The boating party

This blog has boobs in it and was also inspired by the very funny conversation on Mayo's page.

It is part of a papyrus called Westcar, three tales of wonder.

The term justified indicates that the individual has passed on.



Baufre stood up to speak, he said: " I shall let your majesty hear a wonder that happened in the time of your father Snefru, the justified, a deed of the chief lector-priest Djadja-em-ankh, a thing that illuminates the past....... which had never happened before........

"One day king Snefru wandered through all the rooms of the palace in search of relaxation and found none. Then he said: 'Go, bring me the chief lector-priest, the scribe of books, Djadja-em-ankh!' He was brought to him straightaway. His majesty said to him: 'I have gone through all the rooms of the palace in search of relaxation and found none'. Djadja-em-ankh said to him: 'May your majesty proceed to the lake of the palace. Fill a boat with all the beautiful girls of your palace. Your majesty's heart will be refreshed by seeing them row, a rowing up and down. As you observe the fine nesting places of your lake, as you observe its beautiful fields and shores, your heart will be refreshed by it'.

"Said his majesty: 'Indeed,I shall go boating! Let there be brought to me twenty oars of ebony plated with gold, their handles of sandal-wood plated with electrum. Let there be brought to me twenty women with the shapeliest bodies, breasts, and braids, who have not yet given birth. Also let there be brought to me twenty nets and give these nets to these women in place of their clothes!' All was done as his majesty commanded.

"They rowed up and down, and his majesty's heart was happy seeing them row.Then the one who was at the stroke oar fingered her braids, and a pendant of new turquoise fell into the water. Then she stopped rowing, and her side of women stopped rowing. Said his majesty: 'Why don't you row?' Said they: 'Our leader has stopped rowing.' Said his majesty to her: ' Why have you stopped rowing?' Said she: ' Because the pendant of new turquoise fell into the water.' Then his majesty said to her: 'Row! I shall replace it for you!' Said she: 'I prefer my thing to one like it.' Said his majesty: 'Go, bring me the chief lector-priest Djadja-em-ankh!' He was brought to him straightaway.

"Said his majesty: 'Djadja-em-ankh, my brother, I did as you had said. My majesty's heart was refreshed seeing them row. Then a pendant of new turquoise of one of the leaders fell into the water. She stopped rowing and thereby spoiled her side. I said to her: " Why have you stopped rowing?" She said to me: "Because the pendant of new turquoise fell into the water." I said to her: "Row! I shall replace it for you!" She said to me: "I prefer my thing to one like it."'

"Then the chief lector-priest Djadja-em-ankh said his say of magic. he placed one side of the lake's water upon the other; and he found the pendant lying on a shard. He brought it and gave it to its owner. Now the water that had been twelve cubits deep across had become twenty four cubits when it was turned back. Then he said his say of magic and returned the waters of the lake to their place. His majesty spent the day feasting with the entire palace. Then he rewarded the chief lector-priest Djadja-em-ankh with all good things.

"This is the wonder that happened in the time of your Father, king Snefru, the justified, the deed of the chief lector-priest and scribe of books, Djadja-em-ankh."

Said the majesty of king Khufu: "Let there be given an offering of a thousand loaves, a hundred jars of beer, an ox, and two measures of incense to the majesty of king Snefru, the justified. And let there be given one loaf, one jug of beer, and one measure of incense to the chief lector-priest and scribe of books, Djadja-em-ankh, for I have seen his display of skill." One did according to his majesty's command.