Kebra Nagast

and put it intp the inner part of a box and commanded her to throw him into the sea (i.e. river), without anyone knowing about it for she was afraid of her husband. And in the same night two women brought forth, [the merchant's wife] and the wife of the King, and at daybreak the two women sent their handmaidens to cast their children into the river. And by the Will of God these two handmaidens met each other before they had thrown the children into the river, and they talked together. And the handmaiden of the King asked the handmaiden of the merchant, saying, " What is in thy box ? " and she showed her the beautiful child. And the King's handmaiden said unto her, " " hast And the thou brought him here ? Why " merchant's handmaiden said unto her, Because the wife of my lord hath gone astray with a certain Israelite, and she conceived and brought forth a child, and she hath commanded me to throw him into the river." And the King's handmaiden said unto her, " Why doth she not bring up a child who is so beautiful ? And " Her husthe merchant's handmaiden said unto her, band left her with child, and she brought forth a child, and is rearing him ; how then can she rear this child And the merwho is of strange and alien seed ? " the asked chant's handmaiden King's handmaiden, " What hast thou in thy box ? " And the saying, " King's handmaiden said unto her, lady hath brought forth a child that hath not the appearance of a man but of a wingless eagle, and she hath commanded me to throw it into the river. And now, give me this child of thine that I may give it to my mistress, and " and do thou take this bird, and cast it into the river they did so. And the handmaiden of the King took the child [of Karmin] to her mistress, and the Queen rejoiced, and it was reported to the King that the Queen had borne a son. And the Queen gave the boy to the nurses, and he grew up in the house of the King, and ; ' v My ; 132