CHAPTER XXIII
Tale of the Doomed Prince
Pharaoh’s Heir—Decree of the Fates—Son must die a Sudden Death—His Lonely Childhood—The Dog—Prince goes upon his Travels—The Lady of the Tower—Won by the Disguised Prince—An Angry Father—Prince returns Home — Perils of Darkness — The Giant and the Crocodile—The Serpent slain — Mystery of the Prince’s Fate—Resemblances to European Stories—An Unsolved Problem.
Now hear the tale of the doomed prince. Once upon a time there was a king in Egypt whose heart was heavy because that he had mo son. He called upon the gods, and the gods heard, and they decreed that an heir should be born to him. In time came the day of the child’s birth. The seven Hathors (Fates) greeted the prince and pronounced his destiny; they said he would meet with a sudden death, either by a crocodile, or a serpent, or a dog.
The nurses informed the king what the Hathors had said, and the heart of His Majesty was troubled. He commanded that a house should be erected in a lonely place, so that the child might be guarded well, and he provided servants, and all kinds of luxuries, and gave orders that the prince should not be taken outside his safe retreat.
It came to pass that the boy grew strong and big. One day he climbed to the flat roof of the house. Looking down, he saw a dog which followed a man, and wondered greatly thereat.
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