The Dyemaker's Son

By James Jesse

“Nehmet, you must travel to the Sinai and the mines of azurite. You are old enough now to take on the responsibility. Already, you have learned how to make the colours. Now you need to learn where to find them. Only with a journey to gather the materials can you fully appreciate what you make with them.”

When the stonecutter needs blue to paint his monument, the Royal Dyemaker sends his son to the azurite mines in the Sinai. It is a journey of adventure and danger that will take him far from the safety and comfort of home, and a journey he must make alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Storm Cloud Publishing
• Release date: Jun 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781925285628

Book preview

The Dyemaker’s Son

James Jesse

Illustrated by Oliver Anders

The Dyemaker’s Son © James Jesse (2023)

Illustrations © Oliver Anders (2023)

Published by Storm Cloud Publishing (2023)

ISBN: 978-1-925285-62-8 Smashwords Edition

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of study, research, criticism, review or as otherwise permitted under the Copyright Act Australia 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made through the publisher.

Junior Fiction: Life in Ancient Egypt, Action and Adventure

Ages 8-12 years

Contents

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

About the Author

About the Illustrator

Storm Cloud ebooks

Chapter one

Nehmet was sweeping the floor of the dyemaker’s shop when his friend Chibale came in. Nehmet and Chibale were born during the same cycle of the sun. They often played together when their work was done.

Chibale was apprenticed to the stonecutter Akhmet. For the past few cycles of the sun, he had been too busy to play. He and his master had been hard at work carving something from a mighty piece of stone. Only during the quiet seasons, when the workers went away, did Chibale have time to play.

Every time Nehmet had asked what they were carving, Chibale answered, A monument to Pharaoh Khafre.

So far, Nehmet had seen only a head with a headdress. Below the level of the head, Chibale was smoothing and rounding the rock that stretched behind. What it would eventually become, Nehmet had no idea.

I cannot play this evening, Chibale, Nehmet said. I have much work still to do.

I did not come to play, Chibale answered. My master needs some dyes. A deep red ochre, the colour of the earth. Blue of the sky and yellow of the sun.

What surface does your master wish to paint?

Limestone. Chibale turned and pointed out the door