gs to be made in the tomb of his predecessor Nebka, and gifts to
be presented to the magician Ubaaner.

THE MAGICIAN TCHATCHAMANKH AND THE GOLD ORNAMENT

The Prince Baiufra stood up and offered to relate to King Khufu (Cheops)
a story of a magician called Tchatchamankh, who flourished in the reign
of Seneferu, the king's father. The offer having been accepted, Baiufra
proceeded to relate the following: On one occasion it happened that
Seneferu was in a perplexed and gloomy state of mind, and he wandered
distractedly about the rooms and courts of his palace seeking to find
something wherewith to amuse himself, but he failed to do so. Then he
bethought himself of the court magician Tchatchamankh, and he ordered
his servants to summon him to the presence. When the great Kher-heb and
scribe arrived, he addressed him as "my brother," and told him that he
had been wandering about in his palace seeking for amusement, and had
failed to find it. The magician promptly suggested to the king that he
should have a boat got ready, decorated with pretty things that would
give pleasure, and should go for a row on the lake. The motions of the
rowers as they rowed the boat about would interest him, and the sight of
the depths of the waters, and the pretty fields and gardens round about
the lake, would give him great pleasure. "Let me," said the magician,
"arrange the matter. Give me twenty ebony paddles inlaid with gold and
silver, and twenty pretty maidens with flowing hair, and twenty network
garments wherein to dress them." The king gave orders for all these
things to be provided, and when the boat was ready, and the maidens who
were to row had taken their places, he entered the boat and sat in his
little pavilion and was rowed about on the lake. The magician's views
proved to be correct, for the king enjoyed himself, and was greatly
amused in watching the maidens row. Presently the handle of the paddle
of one of the maidens caught in her long hair, and in trying to free it
a malachite ornament which she was wearing in her hair fell into the
water and disappeared. The maiden was much troubled over her loss, and
stopped rowing, and as her stopping threw out of order the strokes of
the maidens who were sitting on the same seat as she was, they also
stopped rowing. Thereupon the king asked why the rowing had ceased, and
one of the maidens told him what had happened; and when he promised that
the ornament should be recovered,