Welcome people, to a great tale from the book of Exodus, one of the greatest truths ever told. This story contains epic retellings of some portions of this Bible. The Exodus happened in Egypt but it is believed that the Egyptians destroyed the records. Let's not dwell on that though.

For those interested in adventure, buckle your seats and join me. It's going to be a rough ride.

1491 BC here we come.



CHAPTER ONE: A Simple Act of Kindness

Life.

A welcome sight if ever there was one!

When trudging through the desert non-stop, any sign of life meant water.

And water was life.

In Egypt, water was so abundant that the people almost took it for granted that Khnum would make the cataracts gush forth with life-giving water upon the fertile flood-plains. Indeed, in the years that followed, many would view Egypt as a prime source of extreme material wealth. This was the case because, situated along the great Nile river, the people had almost instant access to water, which would feed their animals, grow their crops and cleanse their bodies, leaving them with less time to worry about food and more time to worry about "finer" things.

In the desert, it was not so.

The earth was dry and salty, and little grew in the huge miles of barren land. Those who dared inhabit this rugged terrain were bedouins, noble sheiks who led their families hither and yon from watering holes to pastures, the same way their fathers and their fathers' fathers had done in times past. With them were their goods, their money, their means of survival, their currency.

The flocks.

In Egypt, large amounts of gold came from the mines in various mountains on the frontier of their oasis kingdom. In the desert, there was no gold, and if it were found, it was of no use to the bedouins. Practicality ruled in this harsh, unforgiving yet desolately beautiful land. Sheep could provide milk and cheese, as well as wool for clothing. They were as good as gold out here, and keeping them alive was the prime directive of every shepherd.

But not only did the sheep need to stay alive, they needed to be kept well and healthy. And that meant water and food.

So it was no surprise that the group of women looked suspiciously on the man sitting with his back to the well.

Their father's well.

For these women were shepherdesses, daughters of Jethro, sheik and high priest of Midian. They were in the midst of drawing water from the well for lord Jethro's flocks when they caught sight of the stranger. The oldest, a dark-skinned woman, was almost thirty-five years old. She was the one who stood between the others and this strange man, with a staff in her hand.

"Wake up," she said to the stranger, prodding at his foot with her staff.

Slowly the man roused from his sleep.

Once he opened his eyes, he began speaking to them.

None of them recognized the words he spoke, except for the oldest.

Except for Zipporah.

"You're from Egypt?" she asked, speaking in the man's tongue. Being the eldest daughter of the sheik of Midian meant that she learned a few things that were usually passed down to the son.

"Y-Yes." the stranger answered. His voice was slow, and he seemed to be stumbling over his words even as he spoke them.

"You're on my father's land," she returned, gripping her staff a little bit tighter. "Leave at once."

"A-As...As you wish." the stranger stammered, looking at the ground as he rose to his feet.

"Zipporah, we have trouble!" one of the other women said. She was looking, not at the strange Egyptian, but at something behind them.

The sound of braying goats...

And men.

"It's the Amalektie herdsmen," one of the other shepherdesses stated.

"Damn!" another commented. "Why won't they leave us alone?"

"It's a desert, sister." the eldest said. "They need water as much as we do."

"There's plenty of other places to gather water," the one who swore returned. "This is our father's well!"

"We have to get rid of them, before they scatter the flock!" a fourth commented.

"Wait, sisters!" level-headed Zipporah said, raising her hand to prevent any foolish incident. "We'll tell them to leave. After all, this is our father's well and we were here first. We don't want to antagonize them."

"They're the ones who pick off the weak from the back of caravans!" the eldest but one stated. "They have no honor!"

"Come, let us be off." Zipporah said to her sisters.

One by one, they made their way toward the on-coming Amalekite herdsmen.

The herdsmen saw a small group of women walking towards them, staves in hand. They seemed to be cutting their access to the well. Only seven of them against six herdsmen: it didn't seem like much of a contest.

"By the gods!" exclaimed one of the herdsmen with a smile on his face. "Is this a mirage? Fair maidens wait for us at the well after we've done our work."

"And what are you doing here, Shatar?" Zipporah asked.

The herdsman who spoke seemed a little put off by her remark.

"I regress," he returned. "An old maid waits for us at the well with a staff in her hand."

"Pig!" shouted Zipporah's youngest sister from behind her.

"Why?" the herdsman mocked. "Is it my fault no one will have her to their bed? I thought your God was in control of all things, eh?"

The staff in Zipporah's hand was now leveled into a fighting position.

"Speak all you want against me," she said. "But don't you dare say another word about..."

"Your God?" the herdsman returned. "Some help He is: gives Jethro seven b*tches rather than sons, doesn't seem like much of a blessing."

The youngest girl spit in the direction of the Amalekite herdsman. Fortunately, it did not strike him and he just laughed it off.

"Is that all you can do?" he asked. "Defend your father's well with spit and harsh words?"

"We got here first." Zipporah said through clenched teeth.

"And we're taking over."

"You're outnumbered."

"By one?" the herdsman laughed. "Besides, you're seven girls. We're six men, worth at least two of you."

"Leave!" Zipporah returned. "I won't ask you again."

"Thought you'd say that."

Before anyone could make a move, the herdsman back-handed Zipporah across the face and then struck her with his staff, sending her to the ground.

"You bastards!" the youngest girl almost screamed.

"Now see here, there's no need to cry out," the herdsman said with false sympathy, which faded as soon as he smirked knavishly. "Not yet, at least."

The girl lunged at him with her staff, but he stepped aside and tripped her feet with his own staff, sending her to the ground. One of the other Amalekite shepherds reached down for her.

"Not yet," their leader said, turning to his comrade and pointing his staff at the girl. "I've already called her as my own. There's plenty enough for all of us, don't worry."

A few grumbled agreements came from the other shepherds.

The leader then turned to the other girls.

The butt-end of a staff connected with his mouth, drawing blood on the hot sand.

Two others took up their staves and rushed at the new-comer. As sand-blown and wind-swept as he looked, he was apparently a master-at-arms, even with a staff. He pushed the first one aside with his staff and then struck the other one in the groin with his staff. One of the larger shepherds attacked, but the stranger struck him on the temple with his staff, sending him to the ground.

The two who remained standing looked as though they'd seen a djinn.

Their leader was rising up to his feet, rubbing his sore jaw.

"Go!" the stranger ordered, holding his staff before them in a threatening manner. "Leave these women in p-p-p-peace!"

The lead herdsman laughed.

"Is that the best Jethro's got?" he mocked. "A stuttering old fool to protect his sorry well?"

The stranger's staff-butt suddenly shot up and hit the herdsman in the mouth again.

A few bloody teeth were coughed out of his mouth.

"Go!"

One by one the shepherds rose to their feet and left as instructed, limping or clutching their wounded sides in hurt and shame. Hurt at being injured.

Shame at being driven off by an old man with a staff.

To his benefit, the stranger was hardly old. Middle-aged, for certain, but he was hardly old. Beneath his robe were strong muscles, forged by years of swordsmanship practice and training of other such.

Not only was he not old, he was anything but feeble.

He turned to the dark-skinned woman lying in the sand. He reached down and offered her his hand, lifting her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked slowly.

She nodded, but the other girls were almost giggling among each other.

Their oldest sister was smiling, and looked rather flustered.

"Yes." she said at last, trying not to sound like a blushing maid of thirteen.

The stranger did not notice how she was behaving and turned instead to the other girl, lifting her up to her feet.

"Thank you, kind stranger." the youngest said. "I know you can't understand what I'm saying, but don't be ashamed by their comments about your stuttering. I'd like to see Prince Shatar speak after you broke his teeth like that!" She laughed a little.

But before she could say "stop", Zipporah translated everything she said to the stranger in Egyptian. He hung his head in embarassment. Zipporah said something to him in Egyptian, and he returned with another short, halting statement.

"What did he say?" the youngest asked.

"He says you're very kind," Zipporah answered. "He's also asked if he can water the sheep for us."

"But we can do it ourselves!" the youngest girl commented.

"Please, Basinah!" Zipporah said to her youngest sister. "Don't defer an act of kindness. Remember what father says about entertaining strangers."

"But he's no angel." Basinah commented.

"He's handsome enough to be one." one of the others stated.

"How would you know? You've never seen an angel!"

The others continued chatting until Zipporah called their attention.

"I'm going back to the camp," she said. "Take care of the sheep while I'm away." She then turned to young Basinah, pointing to the Egyptian. "Get him some water too. He looks like he's been in the desert too long."

---------------

The camp. Several tents arranged together in a loose group, with servants milling about, tending after their own things and such. The largest tent, of course, belonged to the master of the clan, the sheik.

Zipporah pushed the curtain-flap aside and entered the tent. Though one would expect a tent to be hot, especially in the desert, it sheltered one from the sun and that was worth even a little bit of something.

Seated down upon a rug was a very old and venerable looking sage with a white beard and deep, poignant eyes. He noticed the arrival of his eldest daughter, who placed her staff down and knelt down before him.

"You're back early from your duties, my child." he stated, turning towards his daughter.

"We were attacked by Amalekites." Zipporah answered.

"Damn," he said beneath his breath, then he spoke aloud to his eldest daughters. "The girls, they're not hurt, are they?"

"No, my father." Zipporah answered. "An Egyptian saved us from the Amalekite shepherds."

"And where is he?" Jethro asked.

"He asked to draw water for our flocks." she answered.

"Why is it that you've left him there?" Jethro returned. "Where is your hospitality, daughter? In God's holy name, have I taught you nothing?"

"Father?"

"You know how far it is from Egypt, my dear." he stated. "The stranger must be famished, bring him here to our tents that he may eat."

Zipporah smiled and bowed, then picked up her staff and departed from her father's presence.

Several minutes passed and Zipporah returned, with the stranger at her side.

He bowed before the venerable sheik.

"Salaam, friend." Jethro said. "Please, be seated."

The stranger nodded and sat before the old man.

"I have heard rumors," Jethro began. "Of a stranger from Egypt chasing caravans from well to well, living off bread-crumbs, as it were. Is this you, my friend?"

The stranger nodded.

"Since, it seems, you have no place to live," Jethro said. "You are welcome to me and to my tent, to eat of our food and be with us as a guest."

"If-If I may," the stranger stammered. "W-Why would you show me s-such k-k-kindness? I'm a n-nobody."

"You shall be no man no more," the old man said. "First, tell me your name."

The stranger swallowed.

"I am Moses, son of Amram and Jocheved." was the answer.

"I am Jethro, sheik and high priest of Midian." the old man said.

Shortly, one of the house-hold servants appeared with food, which the two ate after Jethro said a prayer.

"In answer to your question," Jethro said to Moses. "My people are commanded to show kindness to strangers. For in so doing, Abraham entertained the LORD Himself."

Moses' ears perked up at the mention of the name.

"You know of Abraham?" he asked.

"Abraham is the father of many nations," the old sheik said. "We are the children of Midian, who was himself a son from Abraham's loins."

Moses almost smiled.

"It's b-b-b-been many years since I heard the n-name of Abraham." he said.

"Then I shall re-educate you in the story," Jethro said. "If I may."

"By your p-permission, sheik."

-------------[b]
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The day was hot on the plains of Mamre.

A large group of tents sat around the fertile valley, where the flocks were gathered for the tending and keeping.

An old man leaning upon a staff was looking out at all that was before him. He recalled the first day he had left his home so many years ago, taking only those of his family who desired to go and his servants, and going out into the middle of nowhere.

Now they were a multitude, so great that he had to part ways with his nephew just to keep the peace.

As he himself had said, "The land is not able to bear us, that we may dwell together."

Three hundred and eighteen servants, enough donkeys, horses, cattle, sheep, goats and other animals to consist of a vast fortune in regards to bedouin possessions. Regarding their families, this made his little band appear like a small army to those who saw them. His friends, the Amorite prince Mamre and his brothers, believed him to be blessed by the gods, to have everything. And at first glance, he did have everything.

Except a son.

He paused, turning now to the east. Three figures were walking down the sand-dunes, coming towards the camp.

The old man leaned heavily upon his staff and waited for the three figures to arrive closer.

They were now at hand. He walked over to them and threw himself down at their feet.

"My LORD!" the old man entreated to the middle of the three. "My LORD, if I have found favor in Your eyes, I pray, do not pass away from Your servant."

"We are going to the cities of plain." the one on the right said.

"Please," the old man returned, rising to his feet. "Let me prepare some food for you, and water to be brought out that you may wash your feet." He then turned and pointed to an olive tree. "Please, rest from the heat of the sun beneath yonder tree. Once you have rested and eaten, you may be on your way."

The One in the middle nodded. "Let it be so."

The old man led the three into the shade of the tree and then hurried back to the nearest tent and began preparations for their meal.

A few moments later, he returned with some meat, butter and milk and presented this to the strangers.

"Thankfully," the old man said. "Eleazar is a fine cook. That calf was prepared in almost no time."

The middle One nodded.

"Where is your wife Sarah?" the one on the left asked, in a voice that was almost musical.

"In the tent," the old man said, pointing to the tent. "She's preparing bread for us. She'll be out shortly. Now let us eat."

The old man said a prayer to God for the food, which was met with by an 'amen' from the others.

"I tell you," the One in the middle said to the old man. "At the time appointed, I will surely return to you. And behold, your wife Sarah will have a son."

The old man said nothing. It was far too good to be true. He was an old man, and his wife had not bled as women do in many years. Even when she did, she was wholly unable to bear children at all. It was a shame to him, though he pretended not to care: he loved Sarah more than life itself, loved her enough to lie to the Pharaoh of Egypt, thinking that it would save her life.

"Here she is now!" the old man stated.

An equally old woman approached, bearing bread for the strangers. She gave first to the one on the left, who nodded in thanks and then to the one on the right who did the same. As she gave bread to the middle One, He spoke.

"Why did you laugh, Sarah?"

"Pardon me, my LORD," the old woman replied. "But I didn't laugh."

Her hands were trembling.

"But you did," the One said. "You said that it was impossible for you to have children, much less in your old age. But is anything too hard for the LORD?"

"No, my LORD!" she repeated. "I did not laugh!"

"Nay, but you did laugh." He said.

Sarah bowed and then left, feeling very ashamed and fearful.

"I tell you again, Abraham," the One said to the old man. "At the time appointed, I will return to you...and your wife will have a son."

The One then looked at each of the other two.

They nodded.

"Thank you for your generosity, Abraham." the one on the right said.

"Yes," the younger, musically-voiced one on the left added. "The LORD will not forget the kindness you have shown to us."

"Wait, where are you going?" Abraham said, rising to his feet as they began to leave.

"The cities of the plain." answered the one on the right.

"Why?"

But the One in the middle was looking up to the sky.

"Father," He said. "Shall I hide from Abraham My mission, though I know he will become a great and mighty nation, through whom all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed?"

Silence flowed between the four of them.

"What did You say?" the old man asked.

"I know that you will command your children," He continued. "To keep the ways of the LORD, to do justice and judgment, that the LORD may fulfill His promise to you. Therefore you must know."

"Know what?"

"Why I have come down." He said. Standing on the edge of the hill as the others walked off on their own.

"Why is that?"

The stranger paused, a look of severe sadness upon His face.

"Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great," He answered. "And their sins are very grievous. Therefore I have come down, to see if they have done everything according to their cry - and if not, I will know."

Abraham was no fool, He knew that of a certain. He also knew that this old man was a good man, who cared for everyone in his employ, and there was someone who he knew down there who he would not forget.

The old man threw himself at His feet.

"Far be it from You, O LORD," he said. "To destroy the righteous with the wicked. Peradventure there are fifty righteous people in all the cities of the plain: will You destroy and not spare the place for those fifty? Shall not the Judge of all the earth...do right?"

"Fear not," He answered. "If I find in Sodom alone fifty righteous people, I will spare the whole city just for their sakes."

He turned, but Abraham, still kneeling, crawled after Him.

"My LORD," he said. "I am nothing to You - dust and ashes - yet I dare to speak again. What if there lack five of those fifty: shall the city be destroyed for a lack of five?"

"Even if I find forty-five righteous people alone," He returned. "I will not destroy the city for their sakes."

"Please, LORD!" he continued, placing his hands upon the hem of His garment but not even daring to look up. "What if there are only forty...or thirty...or even as few as twenty? Will You destroy the city if You only find twenty righteous people therein?"

"For the sake of twenty," He said. "The cities will not be destroyed."

He turned His gaze up, ready to return once again into the Light. His work was done, the others could do just as well on their own.

But his hands were still clutched to His garment.

"Let not the LORD be angry with me," Abraham said again, his face still in the dust. "And may I speak just once more. Peradventure...ten shall be found there..."

"The city shall not be destroyed, even if there are only ten righteous found within it."

Suddenly He was gone.

---------------

"Yes, my young friend," Jethro said. "The LORD Himself and His angels were there with Abraham, speaking to him and sharing the promise of a son to him."

Moses was speechless.

"I...I am glad to have found people who believe as I do...as my f-father and mother did." he said.

"Do my words please you?" Jethro asked.

"More than pleased, my lord." he said. "If I may dare to ask, I would like to live with you in this land. I am a g-g-g-...I am an able warrior, and I was ed-d-d-du-c-c-c-ated in Egypt. I can learn easily how to be a shepherd."

Jethro paused, stroking his beard in pensive thought as he considered the Egyptian's request.

A smile came to his face.

"It pleases me to allow you to stay with us, Moses." he said at last. "Therefore, I say to you once again, you are most welcome to me and to my house."

(AN: Sorry to any I offended with the dialogue from the Three Angels part. I know many of you may not hold similar beliefs, and therefore I trust you can ignore my slip-up. It was made according to my thoughts, so it will have a little of my own input from it.)

(For those with a keen eye, you may notice that this was originally going to be the first chapter, based on my wording and such..)

CHAPTER TWO: Genesis

The hot day's sun rose to kiss the blasted desert lands. The Bedouin women wore veils and turbans about their heads as they tended the sheep. A man there was among them, tall and strong, whom they were teaching how to shepherd the flock. Even for a lowly and despised shepherd, the thought of a woman teaching a man how to do anything was unheard of. But he listened intently and did as he was instructed.

As they were so engaged, another figure joined them. This one was a woman also, but she was older and of greater importance than the other six. A staff was in her hand and a cloak of sheep's wool upon her shoulder.

"Egyptian!" Zipporah called out.

The man raised his head in response.

"My father commands that you appear before his tent."

The tall Egyptian man did as he was instructed, to the chagrin of the other women.

"What if the Amalekites come to take our well again?" Basinah asked.

"Then you'll know where to find the Egyptian, sister." the eldest one said.

The eldest one took the Egyptian from the flock over to the small gathering of tents set up just a few yards away. She led him to the largest tent, where she opened the screen and they entered.

Zipporah bowed before her father, who nodded in return. He then turned to look at the Egyptian.

"Sit down, Moses." the old man said to the Egyptian, who sat down before him.

If an Egyptian, than he looked like no typical Egyptian. Dark hair, now long and slightly unkempt, sat upon his crown, whereas most Egyptians wore black wigs or were bald altogether. His facial features also were unlike those of any Egyptian, though he spoke the Egyptian language fluently. The old sheik communicated with him in his native tongue, for the sheik was a man of great renown, who knew several languages.

"I should be out there, working among the flocks." the old sheik said. "After all, they are mine, raised by my hand and the hand of my beloved until we raised children to tend to them."

"A leader doesn't directly lead his people, good sheik." the Egyptian named Moses said. He spoke softly, and sometimes haltingly, as if he had great difficulty speaking to anyone.

"Perhaps in Egypt, but here in the wilderness, things are different. Very different indeed, my friend. There are no governors or priests to argue over procedure, no small niceties to dull the senses. It is a very hard life in the desert, but I feel confident that the God of our fathers sent you to me for a reason."

"Is that why you decided to keep me?"

"Keep you? Ha! You speak as if you are a prisoner here! No, my friend, you are free to leave if you so desire. It would not be truth to say that I have no need of a man's help here: oh, make no mistake, my daughters are fine shepherdesses, but they are but women. No disrespect to the fairest of God's creations, mind you, but I am an old man who does not possess the strength of his youth.

"No, Moses, I do not keep you simply because the God of our fathers told me to. It is required of my people to give out the hand of hospitality to strangers, for in so doing did our father Abraham entertain the Almighty Himself!"

"If I may ask, good sheik, why was I called into your tent?"

"Ah, yes, I believe I owe you that explanation. When you first came among us, you chose to stay here, and lent your hand to helping me and my daughters with our work, which has prospered because of you. If you desire to stay, I have no objection to that. I would, however, like very much to instruct you in the ways of my people, for you have lived with us for three months time. In exchange, I would like to know something about yourself, and what drove you to leave the land of Egypt the way you did."

"I think my hand is much better served to you in the fields, good sheik."

"As it is, I have no objection to that. However, I would be most displeased if you reject my offer. I only offer it, I cannot force my wishes upon you."

"As the sheik commands."

"Very well." The old sheik asked his eldest daughter to bring them food. "As the host, it falls to me to trouble you with the asking of questions. May I commence?"

"As you wish."

The eldest daughter returned and gave to them some bread and meat, which, after the old sheik blessed, they began to eat.

"I would first like to ask you about the nature of yourself. Who were you in Egypt? Who were your father and mother? Were they Egyptians as well? And finally, though painfully familiar, what drove you to leave the land of Egypt?"

Moses finished his food and then began to speak.

"My eldest memories were in a hut. That's where we lived, my father, mother, sister, brother and myself. We were of...of the Hebrews, those who live in Raamses and serve the Egyptians as slaves. My father was Amram of the tribe of Levi, his wife Jocheved, my mother, and my sister Mirian and brother Aaron. I alone was given an Egyptian name: Moses, which means born from, for so it was told of me in the halls of the Pharaoh that I was born of the Nile gods.

"My mother told a different story. She said that on the night that I was born, the midwives Purah and Shiprah told her to hide her child, for they had been charged by the Pharaoh to kill all new-born male children of the Hebrews. But the midwives feared God and would not do so, and wise was the advice they gave to my mother. For when the midwives were found out, the Pharaoh, Amenemhet III, ordered his people to take the male children of the Hebrews by force and drown them in the Nile river. For three months, my mother said, she and my sister kept me hidden.

"Eventually, she said, I became too much to be hidden, and so she and my sister did make an ark of reeds, into which they put me as a young child and set me adrift upon the Nile..."

--------------

She had done it so many times, it was almost routine. Would the gods listen for once? Her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, refused to let his line end with him, and therefore forced his daughter to pray to the river gods to bring her a son. Every day after the Pharaoh would bring forth the morning, she and her maids would go down to the river-side and offer their prayers to the statue of Hapi that she might bestow life to the barren womb of the Pharaoh's daughter.

This day was no different. The entourage made their way to the small shrine, built on the banks of the river, and there they made their pagan supplications to the goddess of fertility.

At last their prayers had ended, and the princess ordered her entourage to return to the palace. But, as she turned to make the sad return journey home, she thought she spied something hiding among the reeds in the river. With a command, one of her maids came and bowed before her mistress.

"Tell me, maid, what is that thing I see among the reeds?"

The maid looked as she was directed.

"Thy servant sees what she does not know."

"Then bring it hither that I may know what it is." she commanded.

The maid bowed her head and approached the river's edge. Surely it must be some kind of sacrilege, trespassing upon sacred waters. Besides that, she feared what could be hiding among the reeds. Crocodiles ate those foolish enough to enter their waters, and the hippo could gore one to death as easily as a bull. But she was the servant, and, obeying her mistress' orders, waded out into the river.

The princess was not concerned: after all, what cause did she have to be concerned? She was not going into the river. Besides, the priests told her that no crocodile could harm her, since she was the daughter of Sobek himself. And though Egyptian maids were expensive, they were not hard to replace.

It did not take the fearful maid long to see what it was, and she thanked the gods that it was not what her fears made it out to be.

The princess, watching where her maid disappeared to, saw her return with a small basket made of reeds.

"Is that it, Kiya? A basket?"

"That is all, my lady." the maid answered. She came to the edge of the shrine and attempted to throw the basket onto the alabaster landing, but it was heavier than she had presumed. She lifted it over her head and placed it on top of the landing first before climbing back onto the landing of the shrine and presenting the basket to her lady.

"Open it up." she demanded.

The maid unfastened the tight, reed bindings on the edge and slowly lifted the cover, fearing that asps might be found within. Fortunately, there was nothing harmful within; in fact, there was nothing within except for a sleeping infant.

"A child, my lady."

"I can see that!" snapped the princess. "But what shall we do with it?"

"My lady," a priestess of Hapi said to her aside. "See the pattern of the cloth in which the baby is wrapped? Surely this is a child of the Hebrews. My lady knows the mandate of thy father, the Pharaoh."

Before the princess could say another word, the child began to hear strange noises and let forth a wail of fear. It was not among the familiar voices it had known, and terror struck it's little heart.

The princess turned and saw the little thing crying, all alone in its basket and on the verge of being slain by her over-zealous priestess. Something clicked in the heart of the princess. She knelt down and picked the child up in her arms, holding him and trying to soothe his cries.

"My lady," the priestess insisted. "by your father's law, the child must die."

"Damn my father's law!" the princess said, choking back tears. "I shall not let this child die! Don't you see, priestess? This is an answer to my prayers! The gods have smiled upon my father and me and have given us this son to be our own! He shall be named Nilemoses, for from the river have I brought him forth!"

"My lady," the maid said. "Pardon me for speaking out of my place, but I feared it to be a greater dis-service to you if I should keep silent."

"What is it, maid?"

"My lady has not born a child, and therefore knows not how to raise a child. Permit me to find one to raise this child for you."

At this, a noise came from the reeds. Startled, the princess ordered one of her guards to seek it out. He came back with a young girl, merely a child, dressed in Hebrew clothes.

"Who are you, slave-girl?" the princess asked somewhat indignantly.

"I am your humble servant." the young girl said, bowing before the princess.

"Why are you not working?"

"I beg my mistress' pardon, but my mother, thy servant, is a nurse-maid, who has sent me to seek out one needing her services."

The princess suddenly payed closer attention to what this Hebrew girl was saying. It seemed like she could get what she wanted.

"Is she a wet-nurse?" she asked.

"My mother, thy servant, is indeed." the little girl responded.

"Well then, slave, bring your mother to me and I will pay her for the nursing of my son."

-----------

"And so it was, good sheik, that my own mother did nurse me for wages from the princess of Egypt."

"And on the heels of the decree of death upon Hebrew men-children from the Pharaoh, no less!" the old man laughed. "Indeed, the LORD works in mysterious ways. What else happened afterward?"

"Not much. I lived with my mother until I was weaned. She told me the truth about where I was from, and told me that one day I was to leave her forever and live with our masters the Egyptians. She also told me that they would try to teach me to pray to their gods and to become like them: she told me to always remember the God of our fathers and never forget that I was no true Egyptian, but a Hebrew the same as she, my father and my sister."

"What of your brother?"

"He was born but a few years after I was already a man in Egypt."

"A truly inspiring story, Moses. I am impressed. And now, if you will kindly listen, I shall weary your ears with a small tale, one of which I think you might be familiar with to a degree."

"I shall listen."

"This is the oldest tale told by my people. My father told it to me as his father told it to him, and so it went as far back as Ishmael, the father of my people, who heard the story from the very knee of Abraham himself. He also heard it from Terah and Heber, from hence your people take their name, who in turn was taught by Shem, who did hear it from Noah, who from the mouth of Lamech and Methuselah did hear all of this, who also did hear this word from Enoch and Jared, who heard it spoken to them from Seth, who heard the story from Adam, the first man created by God.

"'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.' The story always begins with this: the creation of the world! 'And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.'"

As the sheik spoke, he got up and closed the screen of the tent, bringing darkness to their abode.

"'And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.'"

Moses then heard some scraping, after which the darkness of the tent was banished by a small glow from a lightened tinder in the sheik's hand.

"'And God said, "Let there be light", and there was light.' You may wonder why I present to you this lamp as example of the story. Well, so it has been told since as far as I can remember. 'And God saw the light, that it was good: and He divided the light - day - from the darkness - night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.'"

And with a breath, the lamp was extinguished.

Thusl did the sheik, Jethro of Midian, teach Moses the story of creation which he himself had learned from his mother and father, though long forgotten among the trials in Egypt. Those who may read this now might find this monotonous and boring, but they think so now out of luxury. So much do they owe to the lives of many martyrs forgotten! For, in the time before the martyrs, and before the people of Israel were given a nation, the story of creation was passed down, generation to generation, by word of mouth.

--------

(And here is the second chapter. Not much stuttering from Moses as in the last one, but there will be a lot more later on.)

(As much as I like The Ten Commandments, I endeavor in this story to alienate myself from Hollywood's adaptions of the biblical account, so that my own imagination is allowed to roam free and create a story of my own. However, there is definite influence, both from that movie. I shall discuss that later in full as the story unfolds)

I think i will park here.

Showcase your writing talents and earn some money for it. Write short interesting stories to be published on a popular blog www.myfreeshortstories..com; send to my email address ajokeanswers2014@gmail.com stating your full names and nairaland id.

ritababe:
I think i will park here.

It's my pleasure

onemansquared bring me Akara and hot pap.

Seriously, this is good. Creative and original (well maybe not so original) but still original in the retelling. I'm constantly amazed at the quality of writing talent here in nairaland.