TALE of Two Brothers - Anpu and Bata-full story

TALE of Two Brothers - Anpu and Bata

This story was written for Seti II (1209-1205 B.C.) of the nineteenth Egyptian dynasty. The story repeats a common test which many people had to undergo. It is similar to the story of Joseph in the house of Potiphar, in Genesis 39:1-20. It is reasonable to believe that there were many such scandals in Egypt and in your own hometown. Therefore, borrowing is not required.

Once there were two brethren, of one mother and one father; Anpu was the name of the elder, and Bata was the name of the younger.   Now, as for Anpu, he had a house, and he had a wife. But his little brother was to him, as it were, a son; he it was who made for him his clothes; he it was who followed behind his oxen to the fields; he it was who did the plowing; he it was who harvested the corn; he it was who did for him all the matters which were in the field.   Behold his younger brother grew to be an excellent worker; there was not his equal in the whole land; behold the spirit of a god was in him.   Now after this the younger brother followed his oxen in the daily manner; and every evening he turned again to the house, laden with all the herbs of the field, with milk and with wood, and with all things of the field.   And he put them down before his elder brother who was sitting with his wife; and he drank and ate, and he lay down in his stable with the cattle. And at the dawn of day he took bread which he had baked, and laid it before his elder brother; and he took with him his bread to the field, and he drave his cattle to pasture in the fields.   And as he walked behind his cattle, they said to him, "Good is the herbage which is in that place"; and he listened to all that they said, and he took them to the good place which they desired. And the cattle which were before him were exceeding excellent, and they multiplied greatly.   Now at the time of plowing his elder brother said unto him, "Let us make ready for ourselves a goodly yoke of oxen for plowing, for the land has come out from the water; it is fit for plowing. Moreover, do thou come to the field with corn, for we will begin the plowing in the morrow morning." Thus said he to him; and his younger brother did all things as his elder brother had spoken unto him to do them.   And when the morn was come, they went to the fields wither their things; and their hearts were pleased exceedingly with their task in the beginning of their work.   and it came to pass after this that as they were in the field they stopped for corn, and he sent his younger brother, saying, "Haste thou, bring to us the corn from the farm."   And the younger brother found the wife of his elder brother, as she was sitting tiring her hair. He said to her, "Get up, and give unto me corn, that I may run to the field, for my elder brother hastened me, to not delay. She said to him, "Go open the bin, and thou shalt take to thyself according to they will, that I may not drop my locks of hair while I dress them."   The youth went to the stable; he took a large measure, for he desired to take much corn; he loaded it with wheat and barley; and he went out carrying it. She said to him, "How much of the corn that is wanted, is that which is on thy shoulder?" He said to her, "Three bushels of barley, and two of wheat, in all five; these are what are upon my shoulder:"   Thus said he to her. And she conversed with him, saying, "There is great strength in thee, for I see they might every day." And her heart knew him with the knowledge of youth. And she arose and came to him, and conversed with him, saying, "Come stay with me, and it shall be well for thee, and I will make for thee beautiful garments."   Then the youth became like a panther of the south with fury at the evil speech which she had made to him; and she feared greatly. And he spake unto her, saying, "Behold thou art to me as a mother, thy husband is to me as a father, for he who is elder than I brought me up. What is this wickedness that thou hast said to me? Say it not to me again. For I will not tell it to any man, for I will not let it be uttered by the mouth of any man." He lifted up his burden, and went to the field and came to his elder brother; and they took up their work, to labor at their task.   Now afterward, at eventime, his elder brother was returning to his house; and the younger brother was following after his oxen, and he loaded himself with all the things of the field; and he brought his oxen before him, to make them lie down in their stable which was in the farm.   And behold the wife of the elder brother was afraid for the words which she had said. She took a parcel of fat, she became like one who is evilly beaten, desiring to say to her husband, "It is thy younger brother who has done this wrong." Her husband returned in the even as was his wont of every day: he came into his house; he found his wife ill of violence: she did not give him water upon his hands as he used to have, she did not make a light before him, his house was in darkness, and she was lying very sick.   Her husband said to her, "Who has spoken with thee?" Behold she said, "No one has spoken with me except thy younger brother. When he came to take for thee corn he found me sitting alone; he said to me, 'Come, let us stay together, tie up they hair': thus spoke he to me. I did not listen to him, but thus spake I to him: 'Behold, am I not thy mother, is not they elder brother to thee as a father?' And he feared, and he beat me to stop me from making report to thee, and if thou lettest him live I shall die. Now behold he is coming in the evening; and I complain of these wicked words, for he would have don this even in the daylight."   And the elder brother became as a panther in the south; he sharpened his knife; he took it in his hand; he stood behind the door of the stable to slay his younger brother as he came in the evening to bring his cattle into the stable.   Now the sun went down, and he loaded himself with herbs in his daily manner. He came, and his foremost cow entered the stable, and she said to her keeper, "Behold thy elder brother standing before thee with his knife to slay thee; flee from before him." He heard what his first cow had said; and the next entering, she also said likewise. He looked beneath the door of the stable; he saw the feet of his elder brother; he was standing behind the door, and his knife was in his hand. He cast down his load to the ground, and betook himself to flee swirly; and his elder brother pursued after him with his knife.   The the younger brother cried out to Ra Harakhti (Sun-god), saying, "My good lord! thou art he who divides the evil from the good." And Ra stood and heard his cry; and Ra made a wide water between him and his elder brother, and it was full of crocodiles; and the one brother was on one bank, and the other on the other bank; and the elder brother smote twice on his hands at not slaying him. And thus did he.   And the younger brother called to the elder brother on the bank, saying, "Stand still until the dawn of the day; and when Ra ariseth, I shall judge with thee before him, and he discerneth between the good and the evil. For I shall not be with thee any more forever; I shall not be in the place which thou art; I shall go to the valley of the Acacia.