Show f FIRST STORY OF IMAGINATION to Written by Ennana of Thebes for Egypts Crown Prince In 1300 B C Tho Tale of Two Brothers written writ-ten 3200 years ago by tho Theban scribe Bnniina librarian of the palace pal-ace to King Mercnptnh the supposed Pharaoh of tho Exodus Is tho oldest work of fiction extant The tnlo was written apparently for the entertainment of the crown prince who subsequently reigned as Sell II His name appears In two places on tho manuscript probably the only surviving sur-viving autograph signatures of an Egyptian king This piece of antiquo fiction written on nineteen sheets of papyrus In n bold hieratic hand was purchased in Italy by Mme dOrblney who sold It in 1857 to the authorities of tho British museum where It Is now known ns tho dOrhluey papyrus Other specimens of ancient Egyp tian notion hue since como to light which appear to prove that the Nllo valley was not only tho birthplace of the arts and sciences but was also thj cradle of romance Stray Stories |