Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/59

 into a flour, of which they made bread. This was for economy’s sake. The root, too, of the lotus they did eat—it had a very agreeable taste. Why laughest thou?”

“You made such a beastly bad pun,” said Harry. “Didn’t you notice?. You said they crush the centre of each flower into a flour. Please excuse me; perhaps you didn’t have puns in Greek.”

It was Herodotus’ turn to smile now.

“No puns! Ah, my boy, wait till thou readest our plays.”

“I’m longing to,” said Harry, “especially if they're funny. But I’m sorry I interrupted you, Herodotus. Please go on.”

“I have not told thee much of the Nile. Thou knowest that every year it overflowed. ’Twas a strange sight. Nowadays thou hast heard that men have set dams which prevent it; but of old the whole country was under water, and the cities appeared like islands floating in it. In those days thou couldst sail from the sea-coast town of Candbus across the plain to Naucratis, past the cities of Anthylla and Archandropolis. It will amuse thee to hear that the city of Anthylla was given to the wife of the ruler of Egypt to keep her in shoes. This custom exists from the days of the Persian conquest.”

“Why, that’s something like what Father once told me. Let me think; what was it? Oh, I know. It was about ‘pin money.’ In olden times, I believe, pins were so dear that people used to give their wives money for them—a sort of allowance, I think, they call it; and that’s how people come to speak of ‘pin money’ nowadays.”

Herodotus did not seem to understand much of this discourse, but he smiled blandly, and went on:

“Now will I begin to tell thee something of the history of Egypt. Till now I have told thee of things I have myself seen or discovered by enquiry. But what follows was told me by the Egyptians.

“The first king of Egypt, I was told, was called Mĕn, but the date of his reign is lost in the mist of ages. It was he who built a dyke to protect Memphis from the Nile floods, so thou seest, as one said of old, ‘There is no new thing under the sun.’

“After Mĕn there followed three hundred and thirty kings and one queen, who was called Nitocris.’

“Oh, wasn’t there a queen of Babylon called Nitocris?” cried Harry.

“Yes,” replied the Greek, and he seemed pleased. “Strange to say, Nitocris of the Egyptians was also famed for her dealings with a river,