ILLUSTRATED BY TRISTRAM ELLIS 

SECOND EDITION 

_First Published .  .  .  September 1895
Second Edition .  .  .  February 1913_ 

PREFACE 

As the scope of the first series of these Tales seems to have been
somewhat overlooked, a few words of introduction may not be out of place
before this second volume. 

It seems that any simple form of fiction is supposed to be a "fairy
tale:" which implies that it has to do with an impossible world of
imaginary beings.  Now the Egyptian Tales are exactly the opposite of
this, they relate the doings and the thoughts of men and women who are
human--sometimes "very human," as Mr.  Balfour said.  Whatever there is of
supernatural elements is a very part of the beliefs and motives of the
people whose lives are here pictured.  But most of what is here might