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Fiction. © Copyright 2002, Jim Loy
The son of Ra, Ramses (life prosperity health) had temporarily named me judge in Abydos, while my husband was away at war. This is the official record, written by me (Judge Nefer-Djehuti), of the complaint of Hui, a humble farmer, against the god Sobek.
Hui appeared before me, or I should say he groveled before me, for it would seem that he was humble. In fact, he called himself "merely a humble farmer" at least a dozen times as he told the tale of his many misfortunes. Allow me to shorten the story by telling it in my own words.
Hui was a humble farmer whose humble farm was a short distance from Abydos. I was surprised to hear from him that Abydos is a humble city. As the inundation had passed, Hui and his family and some hired workers began planting crops. Then two women, Hui's wife and one of his daughters, were carried off by a huge crocodile, at least 20 cubits long. Portions of both women were recovered, and were buried in Hui's humble tomb, insuring the women their chance to enter the netherworld. Then Hui's family refused to enter the fields, for fear of the crocodile, and Hui faced financial ruin. If this were any normal crocodile, Hui would have humbly gone out and killed it himself. But so large a crocodile must have been the god Sobek himself. And what can a humble farmer do when confronted by a god?
Hui apparently thought that a judge representing the good god Ramses would have some leverage against another god. At the very least, I could talk to this crocodile. And so I adjourned court for the day, and we trekked out to Hui's farm.
We were a small army by the time we got there, court officers, my two bodyguards, other litigants who wished to try cases in my court, spectators from Abydos, and Hui's family and neighbors. Nearly a hundred of us could perhaps make the crocodile think twice about taking a third victim. Or maybe Sobek would see us as a feast offering that such a god may have dreamed about. We stood on the elevated road over the sunken fields. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the crocodile.
Hui pointed to the marshy area on the edge of his property. He did not want to venture closer. Indeed, the situation had the makings of an ambush, with us as the ambushees. But Hui and I had a rendezvous with a crocodile, and I was not going to let him back out.
My chief bodyguard, a young many named Mery-Ptah, cautiously advanced with his spear. Two soldiers volunteered to accompany him, each carrying a spear, brave men indeed. They backed off when they saw the crocodile. One of them pointed to a spot on the bank where I could stand and observe the crocodile in relative safety. My other bodyguard had to prod Hui with his sword, to get the humble farmer to accompany me.
The eyes and nose of the crocodile protruded out of the water. He was watching me. I raised my voice for the benefit of the hundred spectators, "Mighty Sobek, life prosperity health. I am Nefer-Djehuti representing the good god and son of Ra, Ramses. This man . . . has lost a wife and a daughter, and his crops remain unplanted. Is he perhaps a vile criminal who you have chosen to punish?" I turned to look at Hui, who was shaking uncontrollably. I repeated, "A vile criminal?"
Hui dropped to his knees and prostrated himself at my feet, "I am but a humble farmer."
"Hui, when you die . . . you will stand before Anubis and you will confess to never having committed a long list of crimes. You know that you will not get away with lying about those crimes. Perhaps it is time to confess."
Still shaking with fear, Hui rattled of a dozen minor crimes. As a child, he stole candy from another child. He cheated a merchant in Abydos. He had called his neighbor a thief, when the man was merely a hard bargainer. Nothing very bad. I asked, "Is that all?"
Hui was crying into the dirt, "I think so."
I said to the crocodile who was still watching me, "Unless he lies, this man is not a vile criminal, and I assume that the two women were similarly innocent." Of course, it is the nature of a crocodile to eat people on occasion, both innocent and guilty. In fact, every year there are reports of children being taken by crocodiles. It would seem that our huge crocodile was not really Sobek intent on vengeance. Must we kill this crocodile to drive away our fears? "Mighty Sobek, Hui promises to pay back those people who he has wronged. He further promises to erect a stone shrine to Sobek on the bank of the Nile. And he promises to make a pilgrimage to Crocodilopolis when winter comes."
Then the crocodile sank into the swamp. Later that day, a huge crocodile was seen walking from the swamp and into the Nile. And he was never seen again near Abydos. I had the swamp drained, just in case. Hui and his family planted their crops. Eventually, the fears subsided. Hui's harvest was remarkably bountiful.
The following was added to the court record, years later:
Hui became popular with children, as he always carried candy which he handed out to them. In his old age, he retired from farming, a relatively wealthy man. He had many friends who laughed heartily whenever he explained to them, in all seriousness, how incredibly humble he was.
Note: these are the stories of Nefer-Djehuti, so far: