The Gift

In his sumptuous palace, the Abbasid Caliph Harun Al-Rashid hosts emissaries sent by Emperor Charlemagne. As the foreign dignitaries prepare for their long journey back home, the Caliph offers an array of lavish gifts to be sent along, including an albino elephant, known as Abou Al-Abbas. Had the Caliph heard of the German proverb ‘small gifts preserve friendships’?