And they were of three different tongues and
countries: the first a Hindi or Indian, the second a Roumi or Greek,
and the third a Farsi or Persian. The Indian came forward and,
prostrating himself before the King, wished him joy of the festival
and laid before him a present befitting his dignity; that is to say, a
man of gold, set with precious gems and jewels of price and hending in
hand a golden trumpet. When Sabur saw this, he asked, "O sage, what is
the virtue of this figure?" and the Indian answered: "O my lord, if
this figure be set at the gate of thy city, it will be a guardian over
it; for if an enemy enter the place, it will blow this clarion against
him and he will be seized with a palsy and drop down dead." Much the
King marveled at this and cried, "By Allah, O sage, an this thy word
be true, I will grant thee thy wish and thy desire."
Then came forward the Greek and, prostrating himself before the
King, presented him with a basin of silver in whose midst was a
peacock of gold, surrounded by four and twenty chicks of the same
metal. Sabur looked at them and turning to the Greek, said to him,
"O sage, what is the virtue of this peacock?" "O my lord," answered
he, "as often as an hour of the day or night passeth, it pecketh one
of its young and crieth out and flappeth its wing, till the four and
twenty hours are accomplished.
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