p1

^ Ghayat Al-riakim
hands and hold a red hot iron bar it won't burn you or
harm vou at alL
There is a similar story that was told by Shifahy but
this one was on the hollyhock tree that Shifahy claimed
that is as magical as the laurel tree. He said that this tree
used to talk to him in his sleep all the time and while he is
awake too. Every time he heard the tree telling him
anything he would immediately write it down rearing that
he might forget it. So one night the tree came to his dream
and told him "vou need to know that mv name is one of
Mercury's names and you think that I'm only a hollyhock
tree. I had so many arguments and disputes with
mandrake because he claims that he is entitled with this
position rather than me and that everything in the ground
is his, he knows that he cannot change his location, nature
and specialties. The mandrake is so ignorant and stupid
for claiming all this and what I sav is impossible, he says it
is possible to be done. I ask you Shifahy to write to the
wise-men of Babel so they can judge between me and
mandrake, as thev know so much more about this
knowledge then you do and as you know 1 can not write to
people or tell them anything I want 1 told you because 1
have chosen you for this mission over all the other
people". Then the tree disappeared in the air as soon as it
was done talking and Shifahy never saw the tree again. So
he wrote to Babel's wise-men and he received an answer
that savs "We have received your letter and we were very
pleased for your safety- The hollyhock tree for us is not in
the same importance as the mandrake tree, the mandrake
has greater position and more valuable to us because of its
actions and use and even in its harms- Yet with all this, the
mandrake is tricky, shifty and we can not stand his
evilness or his strength and we prevent his evil not to be
23V