The Irish standard., 1889-10-05

sandal, and bade one OF the girls crown
Pharaoh with flowers. And he bowed the
knee, and Knocked the head of the innocent
child. But the girl, who was sharp of
tongue-for all OF this heard in after
years-said to him s.that he did well to bow
the knee, for this child was indeed Pharaoh.
the greatest Of Pharaohs, and his name was
the Osiris and his throne was Death''
At this saying Auletes was much troubled,
and shook and trembled, for. being wicked
man, he greatly feared the entering into
Amenti. So he caused the girl to be slain,
because of the evil omen Of her saying, cry
ing that he would send her to worship that
Pharaoh whom she had named And the
other women he sent away, and played no
more upon the flute till he was once again
drunk on the morrow. But the AIexandri-
ans made a song thereon, which is still sung
about the streets And this is the beginning
thereof:
Ptolemy the Piper played
Over dead and dying;
Piped and played he we'll
Sure that flute Of his was made
OF the dank reed signing
Ger the streams of hell.
There beneath the shadows gray,
With the sisters three,
Shall he pipe for many aday
May the Frog his butler be!
And his Wine the water of that countrie-
Ptolemv the Pinerl
AFTER this the years passed on, nor d1d T.
beng very little, know any thing of the
great things that came to pass in Egypt;
nor is it my purpose here to set them out
For ], Harmachis, will speak only of those
things with which have been concerned.
And as the time went on my father and
"a ,ofr ofr.1 49, 80 <1N
learning of our people and in such matters
appertaining to the gods as it is meet that
children should know SO grew strong
and comely, for my hair was black as the
hair Of the divine Nout, and my eyes were
blue as the blue lotus, and my skin was as
the alabaster within the sanctuaries For
now that these glories have passed from
me may speak Of them without shame.
Strong was also. There was no youth of
my years in Abouthis who could stand
against me to wrestle with me, nor could
any throw SO far with the sling or spear
And much yearned to hunt the lion; but
he whom called my father forbade me to
hunt, telling me that my life was of too
great worth to be SO lightly hazarded But
when ] bowed myself before him and
prayed he would make his meaning clear to
me, the old man frowned and answered
that the gods made all things clear in their
own season. For my part, however, went
away wroth, for there was youth in
Abouthis who with others had slain q lion
that fell upon his fathers herds, and, be-
ing enylOuS of my strength and beauty, he
set it about that was cowardly at heart,
IN that when [ went out to hunt I slew
naught but jackals and gazelles. Now, this
was when l had reached my seventeenth
year and was man grown.
1t CHANGED, therefore, that as Iowent sore
at heart from the presence of the High
Priest, my father, met this youth, who
called to me and Knocked me, bidding me
know the country people had told him that
great lion was down among the rush
es blythe banks of the canal which runs
past the Temple, lying at a distance of thir-
ty stadia from Abouthis And, still mock
ing me, he asked me if L would come and
help him slay this lion. or would go and sit
among the old women and bid them comb
my side lock. This bitter word so angered
me that was near to falling on, him; but
in place thereof, forgetting my fathers say
ing, | answered that If he would come along
would go with him and seek this lion, and
he should learn if were indeed coward.
And at first he would not, for, as men know,
it is our custom to hunt the lion in compa-
nies: SO it was my hour to mock. Thereon
he went and fetched his bow and arrows
and sharp knife. And brought forth my
heavy spear, which had shaft of thorn
wood, and at the end thereof pomegran-
etc in silver, to hold the hand from slipping;
and together, in silence, we went side by
side to where the lion lay. When we came
to the place it was near sundown, and there,
upon the mud of the canal bank, we found
the lions slot, which ran into thick clump
of reeds.
''Now, thou boaster," I said, sswilt thou
lead the way into yonder reeds, or shall Tar
And made as though I would lead the
way.
"Nay, nay,' he answered, s'be not SO
mad! The brute will spring upon thee and
rend thee. See? ! will shoot among the
reeds! Perchance, if he sleeps, it will
arouse him. And he drew his bow at a
veature.
And how it chanced T know not, but the
arrow struck the sleeping lion, and, like a
flash of light from the belly of cloud, he
bounded from the shelter of the reeds, and
stood before US with bristling name and yel-
low eyes, the arrow quivering in his flank
He roared aloud in fury, and the earth
shook.
s'Shoot with the bow I cried, s.shoot
swiftly ere he springl''
But the courage had left the breast Of the
boaster. His jaw dropped down and his