The men stared, then one of them who was more learned than the rest cried: "By the gods! this is his Highness the Prince of Egypt!" at which words all of them fell upon their faces.
"Rise," said Seti to the lad who looked at him, forgetting his pain in his wonderment, "and tell me why you have not delivered your tale of bricks." "Sir," sobbed the boy in bad Egyptian, "for two reasons.

First, because I am a cripple, see," and he held up his left arm which was withered and thin as a mummy's, "and therefore cannot work quickly.

Secondly, because my mother, whose only child I am, is a widow and lies sick in bed, so that there are no women or children in our home who can go out to gather straw for me, as Pharaoh has commanded that we should do.

Therefore I must spend many hours in searching for straw, since I have no means wherewith to pay others to do this for me." "Ana," said the Prince, "write down this youth's name with the place of his abode, and if his tale prove true, see that his wants and those of his mother are relieved before we depart from Goshen.

Write down also the names of this overseer and his fellows and command them to report themselves at my camp to-morrow at sunrise, when their case shall be considered.