Then the king of Egypt said: “I confess myself beaten. But I urge you, Aesop, to answer me this: How is it that the mares I brought from Greece, from hearing the neighing of the horses in Babylon, became pregnant and conceived?” And Aesop asked for a day to reply. Going to his house, he ordered his boys to bring him a cat, and they brought it before Aesop, who caused it to he publicly whipped with a stick. The Egyptians, hearing this, tried to free and defend the cat, but not being able to, went to the king and told him of this serious incident. Then the king ordered Aesop to come before him, and when Aesop came before the king he asked him: “Why did you act in this fashion, Aesop? Do you not know that we honor God in the person of a cat?” For the Egyptians honored such an idol. Aesop replied: “This cat this night offended Licurus, for he killed a valiant and generous cock who crowed the hours of the night.” And the king said: “I did not think that you would lie this way, for it cannot be that in one night that cat should go to Babylon and come back here.” Smiling, Aesop said: “The cat went to and returned from Babylon in the same way as the mares who are here get pregnant on hearing the neighing of the horses that are in Babylon.” For these words the king praised and commended the learning of Aesop.

But the following day King Nectanabo had all the learned men and men of philosophic science summoned to the city of the sun. Informing them of Aesop’s wisdom, he invited them to dine, and Aesop with them. When they were at table, one of them said to Aesop: “I greet you in peace. I am sent by God to talk to you. What do you say to that?” Aesop answered: “God by no means wishes men to learn to lie; since your word says that you fear and honor God but little.” Another said: “There is a great temple, one column of which holds up twelve cities, and each city is covered with thirty beams which represent two women.” Aesop said: “In Babylon the children can solve this question. For the temple is the roundness of the earth, the column is the year, the twelve cities are the twelve months, the thirty columns are the days thereof, and the two women tell day and night. For the two continuously run after each other.” King Nectanabo said to his lords: “It is right for me to send tribute to the king of Babylon.”