shall reign, and thy son's son, and then one of them." His majesty
said, "And when shall Rud-didet bear these?" And he replied, "She
shall bear them on the 26th of the month Tybi." And his majesty said,
"When the banks of the canal of Letopolis are cut, I will walk there
that I may see the temple of Ra, lord of Sakhebu." And Dedi replied,
"Then I will cause that there be four cubits of water by the banks of
the canal of Letopolis." When his majesty returned to his palace, his
majesty said, "Let them place Dedi in the house of the royal son
Hordedef, that he may dwell with him, and let them give him a daily
portion of a thousand loaves, a hundred draughts of beer, an ox, and a
hundred bunches of onions." And they did everything as his majesty
commanded.

And one day it came to pass that Rud-didet felt the pains of birth. And
the majesty of Ra, lord of Sakhebu, said unto Isis, to Nebhat, to
Meskhent, to Hakt, and to Khnumu, "Go ye, and deliver Rud-didet of these
three children that she shall bear, who are to fulfil this noble office
over all this land; that they may build up your temples, furnish your
altars with offerings, supply your tables of libation, and increase your
endowments." Then went these deities; their fashion they made as that of
dancing-girls, and Khnumu was with them as a porter. They drew near
unto the house of Ra-user, and found him standing, with his girdle
fallen. And they played before him with their instruments of music.
But he said unto them, "My ladies, behold, here is a woman who feels
the pains of birth." They said to him, "Let us see her, for we know
how to help her." And he replied, "Come, then." And they entered in
straightway to Rud-didet, and they closed the door on her and on
themselves. Then Isis stood before her, and Nebhat stood behind her,
and Hakt helped her. And Isis said, "O child, by thy name of User-ref,
do not do violence." And the child came upon her hands, as a child of