day drinking beer with such and such a young man. Ubaaner then told the
steward to fetch him his casket made of ebony and silver-gold, which
contained materials and instruments used in working magic, and when it
was brought him, he took out some wax, and fashioned a figure of a
crocodile seven spans long. He then recited certain magical words over
the crocodile, and said to it, "When the young man comes to bathe in my
lake thou shalt seize him." Then giving the wax crocodile to the
steward, Ubaaner said to him, "When the young man goes down to the lake
to bathe according to his daily habit, thou shalt throw the crocodile
into the water after him." Having taken the crocodile from his master
the steward departed.

[Footnote 1: This name means "splitter of stones." It will be remembered
that the late Sir H.M. Stanley was called the "stone-splitter," because
of his great strength of deed and word.]

Then the wife of Ubaaner told the steward to set the little lodge in the
garden in order, because she was going to spend some time there. When
the steward had furnished the lodge, she went there, and the young
peasant paid her a visit. After leaving the lodge he went and bathed in
the lake, and the steward followed him and threw the wax crocodile into
the water; it immediately turned into a large crocodile 7 cubits (about
11 feet) long and seized the young man and swallowed him up. When this
took place the magician Ubaaner was with the king, and he remained in
attendance upon him for seven days, during which time the young man was
in the lake, with no air to breathe. When the seven days were ended King
Nebka proposed to take a walk with the magician. Whilst they were going
along Ubaaner asked the king if he would care to see a wonderful thing
that had happened to a young peasant, and the king said he would, and
forthwith walked to the place to which the magician led him. When they