to tarry in her house and to rejoice with her, and she
ate and drank with him; and the King was exceedingly happy. And the
August Lady said to His Majesty, "Say these words: 'Whatsoever she saith
I will hearken unto for her sake,' and swear an oath by God that thou
wilt do them." And the King hearkened unto everything which she spake,
saying, "I beseech thee to give me the liver of this bull to eat, for he
is wholly useless for any kind of work." And the King cursed many, many
times the request which she had uttered, and Pharaoh's heart was
exceedingly sore thereat.

On the following morning, when it was day, the King proclaimed a great
feast, and he ordered the bull to be offered up as an offering, and one
of the chief royal slaughterers of His Majesty was brought to slay the
bull. And after the knife had been driven into him, and whilst he was
still on the shoulders of the men, the bull shook his neck, and two
drops of blood from it fell by the jambs of the doorway of His Majesty,
one by one jamb of Pharaoh's door, and the other by the other, and they
became immediately two mighty acacia trees, and each was of the greatest
magnificence. Then one went and reported to His Majesty, saying, "Two
mighty acacia trees, whereat His Majesty will marvel exceedingly, have
sprung up during the night by the Great Door of His Majesty." And men
and women rejoiced in them everywhere in the country, and the King made
offerings unto them. And many days after this His Majesty put on his
tiara of lapis-lazuli, and hung a wreath of flowers of every kind about
his neck, and he mounted his chariot of silver-gold, and went forth from
the Palace to see the two acacia trees. And the August Lady came
following after Pharaoh [in a chariot drawn by] horses, and His Majesty
sat down under one acacia, and the August Lady sat under the other. And
when she had seated herself the Acacia spake unto his wife, saying, "O
woman, who art full of guile, I am Bata, and I am alive even though thou
hast entreated me evilly. Well didst thou know when thou didst make
Pharaoh to cut down the Acacia that held my heart that thou wouldst kill
me, and when I transformed myself into a bull thou didst cause me to be
slain."

And several days after this the August Lady was eating and drinking at
the table of His Majesty, and the King was enjoying her society greatly,
and she said unto His Majesty, "Swear to me an oath by God, saying, I
will hearken unto whatsoever the