Ancient Egyptian legends

								

exceedingly afraid.  They obeyed the command of the god and prepared
a great sacrifice for Khonsu, the Expeller of Demons, and for the
spirit that came out of Bent-reshy, the little sister of the Great
Royal Wife, the daughter of the prince of Bekhten.  And they made a
holy day with offerings, sacrifices, and libations.
So the spirit, in the form of a Shining One, went his way in peace
out of the land of Bekhten, and he went whithersoever it pleased him,
as Khonsu, the Expeller of Demons, had commanded.
The prince of Bekhten was glad and his heart rejoiced, and all the
people rejoiced also that the spirit had been driven out of
Bent-reshy and out of the land of Bekhten.  But in the midst of his
joy and gladness, fear came upon the heart of the prince of Bekhten
lest the spirit should return and take up his abode again in the
land, when Khonsu, the Expeller of Demons, had departed.  He took
counsel with himself and said, "I will keep Khonsu, the Expeller of
Demons, in Bekhten.  I will not let him return to Egypt."  So Khonsu,
the Expeller of Demons, remained three years, four months, and five
days in Bekhten, for the prince of Bekhten would not let him go.
And at the end of that time the prince of Bekhten lay upon his bed at
night and slept, and while he slept a vision passed before his eyes.
He dreamed that he stood before the shrine of Khonsu, the Expeller of
Demons; the great doors of the shrine were folded back and the god
came forth, stepping out between the doors.  He changed into the form
of a hawk with feathers of gold, burnished and beautiful, and soared
high into the air with wings outspread, and like an arrow he darted
towards Egypt.
When the prince of Bekhten awoke, he was exceedingly afraid, for he
feared the wrath of the Gods.  And he sent for the priest of Khonsu,
the Expeller of Demons, and said to him, "The god is estranged from
us, he has returned to Egypt.  Let his chariot also return to Egypt."
The prince of Bekhten gave command that the god should be taken back
to Egypt, and he loaded the god with gifts.  Great and numerous were
the gifts of all manner of beautiful things that the prince of
Bekhten gave to Khonsu, the Expeller of Demons.
For many months they journeyed, and with them went an escort of
soldiers and horses from the land of Bekhten.  They arrived in safety
at Thebes, and entered into the temple of Khonsu in Thebes Neferhotep.
Then Khonsu, the Expeller of Demons, gave to Khonsu in Thebes
Neferhotep all the gifts, the rich and costly gifts, which he had
received from the prince of Bekhten; nothing did he keep for himself.
Thus ended the journey of Khonsu, the Expeller of Demons, the great
God.

II
THE KING'S DREAM
Long, long ago lived Thothmes, King of Egypt; Lord of the Two Lands
was he, Wearer of the double Diadem, he whom the Gods loved.  He was
not that Thothmes, the mighty Bull, who conquered Syria, Nubia, and