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TheEloquentPeasantWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheEloquentPeasant
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheEloquentPeasantisanAncientEgyptianstoryaboutapeasant,KhunAnup,whostumblesupon
thepropertyofthenobleRensisonofMeru,guardedbyitsharshoverseer,Nemtynakht.[1][2]Itissetin
theNinthorTenthDynastyaroundHerakleopolis.[3]

Storysummary
Thestorybeginswithapeasant,Khunanup,andhisdonkeystumblingontothelandsofthenoble
RensisonofMeru.[4]Nemtynakht,theoverseerofanoble'slands,wasrenownedforhismisdeedsand
trickedKhunanupintocausingdamagetohismasterRensi'spropertybyspreadingasheetacrossthe
roadbesidethefarm,forcingKhunanupandhisdonkeystowalkthroughthecrops.Oncethedonkey
begantoeatthegrain,NemtynakhttookcustodyofthedonkeyandstartedtobeatKhunanup,knowing
thatRensiwouldbelievethewordofhisoverseerratherthananyallegationsoftrickeryandtheftfrom
Khunanup.
KhunanupsearchedforRensiandfoundhimneartheriversideofthecity.Headdressedhimwith
praises.RensiandhisjudgesheardhiscaseandrepliedthatwitnessestoNemtynakht'sallegedcrime
wereneededforthecasetocontinue.Khunanupcouldfindnone,butthemagnificentspeechofthe
eloquentpeasantconvincedRensitocontinuetoconsiderhiscase.Rensibroughtthecasebefore
pharaohNebkaure(whoisbelievedtobeNebkaureKhety[5][6])andtoldhimofKhunanup'srhetorical
powers.Thekingwasimpressed,butorderedthepeasantnotbegivenjusticejustyetandhispetitionsto
beputinwriting.
ForninedaysKhunanupcomplimentedthehighstewardRensiandbeggedforjustice.Aftersensing
thathewasbeingignored,Khunanupinsultedhimandwaspunishedwithabeating.Afteronelast
speech,thediscouragedpeasantleft,butRensisentforhimandorderedhimtoreturn.Butratherthan
beingpunishedforhisinsolence,thepeasantwasgivenjustice.Rensi,afterreadingKhunanup'slast
speech,wasimpressedandorderedthedonkeystobereturnedtoKhunanupandthepeasanttobe
compensatedwithallthepropertyofNemtynakht,includinghisjob,makingNemtynakhtaspooras
Khunanuphadbeen.

References
1. ^Parkinson,Richard(1991).TheTaleoftheEloquentPeasant.GriffithInstitute.ISBN0900416602.
2. ^"TheEloquentPeasant(5)"(http://www.rostau.org.uk/ep/EPAlign/Peasant/guest5.html#start).AELEmail
List.Retrieved20071217.
3. ^Parkinson,RB(1999),TheTaleofSinuheandotherancientEgyptianpoems,19401640BC
(http://www.worldcat.org/title/taleofsinuheandotherancientegyptianpoems19401640
bc/oclc/317507143),NewYork,ISBN9780192839664
4. ^Lichtheim,M(1973).AncientEgyptianLiterature.Vol.1.p.169184.
5. ^AlanGardiner,EgyptofthePharaohs.Anintroduction,OxfordUniversityPress,1961,p.112.
6. ^WilliamC.Hayes,inTheCambridgeAncientHistory,vol1,part2,1971(2008),CambridgeUniversity
Press,ISBN0521077915,p.465.

Externallinks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eloquent_Peasant

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TheEloquentPeasantWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Inhieroglyphs(includesliteraltranslationsbyvariouscontributors)
(http://www.rostau.org.uk/ep/ep1.html)
Oldertranslation(http://www.sacredtexts.com/egy/eml/eml12.htm)
ThisarticleisaboutanitemheldintheBritishMuseum.TheobjectreferenceisEA10274
(http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/p/papyrus_with_part_of_
the_tale.aspx).
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