Page:Jewish Fairy Book (Gerald Friedlander).djvu/158

134 The crowd below around the King were mightily astonished at all that they saw. They wondered what it all meant and what was going to happen. Achikar took a rod in his hand and began to beat the King's workmen who were standing still with gaping mouths, surprised beyond measure at seeing the boys on the eagles high up in the air. He shouted for Pharaoh's soldiers, saying to them: &quot;Bring up to my skilled workmen what they require, bricks and clay. Do not hinder them from their work.&quot;

Pharaoh turned to him and said: &quot;Tell me thy name.&quot;

"I am Achikar, the secretary of State to the King of Assyria.&quot;

&quot;Did I not certainly hear that thy lord and king had caused thee to be slain?&quot;

&quot;Be that as it may. I am yet alive, for God saved me to build thy castle in the air.&quot;

&quot;Thou art indeed mad, Achikar. Who can bring up sand, bricks and clay to thy builders up there between heaven and earth?&quot; said the King in a temper.

&quot;How then, my lord King! shall we build a castle in the air? I have prepared all the plans and yonder in the air are the special builders. All they need is the material. I can also tell thee this—if my lord Sennacherib, the mighty King of the Assyrian Empire, were here, he would have built several castles in the air in a single day.&quot;