第7节

  【】hadbeethepastparticipleofaverb.afterseveralhundred</p>

  years,theegyptianslostsightofboththeseaningsand</p>

  thepicture{illust.}catostandforasier,the</p>

  letters.ashortsenten.here</p>

  isadeenglishsentetenin</p>

  hieroglyphics.{illust.}</p>

  the{illust.}eitherahesets</p>

  inyourhead,eans``i,theperson</p>

  alking.</p>

  a{illust.}iseitherahershoney,orit</p>

  representstheverb``tobeea.again,it</p>

  ybethefirstpartofaverblike``beeor``behave.</p>

  inthisparticularinstaisfollo.}h</p>

  ansa``leafor``leaveor``lievethesoundofallthree</p>

  e.</p>

  the``eyeyoukno.</p>

  finallyyougetthepictureofa{illust.}.itisagiraffe</p>

  itispartoftheoldsignlanguageoutofhehieroglyphics</p>

  developed.</p>

  yououulty.</p>

  ``ibelieveisawagiraffe.</p>

  havingiedthissysteheegyptiansdevelopedit</p>

  duringthousandsofyearsuntiltheyuldeanythingthey</p>

  essages</p>

  tofriends,tokeepbusinessatsandtokeeparerdofthe</p>

  historyoftheiruntry,thatfuturegeionsghtbe</p>

  bythestakesofthepast.</p>

  thenilevalley</p>

  thebeginningofcivilisationinthe</p>

  valleyofthenile</p>

  thehistoryofnisthererdofahungrycreaturein</p>

  searchoffood.whereverfoodanhas</p>

  travelledtokehisho.</p>

  thefaofthevalleyofthehavespreadat</p>

  anearlydate.froheinteriorofafridfrohedesert</p>

  ofarabiaandfroheepartofasiapeoplehad</p>

  flotheirshareoftherichfar.</p>

  togethertheseinvadershadfordaneehcalled</p>

  itself``reor``thenjustasetisa</p>

  ``godsory.theyhadgoodreasoeful</p>

  toafatetothisnarroripofland.</p>

  inthesuerofeachyeartheuedthevalleyintoa</p>

  shalloheersrecededallthegrainfields</p>

  auresost</p>

  fertileclay.</p>

  iakindlyriverdidtheillionnand</p>

  deitpossibletofeedtheteengpopulationofthefirst</p>

  largecitiesofistruethatall</p>

  thearablelandplicated</p>

  systefsllalsand</p>

  theriverleveltothetopofthehighestbanksandaneven</p>

  reintricatesystefirrigationtrenchesspreaditthroughout</p>

  theland.</p>

  anoftheprehistehadbeenobligedtospend</p>

  sixteenhoursoutofeverytself</p>

  andtheersofhistribe,theegyptianpeasantorthe</p>

  inhabitantoftheegyptianselfpossessedofa</p>

  selfny</p>

  thingsthaterelyoantalandnotintheleastbit</p>

  useful.</p>

  rethanthat.onedayhedisveredthathisbrainwas</p>

  capableofthinkingallkindsofthoughtshing</p>

  todosofeatingandsleepingandfindinga</p>

  hoforthechildren.theegyptiaospeculateupon</p>

  nystrangeproblethatnfrontedhihe</p>

  starsefrodethehethunderh</p>

  frightenedhioterriblyadetheriveilerise</p>

  hsuchregularitythatitobasethedar</p>

  upontheappearahedisappearaheannual</p>

  flelittlecreaturesurrounded</p>

  onallsidesbydeathandsiessahappyand</p>

  fulloflaughter</p>

  heaskedtheseionsaainpeopleobligingly</p>

  steppedforoansheseinquiriestothebestof</p>

  theirability.theegyptianscalledthe`priestsandthey</p>

  becatheguardiansofhisthoughtsandgainedgreatrespect</p>

  iy.theyenwhowere</p>

  entrustedhthesacredtaskofkeepienrerds.</p>

  theyuoodthatitisnotgoodforntothinkonlyof</p>

  hisiediateadvahisheydretention</p>

  tothedaysofthefutureell</p>

  beyoainsoftheustgiveanat</p>

  ofhisdeedstoosiris,theghtygodherulerof</p>

  thelivingandthedeadanden</p>

  aerits.ihepriestsdesoch</p>

  ofthatfuturedayintherealfisisandosiristhatthe</p>

  egyptiaardliferelyasashortpreparation</p>

  forthehereafteraheteengvalleyofthenile</p>

  intoalaedtothedead.</p>

  inastraobelievethat</p>

  nosoululdeherealfosirishoutthepossession</p>

  ofthebodysplaceofresidehisworld.</p>

  thereforeassoonasaookhis</p>

  rpseandhaditeald.forwassoakedina</p>

  solutionofnatronahpitch.the</p>

  persianiaiandtheealdbody</p>

  .itwasedinyardsandyards</p>

  ofspeciallypreparedlinenanditedinaspecially</p>

  preparedffioberevedtoitsfinalho.but</p>

  aiangraveehebodywassurrounded</p>

  bypieusistruntsto</p>

  hedrearyhoursofingandbylittlestatues</p>

  ofoksandbakersandbarbersthattheoctofthis</p>

  darkhoghtbedetlyprovidedhfooda</p>

  goaboutunshaven.</p>

  inallythesegraveshadbeendugintotherocksofthe</p>

  ountainsbutastheegyptiansvednorthward</p>

  theyeteriesinthedesert.the</p>

  deserthoalsandequallywildrobbers</p>

  andtheybrokeintothegravesanddisturbedtheyor</p>

  stolethejehathadbeenburiedhthebody.toprevent</p>

  suall</p>

  undsofstoopofthegraves.theselittleunds</p>

  graduallygreherichpeoplebuilthigher</p>

  undsthanthepoorandtherepetition</p>

  toseeakethehighesthillofstohe</p>

  rerdadebykingkhufu,thegreekscalled</p>

  cheopsandhirtyturiesbeforeourera.his</p>

  und,idbecausethe</p>

  egyptianuswasoverfivehundred</p>

  feethig</p>

  ...</p>