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So, Ahikar went to his Dwelling Place, and wrote a Letter, saying: "From Sunakerib, King of Assyria and Nineveh, to Pharaoh, King of Egypt. Peace be to you, O my Brother! and what we make Known to you by this Letter is the Fact that a Brother has Need for his Brother, and Kings also have Need of each other; therefore, my Hope from you is that you would Lend to me 900 Talents of Pure Gold: because I Need it for Feeding some of the Soldiers, which I will Spend on them; and after a little while, I will Send it back to you." Then he folded the Letter, and presented it to Pharaoh the next Day.

5) Now, when Pharaoh saw it, he was Perplexed by it, and said to Ahikar: "Truly I have never Heard anything like this Language from anyone. Indeed, why would a King Borrow Money that he will shortly have to Return?" Then Ahikar said to him, "Truly this is a Debt that you Owe to my Ruler, the King: beCause of Wasting the Time and Energy of his Servants to come over here."

7) Then Pharaoh Accepted it, saying: "O Ahikar, it is the likes of you who are Honest in the Service of Kings. Blest is God, who has made you Perfect in Wisdom, and has Adorned you with Philosophy and True Knowledge. And now, O Ahikar, there remains what we Desire from you, that you should Build for us a Castle between Heaven and Earth."

10) Then Ahikar said, "To Hear is to Obey. I will Build for you a Castle, According to your Wish and Choice; but, O my Ruler, you must Prepare Lime, Clay, Stone, and Workmen: beCause I have Skilled Builders who will Build for you as you Desire, even a Castle of any Size and Shape in the Sky." Therefore, the King Prepared all of that for him, and they went to a Wide-open Place in the Desert; and Ahikar also came with his Boys, Servants, Mules, and Tools; and he also took the Eagles and the Ropes and Boxes with the Help of his Young Hansom Men, who were Body Builders, whose Muscles were well Formed and Beautiful; and the King with all of his Nobles went out with the People of the whole City, and Assembled themselves at a Distance: so that they might See what Ahikar would do in the Sky.

12) Then Ahikar let the Eagles with their Harnesses out of their Boxes, and Tied the Young Boys on their Backs, and Tied the Strong Strings to the Feet of the Eagles, and let them go into the Air. And then the Servants Removed the Large Sheet of Dark Cloth that was Covering the Box with its Propellers, and held the Sheet up with Poles at the Sides of it: so that the Crowd could not See the Box, nor the Mules, which Pulled on the Long Pole, which was Under the Platform, which Turned the Generator, which Caused the Propellers above the Box with the Motor to Spin Rapidly, which Caused the Box to Rise into the Sky, being Tethered to the Platform by Means of the 2 Ropes, which kept it Balanced: beCause each Rope Divided into 2 Ropes at the End, where they Connected with the Box, so that a Rope was Attached to each of the 4 Corners of the Box that held the Motor Inside of it, which had a Brass Shaft that ran up to the Propellers, each of which was 5 Cubits in Length, and a Foot Wide, being Designed to Catch the Air, and Pull the Box into the Sky. Therefore, it was only a short Time until the Box was at the Ends of the Ropes; and the Boys began to Shout, in the Egyptian Language, saying: "Bring Bricks, bring Clay, bring Stone and Mortar, so that we might Build the King's Castle: because we are Standing Idle! Move Quickly, HURRY! Bring Stone and Mortar!" And the Crowd was Astonished and Greatly Perplexed, and they Wondered how the Box could Fly into the Sky. Indeed, the King and all of his Nobles and Scientists also Wondered with Great Amazement.

15) Then Ahikar and his Servants began to Whip the Workmen with Bamboo Shoots, while Shouting for the King's Troops, saying to them: "Bring to the Skilled Workmen what they Want, and do not Hinder them from their Work! Get on with it!" And the King said to Ahikar, "You are Mad, who can bring anything up to that Distance? Moreover, how is it that you have caused that Red Box to Fly into the Sky?"

17) And Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, how shall we Build a Castle in the Air, seeing that there is no Foundation up there? However, if my Ruler, the King of Assyria were here, he would have Built several Castles already, this very Day: because he has Wisdom, like that of King Solomon's. Yes, he Knows how to make Rocks Fly, just like that Box, which has Wings that you cannot See: beCause they are Moving far too Rapidly. Nevertheless, it is for Kings to Search Out all such Matters: because they have nothing Better to do with their Time, whereby they could make Life much Better for their Servants, if they would. However, most Kings are only Interested in their own Private Glory, and have little Concern for the Good Health and True Wealth of their Servants, which is why you Live in a Golden Palace, while your Slaves Live in Mud Huts." And Pharaoh said to him, "Go, O Ahikar, to your Dwelling, and Rest yourself: because we have given up Building the Castle; but, come to me Tomorrow."

19) Then Ahikar went to his Dwelling, and appeared to Pharaoh the next Day, who said: "O Ahikar, what News is there of the Horse of your Ruler: because, when he Neighs in the Country of Assyria, in the City of Nineveh, our Mares Hear his Voice, and thus Cast Out their Immature Offspring?" And when Ahikar Heard that Speech, he went out and found a Cat, and Bound her in a Bag, and began to Flog her with a Violent Flogging, until the Egyptians Heard it, and they went and told the King about it: because it was Forbidden for any Man in Egypt to Execute Punishment According to his own Will. Therefore, Pharaoh sent a Message to Fetch Ahikar, and said to him: "O Ahikar, why did you Flog the Cat thus, and Beat on that Dumb Beast?"

22) And Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, the King of Egypt! Truly she has done an Ugly Deed to me, and has Deserved the Drubbing and Flogging: because my Ruler, King Sunakerib, had given to me a fine Peacock, and he had a Strong True Voice, and knew the Hours of the Day and of the Night. However, this Cat got up this very Night, and Cut Off the Head of my Peacock, and went away. Therefore, beCause of that Evil Deed, I have Treated her to this Drubbing."

24) Then Pharaoh said to him, "O Ahikar, I see from all of this that you are Growing Old and Senile, being in your Dotage: because, between Egypt and Nineveh there are 68 Parasangs. So, how did she go this very Night and Cut Off the Head of your Peacock, and come back Home again?" And Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, if there were such a Great Distance between Egypt and Nineveh, how could your Mares Hear when my Ruler the King's Stud Horse Neighs, and thus Abort their Young ones? Indeed, how could the Voice of his Horse Reach to Egypt, seeing that I cannot Hear the Voice of a Horse that is only one Parasang from me?" Therefore, when Pharaoh Heard that, he Knew that Ahikar had Answered his Questions.

27) Nevertheless, Pharaoh said, "O Ahikar, I Want you to make Ropes of Sea Sand for me." And Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, the King of Confusion, please Order them to bring to me a Rope from the Treasury, so that I might make one like it." Then Ahikar went out, back of the House that he had been staying in, and Built a Brick Kiln for making Glass from the Sand that he gathered from the Beach, which he mixed with Soda and Minerals, and Melted in the Kiln by Using Mirrors. Therefore, when the Sunstar arose, the Kiln got Exceedingly Hot: beCause each of his Servants had brought Mirrors with them, just for the Purpose of making more Glass; and thus Ahikar made Strings of Colored Glass, and Wove them Together like Ropes. And then, when the Ropes had Cooled, Ahikar took them to the King, and said: "Command your Servants to take these Ropes to Nineveh, and Catch that Stud Horse whose Voice keeps your Mares Awake at Night, and bring him over here. Moreover, whenever you need more Ropes, I will Weave some more like them, with Mixed Colors."

31) Then Pharaoh said, "O Ahikar, we have a Millstone here, and it has been Broken; and therefore, I want you to Sew it up." Then Ahikar looked at it and found another Stone, and said to Pharaoh: "O my Ruler, I am a Foreigner, and I have no Tool for Sewing such a Rock. Therefore, I want you to Command your Faithful Shoemakers to Cut Awls from this Stone that I have found, so that I might Sew that Millstone back Together again. Otherwise, my Hands are Tied."

35) Then Pharaoh and all of his Nobles Laughed, and he said: "Blest is the Most High God, who gave to you this Wit and True Knowledge." Moreover, when Pharaoh saw that Ahikar had Overcome him, and had Answered his Questions, he at once became Worried; and therefore, he Commanded his Servants to Collect for Ahikar 3 Years' worth of Taxes, and to bring them to Ahikar on Camels. Moreover, he Stripped Off his Royal Robes, and the Robes of his Nobles, and put them on Ahikar and on his Servants and Soldiers, and gave to him the Money that would Cover his Expenses on his Journey, even the 900 Talents of Pure Gold. And he said to Ahikar, "Go in Peace, O Strength of his Ruler and Pride of his Doctors! Do any of the Sultans have the likes of you? Give my Greetings to your Ruler, King Sunakerib, and tell him how that we have Sent few Gifts to him: beCause Righteous Kings are Contented with few Possessions."

39) Then Ahikar arose, Kissed King Pharaoh's Hands, Kissed the Ground in front of him, Wished him Strength and Continuance, and Abundance in his Treasury; and then he said to him, "O my Ruler, I Desire from you that not one of our Countrymen should Remain in Egypt." Therefore, Pharaoh arose and sent Heralds throughout the Streets of Egypt, to Proclaim that not one of the People of Assyria nor of Nineveh should Remain in the Land of Egypt; but, that they should all go with Ahikar. Then Ahikar took leave of King Pharaoh, and Journeyed Homeward, seeking the Land of Assyria and the City of Nineveh; and he had some Treasures and a Great Deal of Wealth in the Form of Food, which at that Time was Abundant in Egypt.

42) Therefore, when the News reached King Sunakerib that Ahikar was coming Home, he went out to Meet him, and Rejoiced over him with Exceeding Great Joy, and Embraced him with Love, and Kissed him on the Cheeks, and said to him: "Welcome Home, O Kinsman! my Brother Ahikar, the Strength of my Kingdom, and the Pride of my Realm! Ask whatever you would have from me, even if you Desire half of my Kingdom and half of my Possessions."

44) Then Ahikar said to him, "O my Ruler, the King of Peace, Live Forever! Show Favor, O my Ruler the King, to Abu Samik, in my stead: because my Life was in the Hands of God and him." Then King Sunakerib said, "Honor is to you, O my Beloved Ahikar! I will make the Station of Abu Samik the Swordsman higher than all of my Private Councilors and my Favorite Servants."

46) Then the King began to Ask him how he had got along with Pharaoh from his Arrival to his Departure, and how he had Answered all of his Questions, and how he had Received the Taxes from him, and the Changes of Clothing and all of the Gifts? And Ahikar told him all. And then King Sunakerib Rejoiced with a Great Joy that all went Well, and he said to Ahikar, "Take what you would have of this Tribute: because it is all within the Grasp of your own Hands."

48) And Ahikar said, "Let the King Live Forever! I Desire nothing but the Safety of my Ruler the King, and the Continuance of his Greatness. O my Ruler, what can I do with Wealth and its like? But, if you will show to me Favor, then Give to me Nadan, my Sister's Son, so that I may Recompense him for what he has done to me, and Grant to me his Blood, and hold me Guiltless of it."

50) Then King Sunakerib said, "Take him, I have Given him to you." Therefore, Ahikar took Nadan, and Bound his Hands and Feet with Shackles around his Wrists and Ankles, and with Chains of Iron between all of the Shackles; and thus he took him to his Dwelling, and put a Heavy Fetter on his Feet: so that he could not easily Run Away; and his Servant Riveted the Chains to the Shackles, and to the Fetter; and after Binding him thus, he Cast him into a Dark Storage Room, beside of the Toilet Room, which Vented itself into the Storage Room before it Vented itself Outside; and then he Appointed Nebuhal as the Sentinel over him, and Commanded him to give to Nadan a Loaf of Bread and a little Bucket of Water every Day.