kind about his neck, and he mounted his chariot of silver-gold, and went forth from the Palace to see the two acacia trees.  And the August Lady came following after Pharaoh [in a chariot drawn by] horses, and His Majesty sat down under one acacia, and the August Lady sat under the other.  And when she had seated herself the Acacia spake unto his wife, saying, “O woman, who art full of guile, I am Bata, and I am alive even though thou hast entreated me evilly.  Well didst thou know when thou didst make Pharaoh to cut down the Acacia that held my heart that thou wouldst kill me, and when I transformed myself into a bull thou didst cause me to be slain.”

And several days after this the August Lady was eating and drinking at the table of His Majesty, and the King was enjoying her society greatly, and she said unto His Majesty, “Swear to me an oath by God, saying, I will hearken unto whatsoever the August Lady shall say unto me for her sake; let her say on.”  And he hearkened unto everything which she said, and she said, “I entreat thee to cut down these two acacia trees, and to let them be made into great beams”; and the King hearkened unto everything which she said.  And several days after this His Majesty made cunning wood-men to go and cut down the acacia trees of Pharaoh, and whilst the August Lady was standing and watching their being cut down, a splinter flew from one of them into her mouth, and she knew that she had conceived, and the King did for her everything which her heart desired.  And many days after this happened she brought forth a man child, and one said to His Majesty, “A man child hath been born unto thee”; and a nurse was found for him and women to watch over him and tend him, and the people rejoiced throughout the whole land.  And the King sat down to enjoy a feast, and he began to call the child by his name, and he loved him very dearly, and at that same time the King gave him the title of “Royal son of Kash."[1] Some time after this His Majesty appointed him “Erpa"[2] of the whole country.  And when he had served the office of Erpa for many years, His Majesty flew up to heaven (i.e. he died).  And the King (i.e. Bata) said, “Let all the chief princes be summoned before me, so that I may inform them about everything which hath happened unto me.”  And they brought his wife, and he entered into judgment with her, and the sentence which he passed upon her was carried out.  And Anpu, the brother of the King, was brought unto His Majesty, and the King made him Erpa of the whole country.  When His Majesty had reigned over Egypt for twenty years, he departed to life (i.e. he died), and his brother Anpu took his place on the day in which he was buried.

Here endeth the book happily [in] peace.[3]

[Footnote 1:  i.e. Prince of Kash, or Viceroy of the Sudan.]

[Footnote 2:  i.e. hereditary chief, or heir.]

[Footnote 3:  According to the colophon, the papyrus was written for an officer of Pharaoh’s treasury, called Qakabu, and the scribes Herua and Meremaptu by Annana, the scribe, the lord of books.  The man who shall speak [against] this book shall have Thoth for a foe!]