The Two Brothers (1 of 5) It is said, there were two brothers, of the same mother and the same father. Anubis was the name of the elder, and Bata the name of the younger. As for Anubis, he had a house and a wife; and his young brother was with him as if he were a son. He was the one who made clothes for him, and he went behind his cattle to the fields. He was the one who did the plowing, and he harvested for him. He was the one who did for him all kinds of labor in the fields. Indeed, his young brother was an excellent man. There was none like him in the whole land, for a gods strength was in him. Now when many days had passed, his young brother [was tending] his cattle according to his daily custom. And he [returned] to his house in the evening, laden with all kinds of field plants, and with milk, with wood, and with every [good thing] of the field. He placed them before his [elder brother], as he was sitting with his wife. Then he drank and ate and [went to sleep in] his stable among his cattle. Now when it had dawned and another day had come, [he took foods] that were cooked and placed them before his eldest brother. Then he took bread for himself for the fields, and he drove his cattle to let them eat in the fields. He walked behind his cattle, and they would say to him: The grass is good in such-and-such a place. And he heard all they said and took them to the place of good grass that they desired. Thus the cattle he tended became exceedingly fine, and they increased their offspring very much. Now at plowing time his [elder] brother said to him: Have a team [of oxen] made ready for us for plowing, for the soil has emerged and is right for plowing. Also, come to the field with seed, for we shall start plowing tomorrow. So he said to him. Then the young brother made all the preparations that his elder brother had told him [to make]. Now when it had dawned and another day had come, they went to the field with their [seed] and began to plow. And [their hearts] were very pleased with this work they had undertaken. And many days later, when they were in the field, they had need of seed. Then he sent his young brother, saying: Hurry, fetch us seed from the village. His young brother found the wife of his elder brother seated braiding her hair. He said to her: Get up, give me seed, so that I may hurry to the field, for my elder brother is waiting for me. Dont delay. She said to him: Go, open the storeroom and fetch what you want. Dont make me leave my hairdo unfinished. Then the youth entered his stable and fetched a large vessel, for he wished to take a great quantity of seed. He loaded himself with barley and emmer and came out with it. Thereupon she said to him: How much is what you have on your shoulder? He said to her: Three sacks of emmer and two sacks of barley, five in all, are on my shoulder. So he said to her. Then she [spoke to] him saying: There is [great] strength in you. I see your vigor daily. And she desired to know him as a man. She got up, took hold of him, and said to him: Come, let us spend an hour lying together. It will be good for you. And I will make fine clothes for you. Then the youth became like a leopard in [his] anger over the wicked speech she had made to him; and she became very frightened. He rebuked her, saying: Look, you are like a mother to me; and your husband is like a father to me. He who is older than I has raised me. What is this great wrong you said to me? Do not say it to me again! But I will not tell it to anyone. I will not let it come from my mouth to any man. He picked up his load; he went off to the field. He reached his elder brother, and they began to work at their task. When evening had come, his elder brother returned to his house. And his young brother tended his cattle, loaded himself with all things of the field, and drove his cattle before him to let them sleep in their stable in the village. Now the wife of his elder brother was afraid on account of the speech she had made. So she took fat and grease and made herself appear as if she had been beaten, in order to tell her husband, It was your younger brother who beat me, Her husband returned in the evening according to his daily custom. He reached his house and found his wife lying down and seeming ill. She did not pour water over his hands in the usual manner; nor had she lit a fire for him. His house was in darkness, and she lay vomiting. htp
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 11:52:02 +0000
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