Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor facts for kids
The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor is an exciting adventure story from Ancient Egypt. It was written during a time called the Middle Kingdom, which was thousands of years ago. The story is about an Egyptian sailor's journey to "the King's mines" and the amazing things that happen to him.
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Where Does This Story Come From?
This ancient story was found written on a special paper called papyrus. This papyrus is now kept safe in the Imperial Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A famous expert named Vladimir Golénishcheff discovered this important papyrus in 1881. It's believed to be from the Middle Kingdom period.
The person who copied this story onto the papyrus was a scribe named Amenaa (or Ameni-amenna). He even signed his name! Amenaa was known for being "excellent of fingers," meaning he was very skilled at writing. His signature was once even mentioned in The Guinness Book of Records as the oldest surviving signature on a papyrus!
What Happens in the Story?
The story begins with a sailor returning home from a trip that didn't go very well. He's worried about how the king will react to his failure.
An older, wiser attendant tries to cheer him up. He tells the sailor to be brave and reminds him of a wise saying: "The mouth of a man saves him." To help his master feel better, the attendant shares an incredible story about his own past adventure and how he survived a disaster at sea.
The Sailor's Amazing Journey
The attendant starts his tale. He was on a ship with 150 other sailors when a sudden, powerful wind caused huge waves, about eight cubits (which is like 12 feet or 3.6 meters) high! He was thrown overboard and washed up on a mysterious island.
On the island, he found plenty of food and shelter. He said, "there was nothing that was not there," meaning the island had everything he needed. To thank the gods for saving him, he made a special offering.
Suddenly, he heard thunder and felt the ground shake! A giant serpent, a huge snake, appeared and came towards him. The serpent asked him three times who brought him to the island. When the sailor couldn't answer, the serpent took him to its home and asked the question three more times. The sailor then explained that he was on a mission for the king.
Meeting the Giant Serpent
The serpent told the sailor not to be afraid. It said that a god had allowed him to live and brought him to the island. The serpent also promised that after four months, sailors he knew would rescue him, and he would return home safely.
The serpent then shared a sad story about its own family. It had lived on the island with 74 of its relatives and a daughter. But then, a star fell from the sky, and they all "went up in flames." In some versions of the story, the daughter survives, but in others, she perishes with the rest. The serpent advised the sailor to be brave and stay calm, promising that if he did, he would see his family again.
Gifts and a Promise
The sailor was so grateful that he promised the serpent he would tell the king about its power. He also said he would send the serpent many valuable gifts, like myrrh and other sweet-smelling incense.
The serpent laughed! It told the sailor that he wasn't rich enough to give it gifts. The serpent explained that it was the ruler of Punt, a very wealthy land, and that the island itself was full of valuable incense. The serpent also said something strange: once the sailor left, he would never see the island again because it would disappear under the water!
Soon, a ship arrived to rescue the sailor. Before he left, the serpent asked him to "make me a good name in your town." It also gave him many precious gifts, including spices, incense, elephant tusks, greyhounds, and baboons.
The Sailor Returns Home
The sailor returned home and presented all the amazing gifts from the island to the king. The king was very pleased! He made the sailor an important attendant and gave him serfs (people who worked for him).
The story ends with the master telling the narrator, "Do not act arrogant, my friend; why give water to a goose at dawn before its slaughtering in the morning?" This is a proverb that means you shouldn't waste your efforts on something that won't matter in the end, or perhaps, don't boast too much.
See also
In Spanish: Historia del marinero náufrago para niños
