HORDEDEF'S TALE


The royal son Hordedef then stood forth and spake. He said, "Hitherto
hast thou only heard tokens of those who have gone before, and of
which no man knoweth their truth But I will show thy majesty a man of
thine own days." And his majesty said, "Who is he, Hordedef?" And the
royal son Hordedef answered, "It is a certain man named Dedi, who
dwells at Dedsneferu. He is a man of one hundred and ten years old;
and he eats five hundred loaves of bread, and a side of beef, and
drinks one hundred draughts of beer, unto this day. He knows how to
restore the head that is smitten off; he knows how to cause the lion
to follow him trailing his halter on the ground; he knows the designs
of the dwelling of Tahuti. The majesty of the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Khufu, the blessed, has long sought for the designs of the
dwelling of Tahuti, that he may make the like of them in his pyramid."

And his majesty said, "Thou, thyself, Hordedef, my son, bring him to
me." Then were the ships made ready for the king's son Hordedef, and he
went up the stream to Dedsneferu. And when the ships had moored at the
haven, he landed, and sat him in a litter of ebony, the poles of which
were of cedar wood overlayed with gold. Now when he drew near to Dedi,
they set down the litter. And he arose to greet Dedi, and found him
lying on a palmstick couch at the door of his house; one servant held
his head and rubbed him, and another rubbed his feet,

And the king's son Hordedef said, "Thy state is that of one who lives to
good old age; for old age is the end of our voyage, the time of
embalming, the time of burial. Lie, then, in the sun, free of