The legend begins with the statement that in the 18th year of the reign
of King Tcheser, when Matar, the Erpa Prince and Ha, was the Governor
of the temple properties of the South and North, and was also the
Director of the Khenti men at Elephantine (Aswan), a royal despatch was
delivered to him, in which the king said: "I am in misery on my throne.
My heart is very sore because of the calamity which hath happened, for
the Nile hath not come forth[FN#47] for seven years. There is no
grain, there are no vegetables, there is no food, and every man is
robbing his neighbour. Men wish to walk, but they are unable to move;
the young man drags along his limbs, the hearts of the aged are crushed
with despair, their legs fail them, they sink to the ground, and they
clutch their bodies with their hands in pain. The councillors are
dumb, and nothing but wind comes out of the granaries when they are
opened. Everything is in a state of ruin." A more graphic picture of
the misery caused by the famine could hardly be imagined. The king
then goes on to ask Matar where the Nile is born? what god or goddess
presides over it? and what is his [or her] form? He says he would like
to go to the temple of Thoth to enquire of that god, to go to the
College of the Magicians, and search through the sacred books in order
to find out these things.



[FN#47] i.e., there have been insufficient Nile-floods.