About+the+Book

=About the Book=

About the Author
Eloise Jarvis McGraw was born on December 9,1915 and died on November 30,2000. She was an author for children books. McGraw also won the Newberry honor three times and one of the books was The Golden Goblet. website: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/30654.Eloise_Jarvis_McGraw

Chapter Summaries
__Chapter 1__ It starts when Ranofer is pouring gold and thinking of how his life would have been if his father wouldn't have died and he didn't have to live with Gebu, his wicked half brother that he is constantly beating him. As Ranofer is working to make a wire, Ibni the Babylonian walks up and gives Ranofer some wine skins for Gebu. Ranofer hates Ibni. Ibni gives Ranofer wine skins that he claims his wife made out of their own dates to carry home to Gebu. However he was suspicious about the wine skins because he saw Gebu pour the wine out in the courtyard at midnight. __Chapter 2__ In this chapter, Ranofer is walking down the Street of the Crooked Dog to go home to Gebu. He wants to threaten him that he knows about the gold in the wine skins. When he stops in his tracks. He decides to think about it. He walks down to a marsh by the Nile. While he is thinking about it, a man appears from nowhere with his donkey. They talk for a while, and then Ranofer decides he will tell Gebu. When he gets home, Gebu is waiting for him. He is not happy. Gebu starts hitting Ranofer.When Ranofer tells him that he knows, Gebu is not scared by Ranofer's threat because nobody was going to believe him. When they are done fighting, Ranofer only gets half a loaf of bread from Gebu.He then goes to sleep still hungry. __Chapter 3__ It starts when Ranofer wakes up and remembers his decision from the night before. He then bolted across the courtyard to the storeroom. there was nothing except for empty baskets and a dish containing the crumbs from of last nights loaf. Ranofer did not want to wait for Gebu so he drank out of the water jug and ran down the Street of the Crooked Dog. Ranofer would not carry home the wine skins, and he would tell the Babylonian that Gebu does not want wine. When Ranofer emerged the Apprentices Quarters he saw the new apprentice Heqet. Ranofer then hurried in the shop to begin his first task(weigh the gold.) When the last measure was rolled out Rekh arrived. Rekh asked the weigher, Hotepek, if he had double checked the sweeps because there is some missing, but not a large amount. As Ranofer was showing Heqet how to make charcoal, Merya was hammering his first bowl. Ranofer noticed that he was not doing it right. Ranofer taught Heqet and moved on to his next task. He tried to show Merya that he was not striking the hammer true, but he denied it. Ranofer showed him and he did it right. Rekh was watching so he wanted to test his skills. He asked him to make a golden leaf and he made it perfectly. Rekh asked him to make many more so Ranofer went to work. When Ranofer finished he wondered if he could make leaves every day. At last the day was done. As he and Heqet left Ranofer denied Ibni and headed home. When he got home Gebu beat him very badly. Ranofer put his head in his arms. __Chapter 4__ The next day Ranofer had a plan. The night before he had heard a sound that sounded like the leather hinges on Gebu's bedroom door. He had found a feast of the remains of Gebu's breakfast. He ate some and then took some out with him. He went to his father's tomb. He left the rest of his food there as an offering for giving him such a wonderful plan. Later at the gold shop, the first craftsman, Sata, tells Ranofer to teach Heqet how to make solder. While they are making it Ranofer tells Heqet his plan. His plan was that Heqet should tell Rekh about the gold theft. The reason Ranofer couldn't tell was that if he told, Gebu would hear about it and he would destroy Ranofer. When Ranofer was about to go home Ibni gave him a wineskin. When Ranofer got home Gebu gave him some coppers to buy some food. __Chapter 5__ Gebu's happiness lasted for several days. Ranofer was waiting for Heqet's signal that Rekh has been told. On the fourth day, he saw Heqet standing close behind Rehk's worktable. The next day he saw Ibni. Ranofer was confused because he thought that Rekh would have already fired him if Heqet told him. He asked Heqet, and he said that he was sure that Rekh believed him. All Ranofer could do was wait. Eight days have gone by and nothing has happened. Ranofer suddenly collided with a fat man. The next instant he was knocked off balance. When he was trying to see what was going on he was grabbed by the arm by the old man in the papyrus marsh. The man told Ranofer that men had robbed a tomb and they were to be hung by the leg upside down and eaten alive by vultures. Ranofer did not want to see what happened to the tomb robbers so he left to go home. The man walked slowly next to his donkey and Ranofer patted the donkey. Ranofer was asking the man questions like where he lives and what his job is then the man left. Ranofer thought he could live like the man, build a house, sell papyrus and then go to Rekh's gold shop. Ranofer was walking in the courtyard and then Rekh came up to Ranofer and asked why is he walking slow. Then Rekh told Ranofer to go to Aba's potter and get a new crucible. While Ranofer was walking to Aba's potter he saw Ibni and panicked then hid in an alley until Ibni was gone. Then Ranofer said he should not be afraid because he did not do anything. Heqet told Rekh not Ranofer. When Ibni was gone, Ranofer went straight home. When Ranofer was at home he heard Gebu talking to Ibni and Gebu said he would not serve Ibni anymore. Then Ibni told Gebu to ask Ranofer, but Ranofer said he knew nothing. Then Ranofer left and saw half a loaf of bread, some onions and a jug of water. Ranofer heard Gebu say to Ibni to leave and never come back. Then Gebu told Ranofer that he will not return to Rekh's gold shop and he now works at the stonecutters shop. Ranofer begged to stay at Rekh's but Gebu just left. When Gebu came back home Ranofer told him that he would leave Gebu. He said he will build a home, sell papyrus for money and get a donkey for transportation. Gebu started laughing and then went upstairs to sleep. Ranofer was disappointed because his plan failed. __Chapter 6__ The next morning, Ranofer walked glumly to the stonecutter's shop. When he looked at the shop it was dusty, gloomy, and especially noisy. In the shop was the man he needed to find, Pai the foreman. While he looked through the shop he came upon a man who he thought was Pai. As it turns out his name was Zahotep. When he found Pai he got his first task. That was to pour sand into sockets. The rest of the day was dull and boring. He had a very hard time keeping his mind on his work. Over the next few weeks, Gebu did't come into the shop as much. He even started to forget Ranofer. __Chapter 7__ After 40 days of being an apprentice, Ranofer's feet head down to the Street of the Goldsmiths. He suddenly collided with Heqet. Ranofer backed off a step or two wen he greeted him because the stone dust on his shirt was a sign of how far he has sunken in life. Ranofer and Heqet tell each other about their apprenticeship. Ranofer told Heqet that he had to leave, but Heqet convinced Ranofer to meet him tomorrow. The two boys then ran off. Ranofer could not wait to see Heqet again at the fish dock. Heqet finally arrived and he told him to go to a thicket by the river. Ranofer told Heqet about the stonework and how his hands might get ruined. Heqet told Ranofer about gold work and how Ibni is no longer there. Ranofer said that he would rather have Gebu than Wenamon as a master. Then Heqet realized that Wenamon lives in the apprentices quarters. As Ranofer began to leave, Heqet suggested that if they could meet more often and Heqet could teach Ranofer all that he learned. Ranofer becomes very excited and agrees.The next day Ranofer gets home the finds the usual food that Gebu leaves. When Ranofer got to the thicket he saw Heqet and he did not learn beading what Ranofer hoped he would learn so he would know.) As Ranofer saw Heqet's food he lied that he had ate his on the way. Heqet lied that he hated cheese so he traded Ranofer for his lotus roots. Then they started arguing about how Ranofer deserves to have the food but he refuses and tries to act humble.Then a voice asks behind them if they were going to fight. Then they started to calm down. __Chapter 8__ Every day, Heqet and Ranofer met at midday and after work. The Ancient joined them frequently. One day, Heqet told Ranofer how to bead. Ranofer didn't understand what to do. He was upset because he could never do the things Heqet did. When the Ancient showed up he asked Ranofer what was wrong. He said it was because he was a stone cutter and he wanted to be a gold worker. The Ancient told him to be thankful that he is doing any work at all. A few days later, Heqet told Ranofer that Rekh was going to send him to the workshop of Zau the master. He raced out of work the next day to go to Zau's. When he got there he wondered what to ask him. He then asked him if he could be his pupil for free. Zau said no. When Ranofer was walking home he remembered he forgot his coppers. He prayed that Gebu would forget to, but that was not to be. That night he was beaten. __Chapter 9__ The next morning Ranofer was sore all over because Gebu did not believe him. Gebu came into the shop in the middle of the morning. Pai ordered Ranofer to get a scroll and he got it and gave it to Pai. Ranofer thought why does Gebu even care for his coppers. Ranofer wondered how Gebu got so rich, could he be stealing. Ranofer needed proof to see if Gebu was so he ran to the thicket to get help from Heqet and the Ancient. Once they all arrived they thought they should spy on Gebu and his friend. Heqet said that when something is gone from a goldshop then all goldsmiths find out so Heqet could over hear what they say. They al agreed to tell each other what they will learn from the spying. The Ancient talked to Ranofer that he should not spy on Gebu at night because of khefts. After that Ranofer went home and Gebu was at home. Ranfer had some food from the storeroom and went under a tree so he could watch Gebu. It had become late and Gebu had not done anything. Then Gebu walked across the courtyard and closed the gate and Ranofer went to catch up with him. Gebu disappeared and Ranofer realized Gebu entered Mutra's wineshop. Ranofer moved to get a better view to see if Gebu walked out. Only men came and left the shop, Setma or Wenamon did not come. Gebu finally came out and went straight home. Ranofer had to beat him home. Ranofer went in alleys and got in the courtyard before Gebu. Gebu came and went straight to his room. Then Ranofer fell asleep.

__Chapter 10__ The following midday Heqet said he had discovered a great place to watch Wenamon's house. It was an alley right behind the Apprentice's Quarters and his house. Ranofer thought they might be trying to avoid each other. That night Ranofer followed Gebu to Wenamon's house. When Ranofer crept in there a dog started chasing him. Heqet saw him. So he threw nuts at the dog and that stopped it. They then crept away unseen. A few nights later Ranofer knew what Gebu was after. Gold. He went out after Gebu. While he was standing he felt something claw at him and he was scared to death. He ran back to the house and flopped down on his mat. He realized it was just a cat. The next day he asked Gebu about the tomb. Gebu beat him. That night, Ranofer went into Gebu's room and found a golden goblet with the name Thutmose the Great. He was even more worried about the broken clay seal on Gebu's door. In one glance, Gebu would know that he'd been in his room. __Chapter 11__ Ranofer needed to mend the seal. He found an oil pot with torches soaked with it. He spat on the clay crumbs and mixed them in his hands. He shoved them into place and ran down onto his mat. Just then Gebu came home. Ranofer was relieved to find that Gebu was way to drunk to notice the seal. He thanked the gods for barley beer. At midday the next day, Ranofer went back to the house to get the goblet only to find that it was gone. When he reached the thicket the Ancient told him that Gebu and Setma were fighting. They were fighting because Setma had raised his price for selling gold. That night Ranofer returned home early and Gebu did not ask for his coppers and Ranofer asked if he wanted them. Gebu reached out a hand and Ranofer gave them to him. __Chapter 12__ Ranofer didn't dare go to the thicket to meet his friends. Even though he trust them, they would just get a little to excited about the goblet and Heqet would make crazy spy plans. Rnaofer had to find out about Gebu's plans but, he also had to keep Heqet and the Ancient away. Somehow Ranofer managed to stop Heqet's plans of spying by making excuses. However it did make a little sense to Ranofer when Heqet said that the small room in the tomb could have had something to do with it. The Ancient told Ranofer he heard Gebu and his friend talking about when to rob the tomb. Ranofer made up excuses and got his friends out of spying. He went to work as usual and after work he didn't want to go home so he went to the papyrus marsh, where he saw the Ancient who came over to talk. The Ancient knew Ranofer was troubled about something but Ranofer kept it a secret. __Chapter 13__ The next morning Ranofer woke up and Gebu was leaving for his robbing trip to the valley of the tombs. It was so early that the stars were still out and Ranofer heard the gate click shut as Gebu left the house. Ranofer planned to follow him. Gebu was not getting away this time. Ranofer went to the store room, got some breakfast and left. It was a perfect day for them to rob a tomb because of the festival there was no one in town. When Ranofer was on a rocky trail and there was nowhere to hide, Wenomen came close to finding Ranofer but Ranofer got lucky. Ranofer followed them all the way down to the desert. They had planned the secret entrance of the tomb and knew exactly were and how to get in it. Ranofer wouldn't dare to go in the tomb but when he was terrified by what he thought was a keft but was actually a bird, the tomb was his only hiding spot.The Ancient and Heqet didn't see Ranofer on the festival day so they set off to find him. They headed for the valley of the tombs where they thought Ranofer would be. When they got there they didn't even know were to start but they didn't know they were right by the secret entrance of the tomb which was right behind the boulder. __Chapter 14__ Ranofer fell into the tomb. He walked along a path following the glare of Gebu's torch and finally reached the tomb. He hid himself and saw a pair of eyes. They were not human though, they were of an ushabti. Then he figured out who's tomb it was. It was Huaa and Tuaa's, parents of Queen Tiy. He bowed in homage for entering the tomb. Then Gebu saw him. So he chucked a box of gems at them. He then threw the nearest wine jar at the torch blaze. He then escaped out into the valley. He also pushed a bolder in front of the tomb to keep them occupied. __Chapter 15__ Heqet and the Ancient were walking away when Heqet saw Ranofer running towards them. When they met up Ranofer told them to guard the entrance of the tomb. They did. Ranofer ran to the palace and climbed in. Then almost a dozen people were chasing him through the palace. When they caught him a solder took him and was going to kick him out. Ranofer was still trying to explain himself when a dwarf named Qa-nefer got the soldier to drop him. Then Qa-nefer took him down a hall and through a door. He was told to stay where he was. Qa-nefer left. __Chapter 16__ When Qa-nefer returned, he had the queen with him. She asked Ranofer about what he wanted to say. So Ranofer explained everything. To test his truth she asked him what was on the north side of the tomb. He said her father's oaken staff. He was correct so the queen sent numerous people to the tomb and she tended to Ranofer's wounds and she gave him food. When everyone returned and everything was well, the queen asked Ranofer what he wanted for a reward. Out of all the things he could have gotten he chose a donkey. Not only that, but the queen made him the pupil of Zau, and she gave him new sandals with buckles, and a new shenti, and gold rings for his friends. __Images__ //Eloise Jarvis Mcgraw //. Digital image. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. .