After three days of usual rest the King of Egypt wore a robe of bright red color and his all courtiers also robed in the same color sat in the court, and the King called Haykar in the court. Haykar came and sat down after prostrating in front of him. After a long delay, Pharoah asked - "O Abikam, Whom do I resemble, and what may these my Lords and Ministers represent?" Haykar said - "O My Lord, You look like Bel the idol and your chieftains look like your servants." Then King dismissed him and asked him to come next day.

Haykar presented himself in the King's court again on next day. The King had worn a coat of red coat with many colors, and his people wore white, he asked Haykar - "O Abikam, Whom do I resemble and what may these my Lords and Ministers represent?" Haykar replied - "O Lord, You are like the Sun, and your nobles are like your rays." Then King dismissed him and asked him to come next day. When Haykar came next day, the King and his people, all were wearing pure white. He asked the same question again. Haykar replied - "O Lord, You are looking like the Moon and your people are looking like stars, planets and constellations." The King called him again next day. 

When he came next day, he found the King's people wearing various colors, and the King wearing red velvet robe. The King asked him the same question for the fourth time. Haykar replied - "O My Lord, You are looking like the auspicious month of Naysan and other people resemble white chamomile and its bloom." Hearing this the King got very pleased, he said - "O Abikam, First you compared me with Bel the idol, then with the Sun, then with the Moon, and then with the auspicious month Naysan; but now you tell me what does your Lord Sankhareeb and his courtiers resemble?"

Haykar said - "Heaven protect me if I mention my Lord and his people while you are sitting on your throne, but rise from your throne, and I will tell you what my Master and his people represent." Pharaoh was struck with astonishment at such heat of tongue and courageous speech. He rose from his throne and stood facing Haykar and asked him - "Now tell me, what do they resemble?" Haykar said - "My Lord resembles the God of Heaven, and his lords represent the Lightening and Thunder. Winds blow by his will, and rain falls by his will. When he orders the lake plays and the thunder roars. At his command, the Sun refuses to give light, and the Moon and stars stand still."

Pharaoh got very surprised to hear this, at the same time he got very angry too. He spoke very angrily - "O Man, You are not Abikam, tell me the Truth who are you?" Haykar said - "I am Haykar, the Chief Secretary to Sankhareeb and also his Vazeer." Pharaoh said - "You said right, but we have heard that Haykar is dead, while you are alive and alert." Haykar replied - "You are right. But who knows all hidden things. My master ordered to kill me on the reports of some traitors, but my Allaah saved me." Pharaoh said - "Now you go and come tomorrow and tell me what nobody has ever heard, nor I, nor my courtiers, nor any of my capital."

Haykar went home and wrote on a paper - "From Sankhareeb to the King of Egypt: Peace be on you, O my brother. As you know a brother needs a brother, and the kings require other kings, my hope from you is 900 weight of gold which I require to spend on the pay and allowances of my soldiers." He folded the letter and sent it next day to Pharaoh by a messenger. Pharaoh said - " I have never heard anybody saying like this at all, nor anybody has spoken to me like this." Haykar said - "This is true because you owe this money to my King."

Pharaoh said - "Allaah bless you who suits the service of the kings. Allaah has perfected you with knowledge and wisdom; and now remains our one need that is to build a cottage in the sky." Haykar said - "I will do so, as you wish and choose, but please keep ready for me gypsum lime and ashlar stone and brick clay and some handicraft men, while I also bring architects and masons to build it."

So Pharaoh got ready all the things and went to a spacious place with his courtiers only; while Haykar brought his things with his pages. But when all gathered at the place, Haykar brought out his vultures, and his lads tied the legs of both the vultures together making fast and let them lose. The vultures flew high and got stabled in the sky. At this point the lads cried aloud - "Send up to us the stones and the mud and the slaked lime that we may build a cottage for King Pharaoh, because we are standing here idle."

At this, all present got confused as what to do, but Haykar and his lads asked the handicraft men and royal guards to provide them what they wanted. At this Pharaoh cried - "O Haykar, Are you out of your mind? Who can provide this material at such a height." Haykar replied - "O My Lord, Then how can we will build the cottage up there? And if my King has been here, he would have erected such buildings here in a single day."

Pharaoh said - "Look Haykar, I think presently you should go to your home and take some rest, and come tomorrow." Accordingly Haykar went to his home and came to Pharaoh next morning. Pharaoh asked him - "Haykar, What of the horses of your Lord, when he was in Assyria and Nineveh, their voice was heard by our mares, and they miscarried?" Hearing this, Haykar took a tabby-cat and tying her beat her up until all Egyptians heard her outcries and reported the matter to the King. Pharaoh asked him - "O Haykar, Why did you beat this innocent dumb animal?" He replied - "Lord, She has done me a wrongful deed." "And what is that deed?" Haykar said - "My master Sankhareeb gave me a beautiful intelligent rooster, when it was in my mansion, she tore off his head, that is why I punished her."

Pharaoh said - "O Haykar, I can see now that you are old and daring. Nineveh is 860 Parasang (1 Parasang is approximately 3.5 miles) far from Mishra, then how could this cat, covering that distance, has torn off the head your cock, and come back to Egypt by morning?" Haykar replied - "O My Lord, Seeing that Assyria is so far from Egypt, how can the voice of the horses of my Lord reach unto Nile land and be heard by your mares so that they could miscarry?"

This story reminds me Birbal stories No 6 and No 41.

Pharoah got very pleased to hear this answer, he said to him - "It is my desire that you make me two ropes of sand." Haykar said - "Ask your people to bring me a cord from your stores that I twist it." His people brought the cord, and Haykar went to the back of his palace and dug two round holes equal to the thickness of the cord, then he collected sand from the river-bed and placed it therein, so that when the Sun rose and his light entered the cylinder, the sand appeared in the sunlight like ropes. Then he said to Pharaoh - "Order your slaves to take up these ropes and I will twist as many ropes as you want for you."

Pharaoh said - "O Haykar, We see a millstone here which is broken, and I ask you to sew it." Haykar looked about himself, and seeing there another stone, said to Pharaoh - "O My Lord, Here I am a stranger, nor I have my darning materials, but you may ask your cobblers to provide me, out of this other stone, with shoemaker's tools a needle and thread so that I may sew your this torn millstone."

At this Pharaoh laughed and he and his people cried - "Blessed be Allaah, who has given you all this knowledge and wisdom." And seeing that Haykar had answered his all the questions, Pharaoh accepted his defeat and gave him three years tax tribute and the loan he requested. He robed him and his guards with robes of honor, gave money for traveling and bade all of them good-bye - "Go in safety, Tell my Salaam to your King. Excuse us for that which we gave you." Haykar accepted all this from the King and said to him - "O Lord, I desire an order from you that no man of Assyria and Nineveh remains with you in Egypt and should go with me to home." After he got the order he went away to his home taking treasures and money.

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