Tonight, a story about a scholar. A prince, in fact, who loved old books more than anything. And about a book that should never have been written.
Myths of Egypt · Wishes and regrets
Setne and the Book of Thoth
I wish, if only, wish + would, I’d rather… had, and should have: the grammar of wanting things to be different, for a prince who wanted the most dangerous book in the world, and the ghosts who had already paid for it.
📕 Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are Prince Setne.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
MARCOS
Why are you all looking at Philo?
The story
After the demotic Tale of Setne Khamwas
Prince Setne Khamwas, son of the great king Ramesses, was the most learned man in Egypt. He heard that in a tomb at Memphis lay the Book of Thoth, written by the god of wisdom himself. Whoever read it would understand the language of the birds and the animals, and see the sun and the gods themselves.
Setne found the tomb and went in. The book was shining in the darkness, and beside it sat the ghosts of Prince Naneferkaptah, who had once owned it, and his wife Ahwere and their son. “Don’t take it,” said Ahwere. “We found it too. We wish we had never seen it.” And she told him how the book had been hidden in a box at the bottom of the river at Coptos, guarded by snakes, and how, as soon as they had taken it, Thoth had punished them: she and her son had drowned in the Nile, and her husband had drowned himself in grief.
Setne didn’t listen. He beat the ghost of Naneferkaptah at a board game, even though he sank into the floor with every loss, and took the book. Soon strange and terrible things began to happen to him: he lost his dignity, his fortune and nearly his children, all through a beautiful stranger called Tabubu, who turned out to be a dream.
When he woke up, Setne understood. His father told him: “Take the book back, or worse will happen.” Setne returned the Book of Thoth to the tomb, and, to make peace, he travelled to Coptos, found the bodies of Ahwere and her son, and brought them to Memphis to lie beside Naneferkaptah. And he closed the tomb for ever.
The Tale of Setne Khamwas, written in Egyptian demotic script under the Ptolemies, retold in brief.
What we know today
The real Khamwas was a son of Ramesses II, about 1250 BCE, and he really was a scholar: he restored old monuments and tombs, and is sometimes called the first archaeologist. Centuries later, he became the hero of these magical tales.
The papyrus with this story was written in the time of the Ptolemies, the same kings who built our Library. It is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Wish + past: wishes about now
MARCOS
I wish I had the Book of Thoth. Imagine understanding what cats say.
SOPHIA
wish + past simple for a wish about the present that isn’t true: I wish I knew the language of the birds (I don’t). With be: I wish I were a scholar.
Wish + past perfect: regrets
DEMETRIA
And Ahwere says: “We wish we had never seen it.” That’s about the past.
SOPHIA
wish + past perfect for regrets about the past: I wish I hadn’t taken the book (but I did).
If only
PHILO
If only Setne had listened to her!
SOPHIA
If only is a stronger wish, with the same tenses: If only I knew! If only he had listened!
Wish + would: annoyance
THE CLERK
I wish scholars would stop bringing their books back late.
SOPHIA
wish + would is for somebody else’s behaviour that annoys you: I wish you would listen to me! Not about yourself: not I wish I would.
Philo’s footnote
PHILO
There are some books it is better not to read. My teacher says the same about some of the Greek ones.
SOPHIA
And I say there are no bad books, Philo, only bad readers. But Setne was a bad reader.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| wish + past simple (were) | a wish about now | I wish I knew the language of the birds. |
| wish + past perfect | a regret about the past | We wish we had never seen it. |
| if only + past / past perfect | a stronger wish or regret | If only he had listened! |
| wish + would + verb | annoyance at someone else | I wish you would listen to me. |
| should have + past participle | criticism of the past | He should have left the book alone. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose the best form
Choose the form that fits best.
1. I wish I ___ the language of the birds.
2. We wish we ___ the book.
3. If only Setne ___ to her!
4. I wish you ___ interrupting me!
5. I wish I ___ a great scholar.
6. He ___ left the book in the tomb.
B · Complete the sentence
Write the missing words.
7. Setne wished he the tomb. (not / open)
8. If only I read hieroglyphs! (can, now)
9. Ahwere wished her husband taken the book. (never)
10. I wish Marcos be quiet for once! (annoyance)
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
11. “I wish I would have the book.”
12. “If only we had stayed at home!”
13. “I wish I didn’t take it yesterday.”
Now enter the tomb yourself, as Prince Setne. Will you take the book?Play the gamebook →