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The Icthyophagi on reaching this people, delivered the gifts to the
king of the country, and spoke as follows: "Cambyses, king of the
Persians, anxious to become thy ally and sworn friend, has sent us to
hold converse with thee, and to bear thee the gifts thou seest, which
are the things wherein he himself delights the most." Hereon the
Ethiopian, who knew they came as spies, made answer: "The king of
the Persians sent you not with these gifts because he much desired to
become my sworn friend - nor is the account which ye give of yourselves
true, for ye are come to search out my kingdom. Also your king is not
a just man - for were he so, he had not coveted a land which is not
his own, nor brought slavery on a people who never did him any wrong.
Bear him this bow, and say - 'The king of the Ethiops thus advises
the king of the Persians when the Persians can pull a bow of this
strength thus easily, then let him come with an army of superior
strength against the long-lived Ethiopians - till then, let him
thank the gods that they have not put it into the heart of the sons of
the Ethiops to covet countries which do not belong to them.'
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