"Nothing but to visit you," replied the envoy, and he never mentioned that
evening his mission from the King of Roum.
As there was nothing in the house to eat, Hatim-Thai killed his favorite horse
and served it for his guest's supper. As soon as it was day, the envoy presented
the gifts and the letter from the King of Roum. When he read the passage in the
letter where the King asked for the horse which had just been killed, Hatim-Thai
turned pale and could not say a word. The envoy, observing him in this state,
imagined that he regretted the gift of his horse, and said:
"O Hatim-Thai, if it is not with pleasure that you give your horse to my master,
think no more about it, and let me return to my country."
Hatim-Thai answered: "O envoy of the King of Roum! if I had a thousand horses
like that one I should give them all without a moment's hesitation. But last night
I asked you the motive which brought you hither, and you said it was merely to
visit me. So I killed the horse for your food, and that is why I am afflicted with
sorrow at my lack of foresight." He sent the envoy back home with many other
horses as a gift.
The envoy told the whole story and the King of Roum said: "The renown of
Hatim-Thai is deserved; he is the most generous of men." He made an alliance of
friendship with him, and the fame of Hatim-Thai grew apace.
The second one who tested Hatim-Thai's generosity was the King of Syria. He
said: "How can Hatim-Thai, who lives in the woods and the plains, occupied in
pasturing goats, camels, and horses, be more generous than so great a King as I?
I will put him to the proof. I will ask rich presents that he cannot give, and he
will be shamed and humiliated before kings and peoples."
So the King of Syria sent an envoy to Hatim-Thai to ask for 100 red camels with
long manes, black eyes, and very tall. Camels of this sort are hard to find, only
kings having four or five. When the envoy had arrived he told Hatim-Thai what
the King of Syria asked of him. Hatim- Thai was full of joy hearing the words of
the envoy, and hastened to regale him bountifully with food and drink. Then he
searched among his camels, but found none such as the King of Syria desired.
He ordered search to be made among the peoples of his nation, Arabs and
Bedouins, offering a large price. By the will of God a Bedouin succeeded in
finding 100, and Hatim-Thai asked only the delay of one month in payment. The