TRANSLATED FROM THE PAPYRI SECOND SERIES XVIIIth TO XIXth DYNASTY EDITED BY W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE, HON. D.C.L., LL.D. EDWARDS PROFESSOR OF EGYPTOLOGY, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON ILLUSTRATED BY TRISTRAM ELLIS METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET, STRAND LONDON SEP 1 6 1007 BU7I •P44 A PREFACE S the scope of the first series of these Tales seems to have been somewhat overlooked, a few words of introduction may not be out of place before this second volume. It seems that any simple form of fiction is supposed to be a "fairy tale :" which implies that it has to do with an impossible world of imaginary beings. Now the Egyptian Tales are exactly the opposite of this, they relate the doings and the thoughts of men and women who are human-sometimes very human," as Mr. Balfour said. Whatever there is of supernatural elements is a very part of the beliefs and motives of the |