HOW HOODT - HOODT BROUGHT RAMSES HOME - ISABEL MCLANE MOWRY

A "Wa-waha! Wa-waha!" cried the voice of the King. Ramses was very angry; he was angry with Wa-waha the head-man of his huntsmen (men who helped the King to hunt). 

 

"Wa-waha ! You dog! Come here!" cried the King. 

 

Wa-waha was afraid: he had let Ramses get lost in the forest. "Perhaps he will cut my he ad off," thought Wa-waha. "Perhaps he will cut me into little pieces. Perhaps i shall be built in behind a wall to die. Perhaps - " 

 

He could see Ramses' eyes in the darkness; they were like fire. Wa-waha's face was cold; he could hardly walk. He near1y fell to the ground. 

 

B Then something happened. There was a tapping sound. 

 

"I know the way! Follow me." "Who is that?" cried Ramses 

 

"Hoodt-Hoodt," said the Hoopoo coming down on to Pharaoh's chariot. "1 know every step of the way. i know every tree-top. i know where the Nubians hide in the watery places waiting to shoot. 

 

i know where the dangerous beasts live. i see the fairies flying from tree to tree calling to me to follow them. i shall be doing a good thing; so the fairies will help me. Theyare coming together all round us; more and more of them. Don't be afraid; you and all your huntsmen will be home before morning. 

 

Roodt-Roodt! Roodt-Roodt!" 

 

"Lead on!" said Ramses at last. "But if you make a mistake, 1'11 burn every Roopoo in Egypt before the next sun go es down. But how can we 

 

see you?" 

 

"Oh you' II see me all right," said Roodt-Roodt. 

 

Re flew above rhem, and his black and white marks could be seen quite clearly even in the darkness. 

 

So Roodt-Roodt flew up above, and the chariot went on through the darkness, following him; and Wa-waha followed the chariot and the huntsmen followed Wa-waha. "Turn to the right here! Now the other way! Round here! Careful here! Now on again." On they went through the darkness. 

 

At last they came out of the forest, into the desert; on they went, and they saw the pylon red in' the 

 

first light of morning. 

 

Ramses was very pleased: Roodt-Roodt had led 

 

him safely back home.