ardashir had appointed two intelligent young men who never left his council to memorize his words when drinking and drinking. one of them would get bored and the other would write down word by word. they would do this only when he was overcome by drunkenness. when morning came and the veil was lifted from his face the scribe would read to him everything he had said in his council until he fell asleep. when the piper had read it to him and the piper had disobeyed his orders he would call for the piper bestow a robe of honor upon him and reward him well saying you have done right but the king has erred in what he commanded you. this is the reward for your rightness and so is the punishment for one who erred. my punishment is that we will not drink anything today except barley bread and cheese. so he did not eat anything else that day.
وكان أردشير قد وكل غلامين ذكيين، لا يفارقان مجلسه، بحفظ ألفاظه عند الشرب والمنادمة. فأخذهما يمل والآخر يكتب حرفا حرفا، وهذا إنما يفعلانه، إذا غلب عليه السكر، فإذا أصبح، ورفع عن وجهه الحجاب، قرأ عليه الكاتب كل ما لفظ به في مجلسه إلى أن نام. فإذا قرأ به الزامر، ومخالفة الزامر أمره، دعا بالزامر، فخلع عليه وجزاه الخير، وقال أصبت فيما فعلت، وأخطأ الملك فيما أمرك به. فهذا ثواب صوابك، وكذلك العقوبة لمن أخطأ، وعقوبتي أن لا نزمزم اليوم غلا على خبز الشعير والجبن. فلم يطعم في يومه ذلك غيرهما.