So, Ahikar did as King Sunakerib had Commanded him, and took a Rest for 40 Days, and Enjoyed Feasting on the Fresh Fruits, until his Good Health was Restored. Then he Dressed himself in his Gayest Robe, and went Riding in a Chariot to the King, with his Servants behind him and in front of him, Rejoicing over him, being Delighted with their Master.
3) But, when Nadan Perceived what was Happening, Fear took Hold of him with Terror; and therefore, he was Greatly Perplexed, not Knowing what to Do about it. Therefore, when Ahikar saw it, he entered into the King's Presence and Greeted him, and he Returned the Greeting, and made him sit down at his Side, saying to him: "O my Darling Ahikar! Look at this Letter, which the King of Egypt has Sent to us, after he had Heard that you was Slain. Indeed, they have Provoked us and Overcome us, and many of the People of our Country have Fled to Egypt, for Fear of the Taxes that the King of Egypt has Demanded from us, even as he Mentioned in his Letter."
6) Then Ahikar took the Letter and read it and Understood all of its Contents, and then he said to the King: "Do not be Angry, O my Ruler: because I will go to Egypt, and will Answer his Questions by Asking him some more Questions. Moreover, I will Display this Letter to him, and will Reply to him about the Taxes, and will Send Back all of those People who have Run Away; and I will put your Enemies to Shame with the Help of the Wisdom of the Most High God, and all of that for the Happiness of your Great Kingdom."
8) And when the King Heard that Speech from Ahikar, he Rejoiced with Great Joy, and the King's Heart was Expanded, and he showed to him Favor. Then Ahikar said to the King, "Please Grant to me a Delay of 40 Days, so that I might Consider these Questions, and Manage them Properly." And the King Permitted it.
10) So, Ahikar went to his own Dwelling, and he Commanded the Hunters to Capture 2 Strong Young Eaglets for him, and they Captured them and brought them to him; and then he Commanded the Weavers of Ropes to Weave 2 Cables of Cotton for him with 2 Separate Copper Wires within the Cables, each of which must be 200 Cubits Long, or about 600 feet long; and he had the Carpenters brought and Ordered them to make 2 large Bamboo Cages for the Eagles to stay in, and they did it. Then he made a Small Box with an Electric Motor in it, and Mounted 4 Propellers on Top of it, and Connected the Cables and Wires with the Motor at one End of the Ropes, while Connecting the other Ends of the Cables to an Electric Generator, which was Powered by 2 Mules on a Long Pole, who Worked under a large Platform, which held up the Box with the Propellers and Electric Motor and the Cables. Then he took 2 little Lads with Bright Eyes, and spent every Day Sacrificing Lambs for Feeding the Eagles and the Boys, while making the Boys Ride on the Backs of the Eagles, while Hanging onto their Harnesses; and he Bound them to the Eagles with Firm Knots, and Tied light Cotton Ropes or Strings to the Feet of each of the Eagles, and let them Soar Upwards, little by little every Day, to a Distance of 10 Cubits more, each Day, until they Grew Accustomed to it and were Educated by it; and they at last arose all of the Way to the length of the Ropes, or Heavy Strings, which were 2,000 Cubits Long, until they Reached High into the Sky, while the Skinny little Boys were Riding on their Backs. Then Ahikar drew them back to himself, and Fed the Boys and Eagles more Lamb Meat. And when Ahikar saw that his Desire was Fulfilled, he Charged the Boys that when thy were Borne Aloft into the Sky that they were to Shout, saying: "Bring to us Mortar and Stone, so that we might Build a Castle for King Pharaoh: beCause we are Idle!"
14) So, Ahikar was not Finished with Training them and Exercising them, until they had Reached the Utmost Possible Skill. Then, leaving them, he went to the King and said to him, "O my Ruler, the Work is Finished, According to your Desire. Therefore, arise and Ride with me in my Golden Coach, and I will Show to you the Great Wonder that I have Invented, According to the Vision that God gave to me." So, the King Sprang to his Feet with Anxiety, and Sat in his Coach, and they Rode to a Wide-open Place in the Wilderness, while Ahikar's Servants brought all of the Equipment, the Eagles in their Cages, and the Boys with their Lambs; and Ahikar Harnessed the Young Eagles, Tied the Strings to them, Secured the Boys on their Backs, and Sent them Flying into the Sky, unto the full length of their Ropes, and they began to Shout as he had Taught to them. Meanwhile, a Servant of Ahikar began to Lead the Mules, which Turned the Generator, which Powered the Propellers on the Box, which Lifted it into the Sky, until it came to the Ends of the Ropes with the Copper Wires Woven into them, which the King could not See, nor Understand how it Worked: beCause he did not Know what was in the Boxes. Nevertheless, the Boys kept Shouting, "Bring to us Stones and Mortar, so that we might Build a Castle for you, O King, and for Pharaoh, the King of Egypt: beCause we are Idle!" Nevertheless, seeing that it was Impossible, Ahikar drew the Eagles and Boys to himself, and put the Eagles into their Cages, and Fed them some Lamb Meat, which he also Fed to the King: beCause his Servants had been Ordered in Advance to have everything Ready for Cooking some Lambs for the King and his Servants, which they did first of all, while they were setting everything else up, According to the Instructions of Ahikar.
17) And the King and those Wise Men who were with him were Amazed by it all, and Wondered with a Great Wonder concerning how the Box could Fly in the Sky, and what the Connection was with the Mules, who were all at a Distance from each other. Indeed, Ahikar stood with the King and his Servants at a Distance from the Mules and the Servants of Ahikar: so that they could get a Better View, and also not Hear the Sound of the Generator, nor of the Electric Motor. Nevertheless, in spite of the Mystery of it all, the King Kissed Ahikar between his Eyes, and said to him: "Go in Peace, O my Beloved Friend, O the Pride of my Kingdom! Go to Egypt, even as you have said, and Answer the Questions of Pharaoh, and Overcome him by the Strength of the Most High God." Then he bid him Farewell, took his Troops, even his entire Army, the Young Boys with their Eagles, and he went towards the Houses of Egypt; but, on the Way by, he stopped in Jerusalem, in Order to Visit with King Hezekiah, who was also a very Wise Man, who also got to Watch the Show, who Advised Ahikar to keep it all a Secret, lest the People of the World should become Corrupted by their Laziness; and Ahikar Agreed with him, and also Kept it a Secret, until this very Day: beCause King Hezekiah Warned him that if Men could do such Things, they would be Dropping Rocks on the Heads of their Enemies from the Sky, where they would be Out of Range of any Arrows and Spears. Therefore, when Ahikar got to the Land of Egypt, he Turned himself towards the Country of the Great King, and Prayed to God for Strength to Resist any Temptation to Reveal his Secret. After all, if he should Reveal it to the King of Egypt, he could Receive a Great Reward of Gold and Gemstones.
19) Now, when the People of Egypt Knew that King Sunakerib had Sent a Man of his Private Council to talk with Pharaoh, and to Answer his Questions, they carried the News to King Pharaoh, and he Sent a Party of his own Private Councilors to bring him in front of him. Therefore, Ahikar came and entered into the Presence of Pharaoh, and did Obeisance to him, even as it is Fitting to do for Kings of all Kinds: beCause there is Hope for all of them, that God will Open their Spiritual Eyes, so that they might See the Light of Truth, and thus be Enlightened by it.
21) Therefore, Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, the Great King of Egypt! Sunakerib, the Humble King of Assyria, Hails you with Abundance of Peace, Might, and Honor. Indeed, he has Sent me, who am one of his Expendable Slaves, along with a few Weak Unarmed Men of his Great Army, so that I might Answer your Questions, and might Fulfill all of your Desires: because you have Sent a Letter to my Ruler, the King, Demanding a Man who will Build a Castle for you in the Sky, between Heaven and Earth. Therefore, I, by the Help of the Most High God and by your Noble Favor and by the Power of my Ruler, will Build it for you, even as you Desired. However, O my Ruler the King, what you have said in your Letter about the Taxes of Assyria being Paid to Egypt for 3 Years, I must Protest, unless I Fail to do what you have Desired. Now, we all Know that the Stability of a Kingdom is Strict Justice. Therefore, if you Win the Contest, and my Hands have no Skill in Replying to you, then my Ruler, the King of Assyria, will Send to you the Taxes that you have Mentioned: beCause he also Realizes that you and the People of Egypt are Poor, being Deprived of the Taxes of Assyria, which are Required for Maintaining a Secure Government. Therefore, if I shall in Deed Answer your Questions, it shall Remain for you to Send whatever Taxes that you have Mentioned to my Ruler, the King of Assyria: beCause he and the People of Assyria are also Poor Slaves, who cannot Afford to just sit around on Golden Thrones, and Pretend to be Important, as if the World did not Exist before they Arrived."
26) Therefore, when Pharaoh Heard that Speech, he Wondered about it, and was Perplexed by the Freedom of Ahikar's Tongue, as well as the Pleasantness of his Humble and Honest Speech. Therefore, Pharaoh said to him, "O Man, what is your Name?" And he said, "Your Humble Servant is Ubiikam, and I am just a little Ant of all of the Ants of King Sunakerib."
28) Then Pharaoh said to him, "Had your Ruler no one of Higher Dignity than you, so that he has Sent to me a little Ant, in Order to Reply to me, and to Converse with me? Does he not Know that I am the Greatest King in the World, who could have Boiled a Pot of Water, and thus Destroyed all of his Ants with one fell Swoop?"
29) And Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, the King of Egypt! I wish to the Most High God that I may Fulfill what is on your Mind: because God is with the Weak Souls, so that he might Confound those who Imagine themselves to be Strong." Then Pharaoh Commanded that they should Prepare a Dwelling Place for Ubiikam, and Supply him with Provisions of Meat, Coconut Water, Dates, and all that he Needed for himself and his Troops, who had brought Gardening Tools with them, instead of Swords and Spears: beCause they did not Intend to make themselves Burdensome to the Egyptians. Therefore, they Volunteered to Hoe the Gardens, Prune the Trees, and do whatever they could to Help the Egyptians to Prosper, and thus make Peace with all of them. And after that, when it was Finished within 3 Days, Pharaoh Clothed himself in Purple and Red Silk from China, and sat himself on his Golden Throne, and all of his Advisors and the Magnates of his Kingdom were Standing with their Hands Crossed over their Private Parts, as if someone might Steal them away from them, having their Feet Close Together, and their Heads Bowed, as if Praying to God that they did not get Castrated before Sunset: because it was their Custom to make Eunuchs of Weak-minded Men, and thus it was when the Pharaoh Sent Words to Fetch Ubiikam; and therefore, when he was Presented to him, he did Obeisance in front of him, and Kissed the Ground in front of him.
33) Then King Pharaoh said to him, "O Ubiikam, whom am I like? and the Nobles of my Kingdom, to whom are they like?" And Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler the King, you are like the Idol Bel, and the Nobles of your Kingdom are like his Servants." So, the King said to him, "Go away, and come back here Tomorrow." So, Ahikar went away.
36) Now, the next Day Ahikar went into the Presence of Pharaoh, and did Obeisance, and Stood in front of the King. And Pharaoh was Dressed in a Bright Red Color, and the Nobles were Dressed in White; and Pharaoh said to him, "O Ubiikam, whom am I like? and the Nobles of my Kingdom, to whom are they like?" And Ubiikam said to him, "O my Ruler, you are like the Bright Fiery Sun, and your Servants are like its Beams of Light." And Pharaoh said, "Go to your Dwelling, and come here Tomorrow." Then Pharaoh Commanded his Court to Wear Pure White, and Pharaoh was Dressed like them, and sat on his Golden Throne, and Commanded them to Fetch Ubiikam. So, he entered and sat in front of him.
40) Now, Pharaoh said to him, "O Ubiikam, whom am I like? and my Nobles, to whom are they like?" And Ubiikam said to him, "O my Ruler, you are like the Moon during a Quiet Peaceful Night, and your Nobles are like the Planets and Stars that Twinkle during the Night, which Causes everyone to be in Awe of them." And Pharaoh said to him, "Go, and be here Tomorrow."
42) Then Pharaoh Commanded his Servants to Wear Robes of Various Colors, and Pharaoh Wore a Red Velvet Dress, and sat on his Golden Throne, and Commanded them to Fetch Ubiikam; and therefore, he entered and did Obeisance in front of him. And Pharaoh said, "O Ubiikam, whom am I like? and my Armies, to whom are they like?" And he said, "O my Ruler, you are like the Month of April in the North, and your Armies are like its Flowers, which Bloom with all Kinds of Colors for my Great Delight."
44) And when the King Heard it, he Rejoiced with Great Joy, and said: "O Ubiikam, the first Time you Compared me to the Idol Bel, who is the Greatest of the Gods, and my Nobles to his Servants. The Second Time you Compared me to the Sun, and my Nobles to the Sunbeams. The Third Time you Compared me to the Moon, and my Nobles to the Planets and Stars. The Fourth Time you Compared me to the Month of April, and my Nobles to its Flowers; but now, O Ubiikam, tell me, to whom is your Ruler, King Sunakerib, like? and his Nobles, to whom are they like?" And Ahikar Shouted with a Loud Voice, saying: "Be it far from me to make Mention of my Ruler the King, while you are Seated on your Golden Throne of Ivory; but, get up on your Feet, so that I may tell you to whom my Ruler the King is like, and to whom his Nobles are like!"
49) Now, as you can Imagine, Pharaoh was Perplexed by the Freedom of Ahikar's Tongue, and by his Boldness in Answering him. So, Pharaoh arose from his Throne, and Stood in front of Ahikar, and said to him: "Tell me now, so that I might Perceive whom your Ruler the King is like, and his Nobles, to whom they are like." And Ahikar said, "My Ruler is the God of Heaven, and his Nobles are like the Lightnings and Thunder, and when he Wills it, the Wind Blows and the Rain Falls. Therefore, he Commands the Thunder, and it Lightens the Earth, and Rains; and he holds the Sunstar in his Hands, and it does not Give its Light, and the Moon and Stars Stop Circling around the Earth: because he Stops the Tabernacle from Spinning in the Sky; and he Commands the Tempest, and the Wind Blows and the Rain Falls as Hail from the Sky, and it Tramples on April, and Destroys its Flowers and its Houses."
53) And when Pharaoh Heard that Speech, he was Greatly Perplexed, and was Angry with Great Wrath, and said to him: "O Man, tell the Truth to me, and let me know who you Really are." And he told him the Truth, saying: "I am Ahikar, the Scribe, and the Greatest of the Private Councilors of King Sunakerib; yes, I am his Chief Advisor, and the Governor of his Kingdom, and his Chancellor."
55) And Pharaoh said to him, "You have told the Truth in that Saying. However, we have Heard that Ahikar was Slain by King Sunakerib; and yet you seem to be Alive and Well." And Ahikar said to him, "Yes, so it was; but, Praise be to God, who Knows what is Hidden. Yes, my Ruler the King Commanded me to be Killed: because he Believed the Words of Profligate Men; but, the Supreme Ruler Delivered me from them; and therefore, Blest is he who Trusts in him."
57) And Pharaoh said to Ahikar, "Go, and be here Tomorrow, and tell me Words that I have never Heard from my Nobles, nor from the People of my Kingdom and my Country."