Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/50

 him admission. Whereupon the warlike god went to a neighbouring city and rallied round him a body of men, who forced an entrance for him, and treated the attendants none too gently. Therefore a fight with clubs is appointed for this festival.”

“Were the Egyptian gods at all like the Greek?” asked Harry.

“Oh, yes!” replied Herodotus, “for it is my belief that the Greek gods came, with but few exceptions, from Egypt—but this is a subject too long and too deep to speak of now. When thou readest my writings thou wilt learn much about this very question.”

“I wish I could read them already,” said Harry. ”I believe there was some man—a poet, I think—who said he awoke one morning and found himself famous. Now, I′d far sooner wake one morning and find I knew Greek.”

“Ah!” replied Herodotus smiling, “naught of value is gained save by labour. The poet had laboured, thou mayest be sure—possibly with tears and hunger—ere he attained that fame.”

“I suppose so,” said Harry sighing. “Please tell me some more now, Herodotus. What were the priests like?”

“They wore linen garments, and shoes of the papyrus plant, which thou knowest was a reed, and from which so many things were made by the Egyptians. And they might only eat of certain things—fish and beans they might not touch. Moreover, they bathed twice each day and twice each night, and all things for their sustenance were provided for them. They had thousands of different ceremonies, but in different parts of Egypt different customs prevailed. For instance, the Thebans would not sacrifice goats or rams, and held them sacred, while some of the Egyptians sacrificed goats in preference to sheep, and hold the cow, the emblem of Isis, entirely sacred, and so forth.”

“What happened when a cow died?” asked Harry.

“The carcase was cast into the river; but when an ox died it was buried in the suburbs of the town, with one horn, or both, appearing above the ground. Then, when the body was decayed a boat came from the island of Prosopitis and collected the bones from the different cities.”

“Queer notions,” mused Harry.

“Animals played a great part in the life of Egypt,” said Herodotus, “and when next I visit thee I will tell thee more concerning them and other strange things, ere we come to the history of the people and their kings.”