." So
the younger brother departed to the Valley of the Acacia, and the elder
brother departed to his house. And Anpu's hand was laid upon his head,
and he cast dust upon himself [in grief for Bata], and when he arrived
at his house he slew his wife, and threw her to the dogs, and he sat
down and mourned for his young brother.

And when many days had passed, Bata was living alone in the Valley of
the Acacia, and he spent his days in hunting the wild animals of the
desert; and at night he slept under the Acacia, on the top of the
flowers of which rested his heart. And after many days he built himself,
with his own hand, a large house in the Valley of the Acacia, and it was
filled with beautiful things of every kind, for he delighted in the
possession of a house. And as he came forth [one day] from his house, he
met the Company of the Gods, and they were on their way to work out
their plans in their realm. And one of them said unto him, "Hail, Bata,
thou Bull of the gods, hast thou not been living here alone since the
time when thou didst forsake thy town through the wife of thy elder
brother Anpu? Behold, his wife hath been slain [by him], and moreover
thou hast made an adequate answer to the attack which he made upon
thee"; and their hearts were very sore indeed for Bata. Then
Ra-Harmakhis said unto Khnemu,[1] "Fashion a wife for Bata, so that
thou, O Bata, mayest not dwell alone." And Khnemu made a wife to live
with Bata, and her body was more beautiful than the body of any other
woman in the whole country, and the essence of every god was in her; and
the Seven Hathor Goddesses came t