Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/61

 as thou mayest remember Nitocris of the Babylonians served her country by diverting the course of the Euphrates.”

“Yes, I remember,” said Harry; “and then she was buried over a gateway, with the inscription and all that fuss.”

“Thou hast remembered more than I had thought. Well, this Nitocris of Egypt was set on the throne in room of her brother, who was murdered by the people. Nitocris planned revenge. She built a great underground chamber, and, on pretence of inviting the Egyptians (whom she knew had played the chief part in her brother’s death) to celebrate the opening of it, she let in the river upon them while they were feasting, and drowned them all. Then she killed herself to avoid punishment.

“The next monarch of whom I will tell thee was Rhampsinitus— before him was one great conqueror and explorer-king, Sesostris, but I have not much of interest to tell thee concerning him. Rhampsinitus had great wealth, especially of silver, and in order to keep it in safety he had a great stone chamber built on to his palace. The builder, how- ever, devised one stone which he could remove, and thus obtain entrance to the treasure-house under cover of night. When he was dying he revealed the secret to his sons, and they continued to plunder the king’s treasure. Rhampsinitus at length noticed his decreasing wealth, and could not imagine how the thief obtained entrance, for the chamber seemed intact. So he set a trap near one of the jars which held his treasure, and behold! when next the thief and his brother entered the treasure-chamber one of them was fast caught in the trap. Whereupon he cried:

“Cut off my head, oh brother, that none may know who I am when I am found, and thus, thou mayest escape.”

“Rather decent of him,” observed Harry.

“The brother did as he was bid, and escaped by means of the stone, bearing the head with him. When day broke the king came into the room and found the headless body of the thief. Greatly puzzled was the king, both as to how the thief had effected entrance, and what had become of his head. So he commanded that the body should be hung up outside the palace wall, in order that any person who might appear to be grief-stricken at sight of it should be brought before him. When the mother of the thief heard of the way in which her son’s body was treated, she was most unhappy, and begged her other son to find a way to rescue it.