have brought up as your own son.”  I answered, “O king, since mine eyes have looked upon you I have no more sorrow or pain.”  The king said, “Go to your house, bathe your body, and cut your hair; refresh yourself and take your rest for forty days; then come back to me.”  And I did so.  But after twenty days I had recovered my strength, and I went back to the king.  Then he showed me the letter of the king of Egypt, saying, “Behold, Ahikar, the burden which they would lay upon me and upon my kingdom.”  And I answered, “O king, live for ever.  Trouble not yourself, nor be disquieted about this matter.  I will go to Egypt and answer the hard questions; and I will bring back to you the revenues of Egypt for three years.”  So the king was comforted; he rejoiced greatly, and made a feast, and gave me rich presents.

Immediately after this, I began to make ready for my journey; and first I ordered my huntsmen to catch two young eagles alive.  I also chose from among my servants two young boys whose names were Nabuchal and Tabshalom, and taught them to ride upon the backs of the eagles; and after a while the eagles became accustomed to bear them up in the air.  I also taught them certain words which they should say at the appointed time, and practised them until they knew perfectly what they had to do.

And when all was prepared, I set forth with a great company and went to Egypt.  It was told Pharaoh that an embassy was come from Nineveh, and he sent for me, and when I appeared before him he asked who I was.  And I answered, “I am Abikam, one of the least of the servants of Esar-haddon.”  Pharaoh was displeased, and said, “Am I then so much despised by your master that he sends me the least of his servants?” I said, “My lord Esarhaddon is so far exalted above his servants that in his sight the great and the small are all alike.”  He said, “Depart from my presence, and to-morrow come again to me.”

Then Pharaoh, who desired foolishly to make himself appear great in our eyes, arrayed himself in purple, and made his nobles put on scarlet and stand about him; and when I came into his presence he asked me to what I compared him.  I said, “My lord, you are like the god Bel, and your nobles are like his priests.”  And in like manner on the following days he dressed himself in various colours, and each day asked me what I should liken him to.  And I said, “To the sun” on one day, and “To the moon” on the next, and on the third day, “To the spring and the flowers of it.”  And he was greatly pleased, and said, “Abikam, you have compared me to the god Bel, and to the sun and the moon and the spring; now tell me, to what do you liken your master Esarhaddon?” I said, “I cannot tell you, O king, until you have risen from your throne.”  So Pharaoh stood up, and I said, “My lord Esarhaddon is like the great God of Heaven in respect of you:  He has dominion over the god Bel, He can forbid the sun to shine and the moon to rise, and He can lay waste the spring and all the flowers thereof.”  Then Pharaoh was displeased and said, “I adjure you by the life of your lord Esarhaddon, tell me, what is your name, in very deed?” I answered, “I am Ahikar the scribe, and the seal of Esarhaddon is in my keeping.”