Page:Jewish Fairy Book (Gerald Friedlander).djvu/152

128. Now that he was supposed to be dead there was nothing to fear. Therefore Pharaoh wrote a very rude letter to the king of Assyria as follows: &quot;Health be to thee. It is good for kings to pay tribute to those who are wiser and stronger than they are. Thou must either pay tribute to me or I must give thee tribute. Be it known to thee that I desire to have a castle built in the air over the desert of Egypt. I know that it is not a very easy thing to have a castle between heaven and earth. It is very good for kings to learn how to do difficult tasks. I therefore order thee to send me within six months a clever man who is a skilled architect, that is to say, a man who can draw the plans of the castle and guide the workmen. He must also bring with him builders for the work. When thou hast sent me such men I will collect and send thee the taxes of Egypt for three years. If, however, thou shouldst neglect this my request and fail to send me such men of whom I have written above, then shalt thou collect and send me as tribute the taxes of Assyria for three years. Failing this, I will gather my mighty army and come to fight thee. I will lay waste thy land and take away thy kingdom. From thy overlord, Pharaoh, King of Egypt.&quot;

As soon as this letter reached Sennacherib, he read it and handed it to his Ministers of State. They advised him to summon all his nobles and to ask their advice, saying, &quot;What shall we do?&quot; He followed