Gilgamesh gets Urshanabi to take him across the great river to Utnapishtim's house. When he get's there he asks Utnapishtim to tell him how he got eternal life. He tells the King that you cannot go to the garden of the Sun unless you can stay awake for 7 days and nights. So the King went about trying to stay awake for 7 days and nights but immediately fall asleep. The King eventually woke up and realized he could never stay awake that long. Utnapishtim tells the King that it is time for Urshanabi to take him back home. Before the King leaves Utnapishtim tells him how to get the plant of eternal life that is in the bottom of the river. The King stopped at the river on his way home to get the plant. Once he had the plant in his possesion the King was about to eat it right then and there but he had a moments hesitation. Should he:

Eat the plant
Take the plant back to his people

     

©Copyright 1998 Elizabeth Beckett, Holly Bernitt, and Vishwa Chandra.