Once there were two brothers, Anpu the elder and Bata the younger. When their parents died, Anpu took Bata in and treated him like a son. Anpu's wife grew jealous of Bata and his hard work. She tricked Anpu into thinking Bata attacked her. Anpu waited with a knife to kill Bata. Bata fled and prayed to Ra for help. Ra separated the brothers with a crocodile-filled river. Bata left for the Valley of Acacia while Anpu found his wife had lied and killed her.

1. The Two Brothers
Egyptian Folktale
Once there were two brothers. Anpu was the elder, and Bata was the younger. When their
parents died, Anpu was already married and had a house of his own, so he took his little brother
with him and treated him like his son. When the little brother grew to be a young man, he
became an excellent worker. He did the plowing. He harvested the corn, and there was no one
his equal in the whole land. Behold, the spirit of the god was within him.
Every morning, the younger brother followed his oxen and worked all day in the fields, and
every evening, he returned to the house with vegetables, milk, and wood. He laid all these
before his elder brother, and he took with him his bread, and he drove the cattle into the field.
Because Anpu loved his younger brother very much, his wife became very jealous and she
wanted to destroy Bata. One day, when Anpu and Bata were in the fields, they needed some
corn, so Anpu sent Bata home to get some. The younger brother found the wife combing her
hair and said to her, “Get up and give me some corn that I may run to the field for my elder
brother is in a hurry. Do not delay.”
At eventide, Anpu returned home earlier than his brother because Bata had much work to
do in the fields. Anpu was met by his wife, who was crying bitterly. She showed him her arms
and legs which he had painted black and blue and accused Bata of having beaten her up. She
pretended to be in great pain. She did not give him water to wash his hands with. She did not
light the fire for him. She pretended that she was very sick.
Anpu became very angry. He sharpened his knife and waited for Bata in the stable. When
the sun went down, Bata came home as usual, loaded with herbs, milk and wood. As he
entered the door, he saw the feet of his brother and the sharp knife hanging by his side. The
brother sprang from him and Bata fled praying to the god Ra. “My good Lord! Save me from
death, thou who divines the evil from the good.” Ra heard his cry. He made a river flow between
one brother and the other and filled it with crocodiles.
Bata asked his elder brother, “Why do you seek to kill me? Am I not your brother and have
you not always treated me as if you were my father? Has not your wife been as mother to me?
Now since you want to kill me, I shall go to the Valley of the Acacia.”
Anpu answered, “Why did you beat up my wife and almost kill her.”
Bata answered, “I did not do such thing. Have I told you that I have always looked upon her
as my mother?”
So, Anpu went home. He found his wife near the river washing off the black and blue dye
with which she had painted herself. Filled with great anger, Anpu killed his wife and cast her to
the dogs. Then, he sat down, poured ashes on his head and mourned for his younger brother.
Bata reached the Valley of Acacia. Since there was no one with him, he slew wild beasts for
food, built himself a house and met the Nine Gods who knew of his innocence and goodness.
Ra said to the god Khunumu, “Behold, frame a woman for Bata that he may not remain

2. alone.”So Khunumu made for Bata a wife to dwell with him. She was indeed more beautiful than
any other woman in the whole land. She was like a goddess, and Bata loved her very much.
PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. Why did the wife get jealous of Bata?
2. What did the wife do to get the attention of Anpu? Do you agree with what she had done?
Why so?
3. If you were Bata, what would you do? Do you agree with him in leaving the house? Why so?
4. If you were Anpu, would you believe your wife’s explanation?
5. Do you agree with the beliefs and traditions they practice? Which of those bring unity and
harmony? Which do not?
Give the elements of the shortstory you have justread.
A. Setting
B. Character
Problems Solutions
Problem-Solution Chart

4. c. Plot
D. Conflict
E. Pointof View