IN THE SEKHET HEMAT

IXTH DYNASTY

THE PEASANT AND THE WORKMAN


There dwelt in the Sekhet Hemat--or salt country--a peasant called the
Sekhti, with his wife and children, his asses and his dogs; and he
trafficked in all good things of the Sekhet Hemat to Henenseten. Behold
now he went with rushes, natron, and salt, with wood and pods, with
stones and seeds, and all good products of the Sekhet Hemat. And this
Sekhti journeyed to the south unto Henenseten; and when he came to the
lands of the house of Fefa, north of Denat, he found a man there
standing on the bank, a man called Hemti--the workman--son of a man
called Asri, who was a serf of the High Steward Meruitensa. Now said
this Hemti, when he saw the asses of Sekhti, that were pleasing in his
eyes, "Oh that some good god would grant me to steal away the goods of
Sekhti from him!"

Now the Hemti's house was by the dyke of the tow-path, which was
straitened, and not wide, as much as the width of a waist cloth: on the
one side of it was the water, and on the other side of it grew his corn.
Hemti said then to his servant, "Hasten I bring me a shawl from the
house," and it was brought instantly. Then spread he out this shawl on
the face of the dyke, and it lay with its fastening on the water and its
fringe on the corn.