A trip down the Nile

The boat slowly rocks back and forth as we glide down the river Nile.

The breeze pushes us slowly along, my black hair is mussed by the wind, like an invisible hand, and the soft linen of my dress swirls around me. As I lift my hand to my neck and fondle the blue stone of my necklace, I hear the cries and orders of the servants.

Yet, at the head of the boat and surrounded by beauty, I am too occupied to acknowledge them.

I see the rich, black silt from the recent summer rains, and the farm plots that spring up all

over the banks of the Nile. We glissade past a lone fisher boat, and the man waves at me, his skinny hand moving in the wind similarly to that of the papyrus reeds. We are travelling north to Giza in Lower Egypt, and on the lengthy Nile the trip seems endless. The gentle movement of the boats makes my eyelids feel heavy and I fall into a peaceful sleep.

There is a soft voice talking to me, and as I rise, I see Hapi, the god of the Nile. He is

singing to himself the ancient prayer of Hapi. I look at him apprehensively, trying to show utmost respect. Yet he simply smiles at me and walks away, leaving in his trail the rich earth, which draws so many to our great Nile. Only then do I notice I am lying in a field of wheat, on the banks of the Nile, and see my boat pass me quite quickly. I panic, am I stuck here? Nonetheless with the sweet smell of grass, the lovely music of the waves nearby and the warm breeze, I can not help but to fall asleep again.

Suddenly, I awaken for the second time, and find myself where I started, at the bow of the boat. Only now it is darker and the surroundings are more familiar to me. Turning my head I see one of my servants hurrying towards me, and she says in a tired voice, "Princess, I have been looking for you everywhere, we have arrived!"