“And when he came from the temple he told me all that had happened to him. And he said: `I shall go to Koptos, for I must fetch this book; I will not stay any longer in the north.` And I said, `Let me dissuade you, for you prepare sorrow and you will bring me into trouble in the Thebaid.` And I laid my hand on Na.nefer.ka.ptah, to keep him from going to Koptos, but he would not listen to me; and he went to the King, and told the King all that the priest had said.
The King asked him, what it that you want is?` and he replied, `Let them give me the royal boat with its belongings, for I will go to the south with Ahura and her little boy Merab, and fetch this book without delay.` Therefore, they gave him the royal boat with its belongings, and we went with him to the haven, and sailed from there up to Koptos.
Koptos and Harpokrates
Then the priests of Isis of Koptos, and the high priest of Isis, came down to us without waiting, to meet Na.nefer.ka.ptah, and their wives also came to me. We went into the temple of Isis and Harpokrates; and Na.nefer.ka.ptah brought an ox, a goose, and some wine, and made a burnt offering and a drink offering before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. They brought us to a very fine house, with all good things; and Na.nefer.ka.ptah spent four days there and feasted with the priests of Isis °f Koptos, and the wives of the priests of Isis made holiday with me.
In addition, the morning of the fifth day came; and Na.nefer.ka.ptah called a priest to him, and made a magic cabin that was full of men and tackle. He put the spell upon it, put life in it, gave them breath, and sank it in the water. He filled the royal boat with sand, took leave of me, and sailed from the haven: and I sat by the river at Koptos that I might see what would become of him. And he said, Workmen, work for me, even at the place where the book is.` In addition, they toiled by night and by day; and when they had reached it in three days, he threw the sand out, and made a shoal in the river.
And then he found on it entwined serpents and scorpions and all kinds of crawling things around the box in which the book was; and by it he found a deathless snake around the box. And he laid the spell upon the entwined serpents and scorpions and all kinds of crawling things, which were around the box, that they should not come out. And he went to the deathless snake, and fought with him, and killed him; but he came to life again, and took a new form. He then fought again with him a second time; but he came to life again, and took a third form.
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