{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_57827/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_57827","id":"gutenberg_57827","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57827","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Children's stories","Firdawsi. Shahnamah -- Adaptations","Heroes -- Iran -- Juvenile fiction","Rustam -- (Legendary character) -- Juvenile fiction"],"text":"Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed\nProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was\nproduced from images generously made available by The\nInternet Archive)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                          THE STORY OF RUSTEM\n\n                      AND OTHER PERSIAN HERO TALES\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n[Illustration: \u201cBut thy doom is fixed, thou Cruel One, and even now the\navenger\u2019s hand is at the door. Behold, and tremble!\u201d]\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                          THE STORY OF RUSTEM\n\n                                  AND\n\n                        OTHER PERSIAN HERO TALES\n                              FROM FIRDUSI\n\n                                   BY\n                         ELIZABETH D. RENNINGER\n\n                    ILLUSTRATED BY J. L. S. WILLIAMS\n\n                                NEW YORK\n                        CHARLES SCRIBNER\u2019S SONS\n                                  1909\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                          Copyright, 1909, by\n                        CHARLES SCRIBNER\u2019S SONS\n                       Published September, 1909\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                               DEDICATION\n\nOnce upon a time, not so many years ago, a librarian in one of our large\ncities conceived the idea of forming a hero club for the boys of her\nneighborhood. So it came to pass that for two years, every Wednesday\nevening, between thirty and fifty young heroes assembled in the\nclub-room of the library to listen to the story of some great hero, told\neither by the librarian or by some visiting story-teller.\n\nNow, as the object of the club was not only amusement, helpful\nentertainment, and inspiration, but also to influence the boys\u2019 reading,\nthey were introduced first to the Greek heroes: Theseus, Perseus,\nHercules, Jason, and the heroes of Troy. And after these came the heroes\nof chivalry: Charlemagne, Roland, Oliver, Ogier the Dane, and the four\nAymon brothers. Then followed Siegfried, King Arthur, and the Red Cross\nKnight. Yea, and even that gay little fellow in green\u2014brave Robin Hood.\nAnd sprinkled in with these more or less mythological heroes were those\nof a more practical type: Father Damien, Livingstone, Lincoln, Peter\nCooper, and a number of every-day heroes who so well exemplify the\ngrowth in heroic ideals in our century as contrasted with those of\nprimitive times. Boy Heroes were also presented, and finally, in her\nsearch for good story-hour material, the librarian decided to introduce\nthe boys to some of the great Persian heroes\u2014they being not so well\nknown.\n\nAnd, since the boys\u2019 delight in this series of stories really inspired\nthe thought of making it possible for other story-tellers and older boys\nand girls to enjoy them too, therefore this book is appropriately and\naffectionately dedicated to the Hero Boys of the Bushwick Branch of the\nBrooklyn Public Library\u2014a more appreciative and promising set of youths\nthan whom never resolved to do, and dare, and be\u2014good, practical,\nevery-day heroes.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                                FOREWORD\n\nThe aim of this series of stories which, through the medium of Firdusi,\nmirrors so fascinatingly the legendary history of Persia, has been, not\nonly to provide for the story-teller a treasure-house wherein may be\nfound pure gold, refined for ready use, every coin of which may be\nstamped with the narrator\u2019s own individuality for the inspiration and\nentertainment of any group of children, but also, indirectly, to present\nto older boys and girls, in attractive form, the story of the Shah-Nameh\nin miniature.\n\nWhen the material for the stories was originally collected, the author\u2019s\nidea was simply to work out for her own use in story-telling to children\na picture presentation of a delightful series of tales little known to\nthe young. Accordingly, like the fabled busy bee, she scrupled not to\nenter the most exclusive Persian gardens, dipping into the cup of each\nbright posy containing the least mite of the sweets for which she was\ndelving\u2014her desire being to give to this particular jar of honey not the\nAtkinson, or the Mohl, or the Arnold flavor alone, but a composite which\nshould be all of these, and yet distinctly individual and unique, the\npoint of view being not the usual one of the translator, the\nparaphraser, or the raconteur working upon the lines of the epitomist,\nbut rather that of the moving picture artist and the story-teller\ncombined.\n\nThe debt of the author, consequently, is large, and acknowledgment\ndifficult. For while original translators of the great epic, as Mohl, in\nFrench, and Atkinson and Helen Zimmern, in English\u2014and Arnold in his\nnoble poem \u201cSohrab and Rustem\u201d\u2014have contributed most liberally to this\nseries of word-pictures, yet many additional treasures also have been\ndiscovered and secured, even from general works such as, for example,\nBenjamin\u2019s \u201cHistory of Persia,\u201d and altogether from sources too varied\nand fugitive, and too thoroughly woven into the fibre of her own text,\nto be individually acknowledged. The debt, however, is none the less\ngreat.\n\nIt only remains to be said that if, when started upon their mission,\nthese stories give to children at large as much pleasure as they gave to\nthe particular group of \u201cheroes\u201d for whom they were worked out, they\nwill not only justify their right of being, but also their method of\npreparation, which, though without scholarly pretensions, may yet serve\nto make better known and loved one of the masterpieces of literature,\nalas, too little familiar to-day even to grown-ups well versed in\nEuropean classics.\n\n                                                                E. D. R.\n\nNorthumberland, Pa., _September, 1909_.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                                CONTENTS\n\n               Introduction\n               Kavah the Blacksmith\n               Feridoun the Glorious\n               Irij, a Gentle Hero\n               Minuchir the Avenger\n               Zal of the White Hair\n               Rustem the Wonder Child\n               Rustem the Young Warrior\n               Rustem\u2019s Seven Labors, or Adventures\n               Rustem the Pehliva\n               Rustem\u2019s Romance\n               Sohrab the Youth\n               Sohrab and the Warrior Maiden\n               The Wrath of Rustem\n               Rustem the Spy\n               The Combat of Sohrab Against Rustem\n               Siawush the Persian Sir Galahad\n               Rustem the Avenger\n               How Gew Helped a Hero-prince Unto a Throne\n               Later Feats of Rustem\n               Isfendiyar\u2019s Seven Labors, or Heft-Khan\n               The Combat of Isfendiyar Against Rustem\n               The Death of Rustem\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                             ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n \u201cBut thy doom is fixed, thou Cruel One, and even now the avenger\u2019s hand\n    is at the door. Behold, and tremble!\u201d\n\n Then pressing the golden casket unto his breast, he spake unto God in\n    his grief\n\n Then in graceful circles she swept slowly down unto the wondering\n    father\n\n The two rode side by side into Zabulistan\n\n Mad with pain, he sprang at Rustem like a wild elephant\n\n And finally, in his perplexity, he consulted his astrologers\n\n The days passed for both like a happy dream\n\n They drew their long Indian swords and fell to work again\n\n At evening they came unto a vast wood, reaching many leagues\n\n Seated beside it a youth like unto a royal cypress\n\n He discovered the magician deeply engaged in incantation and witchcraft\n\n Isfendiyar seized his bow, and whiz! whiz! went a shower of arrows\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n                              INTRODUCTION\n\n\nThe world has few great epics. In fact, it has been said that there are\nperhaps but six in all. Yet the materials for an epic are to be found\namong all nations in those traditions, half-fact, half-fiction, which\ncluster about the great national heroes whose deeds of prowess make the\nera in which they lived stand forth before our eyes, clear-cut and\nbrilliant, the canvas filled from end to end with deeds of daring,\nscenes of love, violence, and romance which, through all ages, thrill\nand make their own appeal to the heart of man.\n\nEpics are written, as a rule, in the infancy of a race, and they all\nhave this in common, that they are not the invention of a single\nindividual, but being founded upon national traditions, are handed down\norally from one generation to another, until, in the fulness of time,\none of the world\u2019s great poets stretches forth his hand, gathers\ntogether all the beautiful flowers that have blossomed in the fancy of\nhis people\u2014as has been so happily said of Firdusi\u2014and having breathed\nupon the precious blossoms, plants them in new beauty in the Gardens of\nParadise, there to bloom on among the immortals, a joy and delight\nforever.\n\nAmong the truly great national epics, two fall to India\u2014the Mahabharata\nand the Ramayana; two to Greece\u2014the Iliad and the Odyssey; one to the\nNorth\u2014the Nibelungenlied; and one to Persia\u2014the Shah-Nameh.\n\nThe Shah-Nameh\u2014without question the greatest of the Eastern epics\u2014is\nseven times the length of the Iliad, being in fact much longer than the\nIliad and the Odyssey together, comprising in all 60,000 couplets, and\nhaving occupied Firdusi thirty years in writing. The poem presents us,\nin most musical rhythm, with a complete view of a certain definite era\nof civilization\u2014the Persia of the Heroic Age; an age of chivalry\nrivaling in mighty deeds of prowess and romantic interest the medi\u00e6val\nchivalry of Charlemagne and the glorious Peers of France. And, moreover,\nwe have here a portrait gallery of distinct and unique individuals, the\nbright, particular star being Rustem, the great hero whose superhuman\nstrength, courage, and loyalty prevented Persia, for hundreds of years,\nfrom falling into the hands of her foes.\n\nIn writing the Shah-Nameh it is said that, in addition to his poetic and\nhistoric incentives, Firdusi had a distinctly patriotic motive. For,\nbeing an ardent lover of things Persian, he hoped thus to keep alive in\nthe hearts of his countrymen the glories of their ancestors, in order\nthat they might not degenerate into mere puppets under Arab domination.\nNow that Firdusi had this end in view is shown not alone by the theme\nand spirit of the epic, but also by the diction employed, for the poet\nadheres rigorously throughout to the native Persian, using few Arabic\nwords, the consequence being that no work in the literature of Persia is\nso free from foreign admixture as the Shah-Nameh.\n\nUnfortunately, no complete copy of the great \u201cIliad of the East\u201d is\nknown to exist, though there are innumerable MS. copies, some of them\nwondrously beautiful, the scribes having used Egyptian reeds, and the\nblackest of ink which never fades; the writing being done on the nest of\nsilk paper, powdered with gold and silver dust; the margins richly\nilluminated; the whole perfumed with sandal-wood, or some costly\nessence; and the title-page of elaborate design.\n\nThe best known translations of the Shah-Nameh are: an abridgment in\nprose and verse, by Edward Atkinson; Jules Mohl\u2019s French translation,\nwhich is perhaps the most scholarly work; Helen Zimmern\u2019s excellent\nparaphrase; the versions given in Reed\u2019s Persian literature, Benjamin\u2019s\n\u201cHistory of Persia,\u201d and various other partial adaptations.\n\nAs for Firdusi (Abul Kasim Mansur) the \u201cPoet of Paradise,\u201d who gave to\nthe world the Shah-Nameh, many are the poetic legends that cluster about\nhis name, making it extremely difficult to give any authentic account of\nhis life. Authorities differ as to the exact date, but he is said to\nhave been born at Shahdab, a suburb of Tus in Khorassan, somewhere about\nA. D. 930. His father\u2019s name is quite unknown, but he seems to have been\none of the Dihkan, or landed gentry of Persia. It is also said that he\nwas a gardener, and that Firdusi received his name from the spot which\nhe cultivated (Firdus, _i. e._, Paradise). However that may be, the\nlegend goes on to relate that, it having been communicated to the father\nin a dream that his son would have a great future, he had given to\nFirdusi the best education the time and place could afford. The boy was\ncarefully educated, therefore, in the Arabic language and literature,\nthe Old Persian, and the history and traditions of his country.\n\nFirdusi seems to have been a dreamy youth, for it is recorded of him\nthat he spent many hours beside the canal which ran through his father\u2019s\ngrounds, perusing eagerly the old legends of the early wars of his\ncountry as exemplified in the splendid deeds of her heroes; or in\ndreaming of the great things which he, himself, meant to accomplish one\nday for the glory of Persia. Yea, and the lad was practical, too, for\naside from his own personal dream of greatness, his great hope was that,\nhaving himself achieved, he might be able to build for Tus, his native\ncity, a great dike of stone which should prevent the fearful inundations\nwhich, from time to time, wrought such devastation and ruin to the poor\npeople of Tus.\n\nLittle seems to be known of Firdusi\u2019s younger manhood, but it appears\nthat his poetic gifts were early perceived and fostered, and that he\nspent not his time in idle dreaming. For suddenly it came to light that,\nwhile at the Court of Mahmud, the Sultan\u2019s poets were laboring under the\ndirection of that great patron of literature to produce from the records\nalready accumulated a history of Persia in rhyme, all unaided, in an\nobscure village, one unknown to fame was attempting the same great\nundertaking. Now thus it came to pass that Mahmud who had the records,\nand Firdusi, who possessed the gifts, were brought together.\n\nAnd this having come to pass, Firdusi basked from this time forth in the\nroyal favor. A beautiful house was given him by the Sultan, the walls of\nwhich were decorated with martial scenes painted by the great artists of\nPersia, in order to fire the imagination of the poet; the Bustan-Nameh,\na collection of the chronicles and traditions of Persia, together with\nother valuable records were placed at his disposal; and thus, happily\nequipped and surrounded, the poet worked unhampered upon his great\nmasterpiece. Yea, for thirty long years Firdusi wrought, and when at\nlast the 60,000 couplets of the great Shah-Nameh were completed, he\nrejoiced, for was he not to receive a reward of a thousand pieces of\ngold for each thousand couplets? And with this princely sum could he not\nnow carry out his long-cherished dream of a dike for his\nfellow-townsmen?\n\nBut, alas! Firdusi, while at the Court, had incurred the enmity of the\nSultan\u2019s prime-minister, who resented the fact that he, the great\nprime-minister, was not also mentioned in the eulogy to Mahmud which\nprefaced the great epic poem. Poisoning the mind of the Sultan against\nFirdusi, therefore, the spoiled favorite of the Court managed that the\nmoney promised the poet should be paid in silver instead of gold. Now\nFirdusi was at the bath when the money was brought to him, and in his\nanger at the insult thus offered him, he immediately divided the money\ninto three parts, giving them respectively to the keeper of the baths,\nthe seller of refreshments, and the slave who brought the money. \u201cThe\nSultan shall learn,\u201d he said proudly, \u201cthat Firdusi did not spend the\nlabor of thirty years to be rewarded with silver.\u201d\n\nOf course this independence of spirit upon the part of Firdusi angered\nthe haughty Sultan, who, when he learned that his gift had been\ndespised, condemned the poet to be trampled to death by an elephant upon\nthe following morning. But this vile deed came not to pass, for the\noutraged poet fled, first giving into the hands of the prime-minister a\nsealed paper containing a bitter satire upon Mahmud, which he desired to\nbe inserted in the epic in place of his former eulogy.\n\nThe chronicles relate that, as a result of this most unfortunate\nincident, Firdusi, like Dante, became for long years an exile and\nwanderer, being driven by the persecutions of the Sultan from court to\ncourt, from country to country. Finally, however, after many weary years\nof banishment and harassing care, friends of Firdusi, with great\ndifficulty, extorted from the Sultan a pardon, and the ill-starred poet,\nold and broken, returned unobtrusively to his native town. Here the days\nof the immortal bard soon drew to a close. It is related that, hearing a\nlittle child singing in the streets of Tus some of his own verses, his\nbitter wrongs and sufferings were so vividly recalled to him that he was\nseized with faintness, and, being carried to his home, soon after\nexpired. His death occurred A. D. 1020, in the eighty-ninth year of his\nage. Being refused burial in sacred ground, the Sheik also declining to\nread the customary prayers over his grave, the old poet was buried in\nthe beautiful garden where so hopefully he had dreamed the long, long\nthoughts of poetic youth. Now, alas! thus ended the earthly career of\ngrand old Firdusi, the \u201cOriental Homer,\u201d as he has been called; also\ngreatest poet of Persia, and one of the greatest of all literature.\n\nBut, though Firdusi was now peacefully laid to rest, his story runs on.\nFor, according to one of the legends, it is related that the Sultan,\nhaving at last learned of his minister\u2019s treachery, banished him from\nhis court forever. And not only this, for being stricken with remorse at\nhaving driven unjustly from his side the poet who had made his court\n\u201cresplendent as Paradise,\u201d as he himself had said, Mahmud determined to\nmake reparation. Learning, therefore, that Firdusi was living obscurely\nat Tus, he sent him the long-delayed payment, together with camels\nloaded with princely gifts\u2014but too late! The royal retinue met the\nfuneral of the great poet at the city gates. Firdusi being no more, the\nSultan\u2019s gifts were offered to the poet\u2019s daughter, by whom they were\ndisdainfully refused. Other relatives, however, accepted the peace\noffering, building with it a bridge, the dreamed-of dike, and a house of\nrefuge for travellers\u2014all of which memorials are now gone.\n\nBut Firdusi\u2019s fame lives on, growing brighter with the years. When the\nstorm-tossed, unappreciated old poet, therefore, in self-justification\nsaid that he had written what no tide should ever wash away, what men\nunborn should read o\u2019er oceans wide, he made no idle boast. For to-day\nnot only Persian boys and girls, but the young people of the world\u2014as\nwell as all lovers of good literature\u2014are reading with delight the\nfascinating legends of Persia, as mirrored forth in the Shah-Nameh, or\nBook of Kings, of the grand old poet, Firdusi the Persian.\n\n\n\n\n                          KAVAH THE BLACKSMITH\n\n\nOnce upon a time, so the old chronicles relate, during the reign of\nJemshid the Shah, there dwelt in the deserts of Arabia a King named\nMirtas. Now Mirtas was rich in flocks and herds of goats, sheep and\ncamels which yielded up a bounteous store of balmy milk; and this milk\nthe generous King always distributed in charity among the poor. So God\nwas pleased with Mirtas, and increased his favor upon him accordingly.\n\nNow this King, smiled upon by the Almighty, had one priceless\npossession, his only son, Zohak, who, in his youth, seemed destined to\nrival his father in nobility of character. But, alas! upon this noble\nyoung cypress, so luxuriant in buds of promise, there suddenly fell a\nblight, disastrous alike to the house of Mirtas and to the land of\nPersia. And this is how it came about.\n\nOne day Iblis, the Evil One, roaming the earth in search of mischief,\nchanced to stray into the palace of Mirtas, and, in so doing, he\nhappened upon the charming young Zohak. Now Iblis was disguised as a\nnoble, and so eloquent and full of guile was his discourse, that the\nyoung prince, fascinated, eagerly besought his new friend to let the\nmusic of his voice continue to delight him.\n\nThen Iblis, who saw here a fertile field for his guile, was pleased to\nsee the charm work so well. So, his tongue dropping honey, he thus spake\nunto the youthful Zohak:\n\n\u201cO Pearl of the East, alas! for though I am master of still sweeter\nconverse, I may not address it unto one so young unless thou wilt first\nenter into a solemn compact with me never under any pretence to divulge\nwhat I shall tell unto thee.\u201d\n\nAlas! Zohak was guileless and simple of heart, and so, suspecting no\nevil, he sware unto Iblis that he would obey him in all things, for he\nbelieved him to be noble and good. Judge, then, of his surprise and\nhorror when, the oath taken, Iblis said unto him:\n\n\u201cO Light of the Universe, thou who art fair and wise and valiant, give\near unto the voice of thy friend, and soon thy stately young head shall\nbe raised above the stars. Listen! Thy father hath become old, and\nlongeth to enter into his reward. While he liveth, necessarily thou wilt\nremain unknown. Let him, therefore, no longer stand in thy way. The\nrobes of sovereignty are ready, and better adapted to thee. But raise\nthy hand, therefore, and the name of Mirtas shall be naught but a\nbeautiful memory in the world. The leaves in the Book of Fate turn\nslowly, but who can change what is written on its pages?\u201d\n\nThus spake wily Iblis and as the meaning of this fiendish suggestion\ndawned fully upon him it would be hard indeed to picture to you Zohak\u2019s\nhorror and dismay. Enough to say that at first he refused utterly to be\na party to his father\u2019s death, but, though the struggle was long and\nobstinate, Iblis finally terrified and subdued the youth by telling him\nthat if he refused, his own life would be the forfeit. Then, in order to\nmake it easier for him to agree to the proposal, Iblis assured Zohak\nthat he need not perform the deed with his own hands, but merely consent\nto it.\n\nSo Iblis dug a pit on the pathway that led to Mirtas\u2019s house of prayer,\nand covered it over with grass. And presently, when night was preparing\nto throw her dark mantle over the earth, as the King, according to his\ncustom, was going unto the house of prayer, it came to pass that he fell\ninto the pit, and his legs and arms being broken by the fall, he shortly\nafter expired.\n\nThus, according to the legend, perished Mirtas, that father whose\ntenderness would not suffer even the winds to blow upon his son too\nroughly. And thus also Zohak, in his tender youth, sold himself unto the\nEvil One.\n\nNow Iblis, having succeeded in getting Zohak into his power, continued\nto bestow upon him the most devoted attention and flattery, with the\nview of moulding him entirely unto his will. Among other things,\ntherefore, he taught him the art of magic; and, having done so, he\nassured him that through it he should become the greatest monarch of his\ntime. But though the ear of Zohak was ever open unto Iblis, he ruled his\npeople in both good and evil, for he was not yet wholly given over unto\nguile.\n\nSeeing this, therefore, Iblis imagined a new device in his black heart,\nfor he was not yet satisfied with the degree of authority which he had\nobtained over the young King, desiring above all things to see him\ncompletely given over unto evil. Consequently, with this end in view, by\nthe aid of magic, he took upon himself the form of an engaging youth,\nand, appearing thus before Zohak, he craved permission to serve him as\ndirector of the royal kitchen. Pleased with the guileless manners of the\nyouth, and with the delicious and savory food which he caused to be\nspread before him, the King finally commanded that the keys of the great\nstore-rooms be given him, and that he be allowed to reign supreme over\nthe royal board.\n\nYou must know that up to this time, men had been nourished with bread,\nand fruit, and herbs alone; Iblis, however, prepared flesh for Zohak,\nand invented the art of cooking. And cunning indeed was this device, for\nthe King was delighted with the new dishes made from every variety of\nbird, and four-footed animal, and lived but for each new repast. Every\nday, therefore, something dainty and rare was prepared for the royal\ntable, and every day Iblis increased in favor, for the flesh gave unto\nthe King courage and strength like unto a lion, and the fame of his\ntable was great in the land.\n\nBut of all the new dishes prepared for the King, an egg was unto him the\nmost delicious of all. \u201cWhat can be superior to this?\u201d he cried in\necstasy, rolling his eyes toward heaven, and heaving a sigh of profound\ncontent.\n\n\u201cSpeak not so,\u201d replied Iblis, smiling, \u201cfor to-morrow thou shalt\npartake of something still more savory.\u201d\n\nThe next day, therefore, the magician of the King\u2019s kitchen brought unto\nhis majesty\u2019s table delicious fare, served exquisitely to please the eye\nas well as taste, partridge and pheasant, a banquet for a prince. Then\nZohak, delighted beyond measure, exclaimed impulsively:\n\n\u201cO Prince among Cooks, verily for this new wonder wrought in our behalf,\nwhatsoever thou desirest, and I can give, is thine. Thou hast but to\nspeak the word.\u201d\n\nThen Iblis, glad and little anxious, replied unto His Majesty that he\nhad but one request\u2014one unimportant wish. It was to kiss the mighty\nmonarch\u2019s naked shoulder\u2014a mere whim!\n\nSo Zohak, unsuspicious, stripped his shoulders, glad to gratify a wish\nso flattering and so simple. Then cunning Iblis quickly stooped, and\ntwice he kissed the King with fiendish glee, and, having done so,\nvanished from the sight of men.\n\nBut alas, alas for Zohak! for forth from his shoulders, at each salute,\nsprang hissing serpents, venomous and black, whose fiery tongues darted\nunceasingly about, as though in search of prey. And at this, imagine, if\nyou can, Zohak\u2019s horror and dismay! his angry cries of fear and rage!\nthe frenzied haste with which he gave command to have the ugly creatures\nsevered at the roots! But vain their utmost haste; vain all their zeal,\nfor no sooner were the writhing things cut off, than quickly forth once\nmore they sprang, like veritable jacks-in-a-box. And though the King\u2019s\nservants wearied not, but struck again and again, and yet again, it was\nall to no purpose, for every time that the vile creatures were severed,\nthey sprang forth bigger, blacker, and uglier than before, each new pair\nwrithing and hissing yet more angrily, as though, like Iblis, they\nlonged for naught so much as to lodge their poisonous venom deep in the\nhearts of men.\n\nAnd now, indeed, was there tumult in the King\u2019s court! And well was it\nfor Iblis that, though the most diligent search was instituted, he was\nnowhere to be found throughout the whole dominion. Useless, therefore,\nwas their search; and all to no purpose did the King\u2019s ministers offer\nmountains of gold as a reward for him who should rid His Majesty of the\nawful evil laid upon him. In response to the proclamation the most\ncelebrated magicians and wise men of the East flocked unto the court of\nZohak, but, among them all, not one was found able to charm away the\ndreadful vipers.\n\nEvery sunrise a new magician, every sunset failure reported; this was\nthe record of the wretched days of Zohak the King from this time forth,\nuntil hope was almost dead in his heart. Then one day, as the unhappy\nmonarch sat upon his gorgeous throne, sunk in the most abject misery,\nIblis, in the guise of a skilled physician, once more presented himself\nbefore the King, and, after examination and mature deliberation, thus\nspake the cunning one unto his prey:\n\n\u201cO Shelter of the Universe, I have searched the heavens diligently\nconcerning the horrible evil which hath fallen upon thee, and in thy\nhoroscope I read a bitter tale. For behold, in the Book of Fate it is\nwritten that from this time forth thou shalt be known among men as the\n\u2018Serpent King,\u2019 since the stars have decreed that the hissing, writhing\nvipers shall remain connected with thee throughout thy life, involving\nthee in perpetual misery. Hope not, therefore, by the arts of magic to\navert thy fate, for charms are of no avail when pitted against the\nstars.\u201d\n\nAlas! As Zohak heard this dire interpretation of his horoscope, he\nuttered an exceedingly bitter cry, and gave himself up utterly to\ndespair; seeing which, Iblis smiled, for he knew that the hour of his\ntriumph was near. Concealing his satisfaction, however, he thus spake\nunto Zohak:\n\n\u201cO Heaven Accursed, despair not yet so utterly, for one faint ray of\nhope saw I glimmering for thee from afar, which, if thou wilt, thou\nmayest cause even yet to burst forth into a sunbeam of promise. For lo,\nit is written, that if yonder writhing creatures be fed daily upon human\nbrains, which would be the same unto them as poison, in the course of\ntime they may die; at any rate, in this way only can thy life be\nprolonged and made easy. It is for thee to decide.\u201d\n\nSo, having thus cunningly lodged this evil suggestion in the mind of the\nKing, Iblis once more vanished, evidently through the ceiling, for there\nfloated down thence unto the ears of the unhappy monarch the mocking\nrefrain:\n\n                 \u201cIf life hath any charm for thee,\n                 The brain of man their food must be!\u201d\n\nNow the truth was, Iblis hated the human race, and he was, therefore,\ngreatly delighted to think that as a result of his cunning, in time a\ngreat portion of mankind would be destroyed by the dreadful serpents.\nFor well he knew that Zohak had now become so desperate that he would do\nanything to obtain release from his misery. What he did not know was\nthat all his craft and cunning were powerless to affect God\u2019s plans for\nthe children of Adam.\n\nBut alas for Zohak! And alas also for his subjects! For the chronicles\nrelate that from this time forth was he given over wholly unto evil, and\nthat each sunrise saw two young men of the flower of the land slain to\ngratify the furious hunger of the serpents. And lo! the fear of the King\nwas great in the land.\n\nNor did the fame and fear of the Serpent King confine itself to his own\nborders. Alas, no! for Persia was also to suffer at his hands. And now\nyou must hear something of the Shahs of Old, but particularly of the\ngreat Shah, Jemshid, whose fate was so closely bound up with that of\nZohak.\n\nIn the old chronicles of Persia we read that Kaimurs was the first Shah\nof Iran, and that he was chosen by the people to rule over them. Prior\nto his time, each man lived for himself, in the most primitive way,\nowning allegiance to no one but Ormuzd, the great God of the Persians.\n\nNow the legends tell us that Kaimurs was so wise and good that even the\nanimals assembled to do him homage, and to help fight his battles. Yea,\nit is even said that, when he was crowned, great lions and tigers came\nforth from their lairs in the distant forest, and that with them there\ncrouched low before the monarch wolves and leopards, together with the\nfierce wild boar, and the fleet-footed ass of the desert. A strange\ncoronation pageant, surely!\n\nBut Kaimurs was loved by men, as well as beasts, and so he prospered and\ngrew strong. Unfortunately, however, he had one very powerful enemy, the\ngreat King of the Deevs, who ruled over Mazinderan, a province to the\nnorth of Kaimurs\u2019s kingdom. And since not only Kaimurs, but, later on,\nmany other of the Shahs and heroes of Iran were called upon, again and\nagain, to battle with this wily race, you will be interested to hear\nwhat they were like.\n\nWell, these wicked Deevs, according to the descriptions given of them,\nappear to have been a strange mixture of man, and animal, and evil\nspirit. They walked upright, like men, but were possessed of horns, long\nears, and tails; and many of them are described as cat-headed. Great\nnumbers of them too are said to have been small and black, but there\nwere also many giants among them, and as one and all of them were past\nmasters in the arts of sorcery and enchantment, it required very great\ncourage indeed to fight against them, since in battle they could, at\nwill, call up whirlwinds and great fires, while they, themselves, could\nvanish whenever it pleased them to do so. You can easily understand,\ntherefore, that it took the courage of a real hero to go forth to battle\nagainst the Deevs.\n\nThis, however, Kaimurs\u2019s subjects were called upon to do, since a day\ncame when the King of the Deevs sent out against Iran a great army of\ncat-headed men, giants, and other monsters of horrible aspect, with the\ncommand utterly to subdue the land. Now in this emergency, the son of\nKaimurs, who was very brave, was sent at the head of a large army to\nrepulse the invading host. But alas! the young prince was slain at the\nvery beginning of the battle, and his army scattered unto the four\nwinds. Then was Kaimurs forced to flee, and Persia was given over unto\nthe Deevs.\n\nNow long and bitterly did the Shah of Iran grieve for the loss of his\nson, and the overthrow of his kingdom. But presently, in the far-off\ncavern where he lay hid from his enemies, he heard the voice of the\nAngel Serosch, which said unto him:\n\n\u201cO Beloved of Ormuzd, come forth into the sunshine of the world, for lo!\nvictory lieth in the hands of thy grandson. Send him forth, therefore,\nto grasp it.\u201d\n\nSo Kaimurs took heart, and calling before him his dearly loved grandson,\nthe youthful Husheng, he commanded him to go forth to meet the mighty\nDeevs in the name of Ormuzd the Blessed, who promised a sure victory\nunto his children.\n\nBefore going, however, Husheng, who was wise, as well as valiant of\nheart, in addition to his loyal subjects, summoned to his assistance all\nthe wild beasts of the forests, and even the birds of the air, whose\nduty it was to confuse the foe by flying in their faces, and by making\nfearful swoops at their eyes.\n\nA strange sight, therefore, must have been Husheng\u2019s army, when drawn up\nin battle array; but a yet more terrible thing to see was the mighty\nhost of advancing Deevs, enveloped as it was in lurid flames and clouds\nof smoke. But the sight caused brave Husheng not a tremor, so filled\nwith courage and the certainty of victory was he.\n\nAnd, in the fiercely contested battle which ensued, so great was the\nheroism of the Persians, inspired as they were on all sides by their\nbrave young leader, that not even the Deevs could stand before them.\nHusheng himself, also, performed marvels in valor, slaying in single\ncombat, not only the King of the Deevs, but also the most important\nmembers of his family. Whereupon, in dismay, the remnant of the Deevs\nbetook themselves to ignominious flight. Howbeit, few escaped; for, by\nthe orders of Husheng, they were pursued by the tigers, wolves, and\npanthers, which tore them to pieces as they fled.\n\nIt was indeed a glorious victory, and as a result of it, the kingdom of\nPersia was at last secure; and from this time forth, under Husheng\u2019s\nmighty sway, civilization grew apace, reaching at last a climax in the\nlong reign of Jemshid, who was grandson of the valiant Husheng.\n\nNow it is related of Jemshid that for seven hundred years he sat upon\nthe throne of light, during which time Persia enjoyed her Golden Age of\nprosperity. And not only was Jemshid girt about with power and glory,\nbut the whole world was happier for his sake; since, smiled upon by\nOrmuzd, during all this period, no one died or was ill, and the King,\nalong with his subjects, remained ever in the prime of youth and\nstrength, old age, death, pain, and sorrow being unknown.\n\nDuring this period, also, the Deevs were subservient unto the great\nShah, building for him magnificent palaces, inside of which were lofty\nhalls with springing fountains, silken carpets covering soft divans on\nwhich to lie, and walls hung with pictures, embroidered silks, and\njewelled hangings, all of which were fashioned by the Genii. They also\nerected for Jemshid a most glorious throne, upon which they transported\nhim from one city to another in the twinkling of an eye. Now so\ngorgeously beautiful was this throne that it became the wonder of the\nworld.\n\nJemshid, however, was not a valiant warrior like Husheng, but a builder\nof civilization. He first separated men into classes, divided the year\ninto periods, encouraged building, and likewise is credited with the\ndiscovery of perfumes, the art of healing, the invention of ships, and\nmany other useful means of benefiting mankind. It was he also who\ninstituted the Neurouz, or New Year, at the time of the spring solstice,\na festival still celebrated in Persia with many ceremonies during ten\ndays.\n\nYou will not be surprised to hear, therefore, that Jemshid\u2019s power\nincreased continually; for, learning of his wisdom and goodness, men\nflocked unto his standard from all corners of the earth. And small\nwonder, since he was indeed a most beneficent and glorious King. But\nalas! the time came, so the legends tell us, when Jemshid\u2019s head was\nturned by the height of power that he had reached. Then it came about\nthat pride took possession of the heart of the King, and he forgot unto\nwhom he owed his power and the source of his blessings. It is even said\nthat the time came when, so great was his arrogance, he beheld only\nhimself in the world, and he named himself God, and sent forth his image\nto be worshiped.\n\nAlas for Jemshid! When the Mubids, who are astrologers and wise men,\nheard this decree of the King, they bowed their gray heads in sorrow,\nfor they feared that the downfall of the Shah was near, since,\nforgetting his Creator, he assumed himself to be the sole architect of\nhis greatness. But their words of wisdom only resulted in driving the\nKing, who seemed possessed of an evil Deev, into still greater folly.\n\nSo there finally came a day when Jemshid commanded by proclamation that\nall his subjects should assemble in the great square in front of the\nroyal palace, and there, at the appointed hour, a wonderful scene took\nplace.\n\nHowbeit, in order to appreciate what happened, you must know that the\nDeevs had made of the royal abode a palace like unto a fairy dream.\nIndeed yes; for all the outside walls, we are told, were covered with\nbeautifully painted tiles, while the many windows and balconies were\nmade of fretted stone work, encrusted with cut and polished glass, so\nthat the whole glorious building, whose towers seemed almost to pierce\nthe heavens, glittered and sparkled as though besprinkled with diamonds.\n\nBut in front of the beautiful palace, there glittered something still\nmore gorgeous: it was the throne of the mighty Jemshid, studded, not\nwith glass, but with every precious stone you have ever heard tell of,\nand a great many that you have not. In fact, so resplendent was it when\nlit up by the brilliant Eastern sunshine, that it became almost too\ndazzling for mortal eyes.\n\nOn the morning in question, however, the gorgeous throne was empty,\nthough about it were stationed, as guards, a great company of cat-headed\nDeevs, gigantic Afreets, and fearsome-looking Jinns; while the\nmagnificent, jewel-studded awning was held in place by graceful Peris, a\nkind of fairy. All of which indicated that the Shelter of the Universe\nwould soon appear.\n\nBut though yet quite early, already every inch of standing room in the\ngreat square, as far as the eye could see, was crowded with dark faces\nand eager, upturned eyes. So impatient were the people to behold the\nGlory of the World and to learn his purpose in so calling them together!\n\nAnd presently, the trumpets having been sounded, and the tom-toms\nbeaten, the glorious Jemshid deigned to gladden the eyes of his loyal\nsubjects. Slowly he mounted the gorgeous throne, and, as he did so, all\nthe people fell on their faces before him, performing obeisance. As they\nrose to their feet, however, so majestic and magnificent was Jemshid\u2019s\npresence that, with one accord, the people burst forth into a loud and\nprolonged \u201cBah! Bah!\u201d of admiration, which form of expressing\nastonishment and pleasure is said to be customary among the Persians\nstill to-day.\n\nBut you must hear how Jemshid looked to cause such a \u201cBah! Bah!\u201d of\napproval. Well, to begin with, the great Shah wore many silken coats,\none over the other, and a beautiful fur mantle outside all the rest. As\nfor his gorgeously embroidered, baggy trousers, behold, they were tight\nat the ankles, while his slippers were of pure gold. Yes, and upon his\nhead he wore an immense, many-colored turban, in the front of which\nblazed a huge diamond, set about with rubies and pearls. As for the\nrest, he was tall, and dark, and majestic, looking every inch a king.\n\nAs he raised his sceptre, therefore, commanding silence, the tumult at\nonce ceased, while all awaited breathlessly his words. But the great\nJemshid merely asked his people a simple question. He said:\n\n\u201cLong, long, O my people, have you basked in the sunshine of a Golden\nAge. Now tell me, unto whom do you owe this marvellous prosperity?\u201d\n\nIn response to this query, at once the air rang with shouts of, \u201cHail\nunto Ormuzd the Blessed! Hail unto the great God of the Persians!\u201d\n\nAlas! This was not the reply that the arrogant Jemshid had desired or\nexpected, so with a frown as black as the cloud of smoke which one could\nsee curling lazily up into the blue from the great volcano Demavend, not\nfar distant, the great Shah thundered forth at his people:\n\n\u201cO Foolish Ones, blind as moles or worms, know you not, then, that there\nis but one God of the Persians, even Jemshid the Glorious? Bow the knee\nunto him, therefore, and not unto Ormuzd.\u201d\n\nNow the wonder of such arrogance held the great crowd breathless for one\nintense moment; then, suddenly, a shiver ran through the vast multitude,\nand the cry went up: \u201cDemavend! Look at Demavend! The volcano! Oh, the\nvolcano!\u201d Then all eyes turned unto the mountain. And lo! the\nsnow-covered crest was all aglow with dusky red, while a huge black\ncloud issued from the crater, and moved with lightning speed down toward\nthe plain, finally hovering like a great black bird of ill omen over the\nawe-struck people, who turned in their terror for aid unto Jemshid.\n\nBut in vain, for even as his subjects gazed upon him, the grandeur and\nglory of the proud king vanished as if by magic. There was no thunder\nand no lightning, but suddenly, without a sign of warning, the gorgeous\npalace fell silently into a heap of unsightly ruins; the gem-studded\nthrone, the wonder and glory of the world, crumbled into a heap of\nworthless dust; and Jemshid\u2019s royal robes became fluttering rags, such\nas the very beggars of the streets would disdain.\n\nHowever, this was not the most terrible thing that happened upon that\neventful day, for along the ground glided venomous snakes and loathsome\nlizards, which quickly sprang up out of the ruins, while down from the\nblack clouds there rained a veritable army of huge scorpions,\ntarantulas, and swiftly running centipedes.\n\nNow it is unnecessary to say that very soon these loathsome creatures\nhad the great square to themselves, for verily in their mad terror and\nanxiety to escape, the people fairly flew from the spot. And thus ended\ntheir allegiance to Jemshid, for recognizing in the day\u2019s happenings a\nsure sign of the displeasure of Ormuzd the Blessed, they cried out in\ntheir anger that they would no longer obey Jemshid as their Shah, since\nthrough his pride and presumption he had forfeited the favor of the\nAlmighty.\n\nSo it happened that the people of Iran and Turan, having heard that in\nthe land of Arabia there reigned a monarch mighty and terrible unto his\nfoes, now turned unto Zohak, and Jemshid, fleeing upon his milk-white\ncharger before the Arab host, became a wanderer upon the face of the\nearth, without a friend, and with many foes. And Zohak, the Serpent\nKing, ruled in his stead.\n\nBut though the royal wanderer carried a high price upon his head, the\nchronicles relate that for the space of twice fifty years no man knew\nwhither he was gone, for he hid from the wrath of the Serpent King.\nHowbeit, such was the zeal of his enemy, that in the course of time\nJemshid could no longer escape the spies of Zohak, who finally captured\nhim, as he wandered upon the shores of far Cathay, and brought him in\ntriumph before the Serpent King.\n\nYea, like the narcissus bent with heavy dew, oppressed with shame, his\nhands behind his back, and ponderous chains passing from neck to feet,\nthus stood before the cruel King the once so glorious Jemshid. But alas!\nthe sorry sight awakened in the breast of Zohak not the lightest thrill\nof pity as, gazing with a scornful smile upon the fallen monarch,\ntauntingly he said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, and Heaven, behold thy worshippers at thy feet!\nBut\u2014where is thy diadem? thy throne? Where is thy kingdom now? Where thy\nsovereign power? Alas, I see them not!\u201d\n\nAt this cruel speech, the drooping figure straightened, and kingly\nJemshid, gazing unflinchingly into the serpent eyes of his tormentor,\nthus calmly spoke:\n\n\u201cO Serpent-haunted One, unjustly am I brought in chains before thee,\nbetrayed, insulted\u2014thou the cause of all. Feign not, therefore, to feel\nmy wrongs, but work thy cruel will, and thou shalt see that still I am a\nKing.\u201d\n\nImagine Zohak\u2019s rage at this defiance mixed with royal scorn! His inward\nfury! Though smiling, still he said:\n\n\u201cMost Kingly King, bereft of throne and power, one thing at least\nremaineth yet unto thee: to choose the manner of thy passing. Shall I\nbehead thee, stab thee, impale thee, or with an arrow\u2019s point transfix\nthy heart? What is thy kingly choice?\u201d\n\nNow seeing the evil intent of the King, and scorning to cringe before a\nthing so base, Jemshid, raising high his royal head and smiling proudly,\nsaid:\n\n\u201cO Slave of Iblis, since I am in thy power, do with me what thou wilt.\nWhy should I dread thy utmost vengeance? Why express a wish to save my\nbody from a moment\u2019s pain? True, I have lived too long, but Jemshid\u2019s\nmemory in the world will live, undimmed by thee.\u201d\n\nThen Zohak, realizing from these words that it was not in his power to\nbreak the spirit of proud Jemshid, resolved upon a most horrible deed of\nvengeance. Ordering, forthwith, that two planks be brought, the royal\nprisoner was fastened between them, and his body divided the whole\nlength with a saw, making two figures of Jemshid out of one.\n\nSo perished the great Jemshid, because he was presumptuous, and in his\npride would have lifted himself above his Maker. But the good deeds\nwhich he wrought in the first half of his reign have caused his name to\nlive, and even to-day the Persians look back with pride unto the\nsplendor of their country in the days when the great Shah Jemshid sat\nupon the throne of light, comparing it with the glory of King Solomon.\n\nBut Persia groaned under the tyranny of Zohak, who day by day continued\nto pile evil upon evil until the measure thereof was full unto\noverflowing, and darkness had settled over all the land because of his\nwickedness. Shedding blood had now become the evil King\u2019s pastime, and\nhe hesitated not at committing every species of crime, until despair\nfilled all hearts.\n\n           \u201cThe serpents still on human brains were fed,\n           And every day two youthful victims bled;\n           The sword, still ready, thirsting still to strike,\n           Warrior and slave were sacrificed alike.\u201d\n\nHowbeit, things could not go on thus forever, and so, in the course of\ntime, thanks unto Ormuzd, there sprang forth from among the Persians a\nhero who should avenge the wrongs of his countrymen, and add new lustre\nunto the glory of Persia. And of this you shall hear.\n\nFor behold, it happened that, all unheeded by Zohak, there lived in his\ndominion at this time a man named Kavah, a blacksmith, remarkably strong\nand brave, and possessing a large family of fair sons, who were the joy\nof his life. One by one, however, they were taken from him to be killed\nto feed the King\u2019s serpents, until but one remained unto him, and\nfinally the lot fell also unto this last of his sons to meet a like\ndeath. Then Kavah arose in his wrath and sought the court of the Shah.\n\nBut you will not be surprised to learn that about this same time, Zohak\nwas having evil dreams; and so, oppressed by terrors of conscience, he\ncalled together an assembly of his nobles, and insisted that they sign a\ndocument asserting that he, Zohak, had ever been unto Persia a just,\nwise, and beneficent King. And behold, it was even as this remarkable\npaper was being signed that the cry of one who demanded justice was\nheard at the gates.\n\nWishing to show unto his nobles, therefore, that he stood ever eager to\ndo justice, Zohak commanded that the petitioner be brought immediately\ninto the audience-room. And lo! Kavah, the avenger, stood before the\nKing, and the assembly of the nobles. Now so terrible was the aspect of\nthis deeply wronged man that, for a moment, all gazed at him in wonder.\nThen Zohak, the Serpent King, opened his mouth and thus addressed the\nsturdy Kavah:\n\n\u201cO Brawny One, I charge thee give a name unto him who hath done thee\nwrong!\u201d\n\nThen Kavah, knowing by the two writhing serpents that it was the Shah\nwho questioned him, smote his head with his hands and uttered a savage\ncry. But, by a mighty effort, regaining his self-control, he once more\nfaced the King calmly, as he said:\n\n\u201cO Serpent King, thou beholdest before thee Kavah the blacksmith, a\nblameless man, who hath come into thy presence to sue for justice. And\nlo! it is against thee, O King, that I raise my cry, and with reason.\nSeventeen brave sons have I called mine, yet to-day but one remaineth\nalive, and even now the mouths of thy brain-devouring serpents yawn to\nfeed upon him also, to still their demon hunger. Thou art the King, \u2019tis\ntrue, but why on innocent heads cast fire and ashes? If Iblis, for thy\nevil deeds, hath given unto thee the form of hissing dragon, why to me\nbe cruel? Why give the brains of my fair sons as serpent food, and then\ndare prate of doing justice? But thy doom is fixed, thou Cruel One, and\neven now the avenger\u2019s hand is at the door. Behold, and tremble!\u201d\n\nNow so fierce and sudden was this assault that Zohak, appalled by the\nrage and sorrow of a father whose language sounded indeed like a cry of\ndoom, at once ordered that the son of Kavah be brought forth and\nrestored unto him. Then, regaining somewhat his arrogance, he bade the\nbrawny smith inscribe his name upon the lying register, already signed\nby some of the mightiest nobles of the land.\n\nBut Kavah, when he learned the purport of the register, hesitated not,\nbut turned wrathfully upon the assembled nobles, crying indignantly:\n\n\u201cO Feeble-hearted Ones, are you then men, or what, leagued with this\nhuman monster? Only a common man am I, and yet never will I lend my hand\nunto such a lie, and no more shall you, nobles though you be!\u201d\n\nSeizing the hated register, therefore, to the astonishment of all, Kavah\ntore it fiercely into bits, and trampled it under his feet with rage and\nscorn. Then, pausing not, he strode forth from the palace, taking his\nrescued son with him. And so majestic and fearless was his bearing as he\npassed, that none, not even the King, dared raise a finger to detain\nhim.\n\nSo, feeling that at last the time had come for action, from the palace,\nKavah went straight unto the marketplace. Here he rehearsed unto the\npeople what wrongs the nation suffered, urging them to shake off the\nyoke of the cruel Serpent King, who was not even of their land. And so\nconfident of success was Kavah, so eloquent and so brave, that\nmultitudes, whose children had been sacrificed unto the brain-devouring\nvipers, flocked eagerly about the blacksmith, shouting madly: \u201cJustice!\nGive us justice!\u201d\n\nThen Kavah, feeling the need of a standard about which the people might\nrally, took off the leathern apron wherewith blacksmiths cover their\nknees when they strike with the hammer, and, raising it aloft upon the\npoint of a lance, cried out joyously:\n\n\u201cBehold, O my countrymen, the banner which shall lead us on to victory,\ndelivering us from out the hands of the cruel Serpent King.\u201d\n\nThen a glorious shout, the music of which reached even unto the palace,\nwent up from the people, who thronged eagerly about their brave and\nbrawny leader, mad for revenge. So Kavah led them forth from the city\nbearing aloft his standard\u2014that standard which, later on, adorned with\ngold and jewels, and called the \u201cFlag of Kavah,\u201d became a sacred symbol,\nhonored by every Persian king in succeeding generations as the true sign\nof royalty.\n\nBut Kavah knew that not unto him was it given to be the real liberator\nof Persia from the tyranny of Zohak. He had kindled the flame of revolt,\nbut a greater than he must make of the spark a devouring fire. Howbeit,\nthe hero was ready, as you shall hear, thanks unto Serosch, the blessed\nAngel of Pity.\n\nFor you must know that this angel, who each night flieth seven times\naround the earth in order to watch over the children of Ormuzd, saw and\nwas moved with compassion for the sufferings of the people; and so,\npresently, a grandson was born unto Jemshid, whose horoscope decreed\nthat he should not only be the deliverer of his country, but should\nreign long and gloriously upon the throne of light. And this Kavah knew,\nfor the Blessed Angel had made it known unto him in a dream, after he\nhad proved himself brave and fearless of heart.\n\nAnd since the Orientals say that a secret known unto two is one no\nlonger, you, too, shall know that the name of the coming hero was\nFeridoun. But of how, by his splendid deeds, he earned for himself the\ntitle of \u201cThe Glorious,\u201d you must hear in another story.\n\n\n\n\n                         FERIDOUN THE GLORIOUS\n\n\nUpon a starry night, during the festival of roses, long, long ago in the\nland of Persia, the Angel Serosch, flying through the night, brought\nunto the home of Abtin, son of Jemshid, a charming babe, destined for\nmighty deeds. Now the name of the child was Feridoun, and it is related\nthat upon the night of his birth Zohak, the Serpent King, had a terrible\ndream, which you shall hear.\n\nBehold, it came to pass that as the King lay upon the royal couch,\nsuddenly, in his sleep, he felt himself attacked by three warriors, two\nof them of powerful stature, but the third a mere youth, slender like\nunto a young cypress. In his hands the stripling bore a huge, cow-headed\nmace, and with it he felled Zohak pitilessly to the ground. And useless\nwas all resistance, for though the frenzied monarch struggled madly, the\ndoughty youth bound his hands, and casting a rope about his neck,\ndragged him rudely along in the presence of crowds of hooting, gibing\npeople. Now at this crisis, so great was the King\u2019s anguish that,\nscreaming horribly, he awoke. And lo! it was all a dream.\n\nBut in those times dreams were considered portentous; so now Zohak,\nspringing up terror-stricken from his bed, hastily called together his\nMubids, although it was still the dead of night, and, having related\nunto them the particulars of his frightful experience, he demanded a\nfaithful interpretation of his dream.\n\nNow the Mubids saw in this vision the approaching overthrow of the\ntyrant, but they were afraid to tell the truth unto Zohak, fearing for\ntheir lives. So three days were allowed to pass under the pretence of\nstudying more scrupulously the signs, and still no one had the courage\nto speak out. Then the King grew angry, and in this dilemma, Zirek, one\nof the wise men, finally stood boldly forth and said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, much we deplore it, but the stars foretell for\nthee a bitter fate, since thy dream announces the coming of a great and\nglorious prince, who shall hurl thee from thy throne, and bind thee in\nchains upon the mountains. Feridoun is his name, and he shall add lustre\nunto the house of Jemshid, and unto the land of Persia, though naught\nbut woe shall he bring unto the Serpent King, whose day is already\ndarkening into endless night.\u201d\n\nAlas for the King! Hearing this interpretation of his dream, he fell\nsenseless upon the ground, and the Mubids fled from before his wrath.\nNow long he lay as one dead, and when consciousness did finally return\nunto him, he could neither eat nor sleep, but continued overwhelmed with\nfear and misery. And from this time forth, the legends say, Zohak knew\nneither rest nor joy, the light of his day being already darkened.\n\nBut instead of checking the King in his evil course, this experience\nseems only to have stimulated him to further cruelty. For, warned by the\nprophecy of the Mubids, Zohak now issued a decree that every person\nbelonging unto the race of Jemshid, wherever found, should be seized and\nfettered and brought to him; for he hoped thus to secure the fateful\nprince of his dream. Sending out his spies everywhere, therefore, he\ncaused the world to be scoured for Feridoun, but in vain.\n\nNevertheless, the young prince was passing his first baby days\npeacefully in the King\u2019s dominions, watched over tenderly by his father\nand mother, and daily growing in strength that should fit him to carry\nout the noble task assigned unto him by Providence.\n\nFor Abtin, the father of Feridoun, knowing of the King\u2019s decree in\nregard to the race of Jemshid, had avoided discovery by continuing to\nreside in the most retired and solitary places; but one day his usual\ncaution forsook him, and he ventured beyond the limits of safety. Now\nthis was most unfortunate at this time, for Zohak had learned of the\nglorious son born unto Abtin, and his spies were everywhere searching\nfor him. Abtin\u2019s imprudence, therefore, was dreadfully punished, for,\nbeing recognized, he was carried before the King, in whose presence he\nwas foully slain.\n\nBut not so was Zohak to secure the desire of his heart, for when\nFaranuk, the mother of Feridoun, heard of the dreadful catastrophe which\nhad befallen her husband, at once she took up her infant and fled,\npausing for naught. Then, footsore and weary, her heart torn with fear\nand sorrow, day after day this brave young mother kept up her flight,\ntraversing burning sands and dark, demon-haunted forests, seeking a\nplace of safety for baby Feridoun, who, realizing not his peril, cooed\nand laughed and slept, always clasped close in his mother\u2019s arms.\n\nFinally, one evening just as the sun was kissing the world good night,\naway in the depths of the forest Faranuk came upon a beautiful spot of\npasture ground. And presently, the soft tinkle, tinkle of a bell falling\nupon her ear, she hastened forward, and behold! an old, old man, gentle\nof face and mien, milked a wondrous cow, whose hairs were like unto the\nplumes of a peacock for beauty. Now the name of this cow of remarkable\nlineage was Purmajeh, and the keeper of the pasture gave away in charity\nthe abundance of milk which she supplied.\n\nGently accosting the old man, therefore, Faranuk was assured a welcome;\nand so here she rested for the night, thinking to continue her flight in\nthe morning. But, as a consequence of the grief and distress of mind\nwhich she had suffered, the poor mother was unable to supply her child\nwith food, and so, urged by the gentle old man, she decided to remain in\nthis quiet retreat for a time, at least.\n\nBut, continually afraid of being discovered and recognized, Faranuk knew\nnot a moment\u2019s peace. Finally, it was borne in upon her, she knew not\nhow, that it would be safer for little Feridoun if she were not with\nhim, and so, resigning him to the protection of God, she left the\npasture, and continued her flight alone unto Mount Alborz.\n\nNow the keeper of the pasture, into whose care the mother had confided\nher little one, cherished the child with the fondness and affection of a\nmost devoted parent; and so, for three happy years, Feridoun rolled and\ntumbled in the pasture, and Purmajeh was his nurse. A wondrous\nplayfellow, also, was Purmajeh, and well indeed was it for Persia that\nthe baby shouts of glee reached not unto the ears of the Serpent King.\n\nBut better still was it that Feridoun was in the guardianship of Ormuzd,\nand that Serosch, his messenger, neither slumbered nor slept. For it\nhappened that one night, the Angel of Pity, resting for a moment upon\nthe battlements of Zohak\u2019s palace, after having flown seven times around\nthe world, heard issue thence a fiendish laugh of triumph, which sent\nthe Gentle-hearted One speeding upon swift wings toward Mount Alborz.\nAnd there, Faranuk, thinking that she dreamed, listened unto the voice\nof the Angel, which warned her that Feridoun was no longer safe in the\npasture.\n\nAs the morning dawned, therefore, Faranuk, with swift feet, hastened\nback unto the forest hiding-place, confiding unto the gentle old man of\nthe pasture her intention of conveying Feridoun unto a safer place of\nrefuge upon Mount Alborz. But the keeper, who loved Feridoun above all\nelse in the world, remonstrated with the young mother, saying\nsorrowfully unto her:\n\n\u201cWhy, O Faranuk, dost thou take the child unto the mountain? Alas! he\nwill surely perish there, while here he is so happy!\u201d\n\nBut Faranuk dared not disregard the warning of the Angel Serosch, and\nso, comforting the old man, with her boy in her arms she once more took\nup her flight. And wise was she in doing so, for intelligence had\nreached Zohak that the young prince was being nourished and protected by\nthe keeper of the pasture, and, like a hungry tiger, he was preparing to\nspring upon his prey.\n\nThat same day, therefore, at the head of a force of picked men, he\nproceeded secretly unto the pasture, hoping to surprise the keeper, and\nthus secure the Prince. But once more his prey had escaped him, and when\nhe discovered this, verily, he was like unto a mad elephant in his fury.\nFor, not only did he cruelly slay the keeper of the pasture, and the\nwondrous cow Purmajeh, but so great was his frenzy that he stopped not\nuntil he had slain every living thing around about, and made of the\nbeautiful spot a desert. And this done, diligently he continued his\nsearch, but neither sight nor tidings could he get of Feridoun, and his\nheart was filled with rage and despair.\n\nNow upon Mount Alborz at this time there dwelt a pious hermit, and unto\nhim Faranuk committed her boy, informing the old man that her son was\ndestined for mighty deeds. So, being gladly welcomed, from this time\nforth the mother and child abode with the pious old recluse, who\ngenerously divided with them all the food and comforts which God gave\nhim, at the same time, as Feridoun grew older, developing and storing\nhis mind with various kinds of knowledge. Yea, and he also consulted the\nBooks of Fate concerning him, after which he said unto Faranuk:\n\n\u201cO woman, I perceive that the Prince foretold by wise men and\nastrologers as the destroyer of Zohak and his tyranny, is thy son.\nRejoice, therefore, and be glad of heart, for\n\n                 \u201cThis child to whom thou gavest birth,\n                 Will be the monarch of the earth.\u201d\n\nBut Faranuk\u2019s heart was filled, not only with joy, but also with\nforeboding, upon hearing her own convictions thus confirmed, for well\nshe knew and dreaded the fearful power of Zohak. Nevertheless, her days\nwere happy, for had she not her boy still with her? And was he not under\nthe sheltering care of the Almighty?\n\nBut the years tarried not, and so when twice eight summers had passed\nover the head of Feridoun, he was no longer a child, but a bright,\nhandsome youth of sixteen, strong and valiant of heart. Then one day he\nsought out his mother, and questioned her as to his lineage. So Faranuk,\nseeing that the time was ripe, told unto her son stories of Iran and the\nShahs of Old; of the valiant Husheng; of the glorious reign of Jemshid,\nhis illustrious grandsire; of the cruel Serpent King; and, last of all,\nof his father\u2019s tragic fate.\n\nNow Feridoun listened intently unto his mother\u2019s tales; then, standing\nup straight and tall, with blazing eyes and flushed cheeks, he said unto\nFaranuk:\n\n\u201cO my mother, verily I will uproot this monster from the earth! Yea, I,\nFeridoun, will cause his name to be blotted from the Book of Kings, so\nthat soon he shall be no more than an evil memory in the world. For long\nenough hath Iran groaned under his tyranny, and too long hath my\nfather\u2019s blood cried for vengeance.\u201d\n\nBut Faranuk, troubled because of the blaze she had kindled, replied\nwarningly unto Feridoun, saying gently:\n\n\u201cO Pearl of my Heart, let not thy youthful anger betray thee; for how\ncanst thou, friendless and alone, stand against the master of the world?\nBe not, therefore, precipitate. If it be thy destiny to overcome this\ntyrant, in due time the Almighty will bless thee with means sufficient\nfor the purpose. Wait, therefore, for the sign.\u201d\n\nBut his mother\u2019s words of caution found no echo in the heart of this\nyouth who, hearing for the first time of the cruel monster who had\nrobbed him of a father, and made of his mother\u2019s life that of the\nhunted, would hear of naught but the immediate overthrow of the tyrant.\nTherefore he replied unto Faranuk:\n\n\u201c\u2019Tis Heaven inspires me, mother, therefore be not so fearful. As for\nthe Serpent King, not even he, with all his demon host, can stand\nagainst a valiant heart and a sturdy arm, guided by the great God of the\nPersians. Wherefore, then, delay?\u201d\n\nHowbeit, though glorying in the spirit of her son, Faranuk still tried\nto dissuade him from immediate action, but in vain; for, even while she\nspake, a mighty throng was seen approaching Alborz, led by one who bore\naloft, as a standard, an apron uplifted upon a lance. Then both mother\nand son knew that the time for action was at hand, and glad was Kavah\u2019s\nwelcome. And presently, Feridoun, the helmet of Kings upon his head,\nsought once more his mother\u2019s presence, saying proudly unto her:\n\n\u201cBehold, O my mother, thy warrior-son, who goeth forth unto the battle\nagainst the mighty Zohak! Unto him it is given to fight, but it\nremaineth unto thee to pray God for our safety, and for victory.\u201d\n\nSo Faranuk, understanding, as she gazed, that it was useless to try\nlonger to hold this bold young eaglet in the mountain eyrie, since he\nsensed power in his wings, blessed her son, bidding him go forth in the\nname of God to free his country, and to avenge his father\u2019s death.\n\nBut, before going, Feridoun caused to be made for him a mighty club, the\npattern of which he traced for Kavah upon the ground; and the top\nthereof was the head of a cow, in memory of Purmajeh, his nurse. He also\ndid honor unto the standard of Kavah, causing it to be encased in rich\nbrocades of Roum and hung about with jewels. Then, when all was ready,\nthe little company set forth toward the west to seek Zohak, the two\nelder brothers of Feridoun accompanying them.\n\nNow Faranuk, when she beheld her warrior-sons in full battle array,\nlooking so brave and splendid, wept with pride and joy; but fear was in\nher heart too, and her every breath was a prayer unto Ormuzd, imploring\nhis blessing upon the great undertaking.\n\nBut fear was far from the heart of gallant young Feridoun as, at the\nhead of his brave followers, he rode forth upon his patriotic mission.\nThe way was rough, the men poorly equipped, but their hearts were full\nof courage and hope, and new recruits were added daily.\n\nNor was the sign of God\u2019s blessing withheld. For, one evening, in the\ncourse of their progress, as the valiant host neared the place where it\nwas to camp for the night, suddenly, upon the heights above them, they\nbeheld a shrine, or place of pilgrims, erected for the worshippers of\nOrmuzd. Placed upon a grassy slope, high above the turmoil of the road,\nthe spot seemed to breathe peace and serenity; so much so, indeed, that,\ncoming upon it unexpectedly, a hush fell upon the horsemen as they\ngazed; for, bathed in the glory of the sunset, a touch of solemnity\nthrown about it by the stately old cypresses whose heads soared\nmajestically up into the blue, it seemed indeed a place in which God\nmight delight to meet his people.\n\nProfoundly impressed by the beauty and sacredness of the spot, Feridoun\ndecided at once to visit the shrine, since he felt the need of\ninspiration and guidance. And in response to his prayers, it is recorded\nthat there appeared unto him a radiant Angel who foretold unto him the\nvaried fortunes he was to encounter, and bestowed upon him a magic power\nthat should enable him to overcome the wiles of his foes. And so radiant\nwas the vision that, when the hero returned from the shrine, all noticed\nhis changed appearance.\n\n          \u201cBright beamed his eye, with firmer step he strode,\n          His smiling cheek with warmer crimson glowed.\u201d\n\nBut alas! When the two brothers of Feridoun saw his altered mien, the\npomp and splendor of his appearance, the demon of envy took possession\nof their hearts, and they privately meditated his destruction, saying\none unto the other:\n\n\u201cAre not we, also, princes of the house of Jemshid? and older by birth!\nWhy, then, should Feridoun lord it over us?\u201d\n\nSo it came to pass that one day when the two envious ones spied Feridoun\nasleep at the foot of a mountain, immediately they hastened unto the\nsummit and rolled down upon him a heavy fragment of rock, with the\nintention of crushing him to death. But the clattering noise of the\nstone awoke Feridoun, and instantly employing the knowledge of magic\nwhich had been communicated unto him, the stone was suddenly arrested by\nhim in its course of destruction.\n\nNow the two brothers, who were eagerly watching to see the result of\ntheir effort, beheld with astonishment and fear this event out of the\ncourse of nature. Hastening down from the mountain, therefore, they said\nstutteringly unto their brother:\n\n\u201cWe were on the mountain, but we know not how the stone became loosened\nfrom its place. God forbid that it should have done injury unto\nFeridoun!\u201d\n\nWell aware, however, that this was the evil work of his brothers, the\nyoung Prince was yet wise enough to take no notice of the conspiracy;\nand, instead of having them punished, he raised them unto higher dignity\nand consequence, for he thought of his mother, and wished to fill her\ncup with naught but joy.\n\nSo all went well with Feridoun, and presently the little army, directed\nby Kavah, arrived at Bagdad, which is upon the banks of the Tigris. Here\nthey halted, and Feridoun called for boats to convey them across; but\nthe ferrymen refused their aid, saying that it was the King\u2019s decree\nthat none should pass save only those who bore the royal seal.\n\nAlas! This angered Feridoun, and so, regarding not the foaming stream,\nnor the dangers hidden within its treacherous breast, boldly the young\nleader plunged with his steed into the rushing river; and lo! all the\narmy followed after him. And now, indeed, was the struggle sore, for\nagain and again it seemed as though the waves would bear them down; but\nthe gallant war-steeds struggled on, and finally all stepped out in\nsafety upon the farther shore, where they rested for the night, giving\nthanks unto Ormuzd for bringing them safely through so great a peril.\n\nOn the following day, however, they turned their faces toward the city\nwhich is now called Jerusalem, the proud capital of Zohak, whose\nglorious palace raised its towers unto highest heaven in beauty. Here,\nFeridoun giving the signal by striking the brazen gates with his\ncow-headed mace, the army stormed the walls, burst in the gates, and put\nthe garrison to flight. Then, entering the palace, the youthful leader\ncast down the evil talisman of miraculous virtues that was graven upon\nthe walls, and slew the wicked Deevs who guarded it. He also destroyed\nor vanquished with his cow-headed mace all the enchanted monsters and\nhideous shapes that appeared before him, and released, with his own\nhands, all the black-eyed damsels that Zohak had imprisoned there\u2014among\nthem, the two beautiful sisters of Jemshid.\n\nAnd behold! having accomplished this marvellous feat, Feridoun was\nhailed by all the people of the city as their deliverer, for they were\nsick unto death of the cruelty and tyranny of the Serpent King. So, with\nshouts of rejoicing, Feridoun mounted the empty throne, and the crown of\nIran having been placed upon his head, all the people bowed before him,\nand named him Shah.\n\nBut, you may ask, where was Zohak that he perished not at the hands of\nthe fateful Prince? Well, from Jemshid\u2019s sisters Feridoun now learned\nthat the tyrant, with an immense army, had gone upon a secret mission\ntoward Ind; and, upon questioning further, he ascertained that in this\ndirection lay the country of the magicians with whom the Serpent King\nwas in secret conference, hoping, from a renowned enchanter there, to\nobtain such means as should enable him to charm his enemy into his\npower. For, said the damsels:\n\n\u201cNight and day the terror of thy name, O Feridoun, oppresseth him. His\nheart is all on fire, and life is one long torture to him.\u201d\n\nBut if Zohak was troubled before, imagine his surprise and terror when\nhe learned from Kandru, the keeper of the talisman, the strange tidings\nof the fall of his capital! Disguising his fright, however, the tyrant\nimmediately turned unto his army, hoping by its aid to regain his\nthrone. But in vain; for both soldiers and people at once declared\nloyalty to the new Shah, resisting, to a man, the offers of gold and\njewels and treasure made them.\n\nSo, disappointed in the army, Zohak determined to seek revenge alone.\nStealing away secretly, therefore, he proceeded rapidly toward his\ncapital, arriving by night at the palace of Feridoun. There, ascending a\nheight, himself unobserved, he beheld the new Shah, in all the glory of\nhis kingly robes, seated beside the lovely Shahrnaz, sister of Jemshid,\nenjoying her beauty and the charm of her conversation. Alas! at this\nsight, the fire of jealousy and revenge made blind with rage the fallen\nmonarch, who, like a mad elephant, dashed upon Feridoun, thinking to\nslay him unawares.\n\nBut Feridoun, roused by the noise, started up quickly, and, meeting the\ncharging Serpent King\u2014who was indeed a most terrible sight\u2014with his\ncow-headed mace he struck him a powerful blow upon the temple, crushing\nthe bone. Then observing the hissing vipers, Feridoun knew his enemy,\nand was about to strike again, but his hand was stayed, as the Angel\nSerosch, swooping down, cried warningly:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Hero! Slay this human monster not, for his hour is not yet\ncome. To a beetling mountain crag must he be chained, far from the\nhaunts of men, there to die slowly and in torture, for so it is\ndecreed.\u201d\n\nSo the cruel Serpent King was led forth unto Mount Demavend, accompanied\nby a hooting, mocking multitude; and there, on the edge of the\nprecipice, over the abyss, he was bound with mighty chains and nails\ndriven into his hands, and left to perish.\n\nAnd oh, the woe of Zohak! for behold the hot sun shone down upon the\nbarren cliffs, and there was neither tree nor shrub to shelter him; also\nthe chains entered into his flesh, and his tongue was consumed with\nthirst. But he was not alone, for continually before him there passed\nthe great procession of his victims: Jemshid, sawn asunder, mockingly\nperforming obeisance; then for hours a mighty throng of youths and\nmaidens, sighing as they passed along, \u201cWe are the serpents\u2019 victims\u201d;\nand Iblis, too, appeared before the Serpent King, assuring him, as he\nrubbed his hands and laughed in fiendish glee, that he should continue\nto live so\u2014on and on in torture\u2014for a thousand years. So was the wicked\nZohak punished for his evil deeds.\n\nBut as for Feridoun, for five hundred years he ruled the world\ngloriously, and all his days he did that which was beneficent and good,\nhis heart being ever open unto his people. Yea so brave and just and\ngenerous was he that, writing of him many hundreds of years later, the\ngreat poet Firdusi, to whom we owe these hero tales, is able to say of\nhis countryman\n\n              \u201cThe work of heaven performing, Feridoun\n              First purified the world of sin and crime.\n              Yet Feridoun was not an angel, nor\n              Composed of musk or amber. By justice\n              And generosity he gained his fame.\n              Do thou but exercise these princely virtues\n              And thou wilt be renowned as Feridoun.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                          IRIJ, A GENTLE HERO\n\n\nNow it is recorded that Ormuzd the Blessed caused three sons to be born\nunto Feridoun the Shah, and these youths were tall and strong, and fair\nof mien, their mother being the lovely Shahrnaz of the house of Jemshid.\nBut the names of the young princes were not yet known unto men, for it\nremained unto Feridoun to test their hearts. But before their hearts\nwere tested, the princes were wed, and of this you shall hear.\n\nLo, it is chronicled in the Book of Kings that the great Shah, beholding\nthat his sons were come unto years of strength, sent forth a messenger\nto search through all the world for three princesses, born of the same\nfather and mother, and adorned with every grace and accomplishment, that\nshould make them worthy of alliance with the line of Jemshid, in order\nthat the princes might be wed.\n\nSo the messenger went forth, travelling far and wide over many lands, at\nlast finding the object of his search in the three beautiful princesses\nof the house of Yemen. But unfortunately, Serv, the King of Yemen, did\nnot wish to part with his three fair daughters, and so put hindrances in\nthe way, requiring the sons of Feridoun to present themselves at his\ncourt before he would give his consent unto the alliance.\n\nTherefore, counselled by their father as to how they should conduct\nthemselves, the three princes set forth to win their brides. Now they\nwere received by the King of Yemen with becoming honor, and as they came\nthrough the tests to which they were subjected successfully, the King\ncould no longer withhold his consent unto the betrothals.\n\nThat same night, however, Serv, being a master magician, called forth\nbiting cold and frost, thinking to freeze to death the three princes as\nthey lay upon their perfumed couches in the rose-garden of the King.\nBut, though the cold and frost were sharp enough to kill all the flowers\nin the garden, the Angel Serosch awakened the princes in time. Whereupon\nseeing that it was useless to fight against the inevitable, the King\nfinally prepared a great marriage feast, after which the three brides\nset out with their husbands upon the long journey back to Persia.\n\nMeanwhile the chronicles relate that when informed by couriers of the\nnear approach of his sons with their brides, Feridoun at once determined\nto go forth to meet them, in order to prove their hearts. And as, above\nall things, he was anxious to test their courage, he took upon himself\nthe form of a terrible dragon that foamed at the mouth with fury, and\nfrom whose jaws vomited mighty flames.\n\nStationing himself in a gloomy mountain pass, therefore, when the train\nfrom Yemen drew near, he fell upon it suddenly, like a whirlwind,\nraising a cloud of dust above the place with his writhings, and roaring\nso horribly as to cause even the stoutest heart to quake.\n\nNow, as it happened, the eldest brother was in the lead, and,\nconsequently, he was the first to see the frightful beast about to fall\nupon them. Being given a moment in which to think, however, he said\nwithin himself: \u201cA wise and prudent man fighteth not with dragons.\u201d So,\nturning his back upon the monster, he retreated, leaving the dragon to\nfall upon his brothers.\n\nSo the furious beast, robbed of the first brother, quickly fell upon the\nsecond, who said unto himself: \u201cIf I must fight, what mattereth it\nwhether it be a furious lion, or a warrior full of valor?\u201d Placing\nhimself upon guard, therefore, he took up his bow and stretched it,\nready for the attack.\n\nBut the youngest of the princes, when he saw the danger which threatened\nhis brother, tarried not afar, but, full of fire and fury, rushed upon\nthe dragon, crying aloud in his rage: \u201cThou reptile, flee from out our\npresence, for it is not seemly for thee to strut in the path of lions.\nThou beholdest before thee the sons of the glorious Feridoun, armed and\nready for the fight. Beware, therefore, lest we plant upon thy head the\ncrown of enmity.\u201d Speaking thus, the Prince sprang boldly forward; but,\nbefore he could strike, Feridoun, having now divined the character of\nthe princes, vanished from their sight.\n\nSo, the enemy having disappeared, the train from Yemen proceeded upon\nits way; and when they were come unto the royal palace, the Shah warmly\nwelcomed his sons and the three fair daughters of Yemen, music and\nrejoicing being heard everywhere in the land. But at the end of seven\ndays, behold, Feridoun called his sons into his presence, and, having\nseated them upon thrones of splendor, he opened his mouth, and said unto\nthem:\n\n\u201cO Princes of the house of Feridoun, give heed unto the words which I\nshall speak unto you. Know, then, that the raging dragon whose breath\nthreatened destruction, was but your father who sought thus to test your\nhearts. And now, having proved you, I will give unto each a name fitting\nunto his character.\n\n\u201cLo, the first-born shall be called Selim, for in the hour of danger,\nprudence became his guiding star.\n\n\u201cAnd the second, who showed no whit of fear when suddenly confronted by\nperil, but whose spirit burned ardent as a flame, him will I call Tur,\nthe courageous, whom not even a mad elephant can daunt.\n\n\u201cBut as to the youngest, him I find to be a man both prudent and brave,\nknowing both how to haste, and how to tarry. Irij, therefore, shall he\nbe called, for first did he show gentleness, but his wisdom and bravery\ntarried not in the hour of danger.\u201d\n\nAnd now the ceremony of naming his sons being completed, Feridoun called\nfor the Book of the Stars wherein is written the fate of men, for he\nwished to divine the destiny of his sons. But alas! after searching the\nplanets, he learned that though the signs pointed to success and renown\nfor the two eldest, the horoscope of Irij, the youngest and best loved\nof his father, indicated misfortune and a tragic end, which disclosure\ngrieved Feridoun deeply.\n\nHowbeit, the King\u2019s programme was not yet finished, for next he\nproceeded to divide his vast empire, giving the three parts unto his\nsons in suzerainty. Now unto Selim, he gave the lands lying toward the\nsetting sun; and unto Tur, the eastern provinces reaching even unto\nChina. But unto Irij, he gave Iran with the throne of might, and the\ncrown of supremacy, regarding him as the ablest to rule over the heart\nof the empire.\n\nSo the brothers now separated, each taking charge of the reins of\ngovernment in the respective kingdoms, and for many long years they sat\nupon their golden thrones in happiness and peace. But alas! evil was\nwritten in the Book of Fate, and, day by day, as the leaves turned, it\nbrought tragedy ever nearer unto the house of Feridoun.\n\nVerily the great Shah, after a romantic and glorious youth devoted to\nvaliant deeds, had been blessed by Ormuzd with long life, honor, and\npeace; but now was he grown hoary-headed and full of years, and his\nstrength inclined toward the grave. And\u2014sorry to relate\u2014as their father\ngrew weak and feeble, the two eldest brothers became jealous of their\nyounger brother, Irij, who was destined to take precedence of them upon\nthe death of Feridoun.\n\nAnd it was the heart of Selim, particularly, that was turned toward\nevil, and whose soul gradually became steeped in greed and envy. Day\nafter day, therefore, he pondered bitterly in his spirit the parting of\nthe lands, and anger filled his soul. For Persia was a beautiful land,\nthe garden of spring, full of freshness and perfume, while the other\nprovinces were wild and uncultivated.\n\nFinally, Iblis gaining full possession of the heart of Selim, he called\nunto him a messenger, mounted him upon a swift dromedary, and sent him\nunto his brother Tur with a letter, sealed with his private seal. And\nthe letter read:\n\n\u201cO King of the house of Feridoun, may thy days be many and glorious! So\nsayeth thy brother Selim who greeteth thee from out the west, and asketh\nof thee, shall we, the elder brothers, remain ever satisfied to see the\nyoungest born set high above our heads upon the throne of light? What\nsayeth Tur the Courageous?\u201d\n\nNow when Tur had read this letter, behold, his imagination became filled\nwith wind, so that his head was raised above the stars. Calling the\nmessenger into his presence, therefore, he said unto him:\n\n\u201cThus sayeth the mighty Tur unto his brother: O Star of the house of\nFeridoun, verily I say unto thee that since our father took advantage of\nour innocence when we were young and simple of heart, with his own hands\nhath he planted a tree destined to bear bitter fruit for him and his\nloved Irij. In order, therefore, that thou and I may counsel together\nhow this great wrong may be righted, I follow the swift feet of thy\nmessenger.\u201d\n\nSo Selim and Tur met, and, as a result of their conclave, the following\nhaughty message was sent unto Feridoun, their aged father:\n\n\u201cO thou who draweth with swift feet unto the tomb, behold, thy sons\nSelim and Tur ask of thee, art thou not afraid to go home unto thy God?\nFor verily thine eldest born hast thou treated unfairly, and injustice\ndoth cast its black shadow both before and after thee, since thou hast\nallotted thy realm with iniquity. We say unto thee, therefore, command\nthe stripling Irij to step down from the throne of light, and hide him\nin some corner of the earth where he will be forgotten as we, and where\nhe shall no longer offend our sight. For, are not we the elder brothers?\nNow art thou warned, and if thou heedest not, then shall come down upon\nthee from the mountains, fierce warriors filled with vengeance, who will\nutterly destroy thee.\u201d\n\nNow the herald, who bare this message unto the court of Feridoun, was\ngreatly awed by the magnificence which everywhere greeted him, and\nmarvelled much at the audacity of the writing destined for the King. And\nthis impression was deepened when, having been admitted into the great\naudience-room of kings, he beheld the mighty monarch, proud and\nvenerable, with snow-white beard reaching unto his waist, seated\nmajestically upon his gorgeous golden throne. But behold! the look of\nserenity and peace vanished from the face of Feridoun as he listened\nunto the cruel words of his sons\u2014his soul becoming kindled with fury.\nRising majestically, therefore, he straightway said unto the messenger:\n\n\u201cReturn, O herald, unto your masters\u2014these men senseless and perverse of\nheart\u2014and say unto them: Truly Feridoun rejoiceth that at last his sons\nhave laid bare their hearts before him, for now he knoweth what manner\nof men they really are. As for the parting of the realm, it was done in\nequity, according to the wisdom of many counsellors. But I ask of you,\nwhat shall be said of him who betrayeth his brother for greed? Verily,\nhe is not worthy to be sprung from a noble race! And now, listen unto\nthe word of warning sent unto you by an aged father. For I say unto you,\nif you persist in your vile threat, lo! your names shall be blotted out\nfrom the house of Feridoun, and destruction utter and sure shall be your\ninheritance. Pray God, therefore, that he turn your hearts from evil.\u201d\n\nAfter the departure of the messenger, behold, Feridoun at once informed\nIrij of the intent of his brothers, advising him to prepare a great army\nto oppose them, should they really attempt to carry out their threat.\nFor he said:\n\n\u201cAlas that it should be true, O my son, but in this world we can look\nfor no defenders unless we are prepared to defend ourselves, and unto\nthe evil of heart, a mighty army speaketh more loudly than the cry of\njustice.\u201d\n\nBut Irij, as he listened unto the words of his father, was very\nsorrowful, for he was gentle of heart, and loved not strife and\nbloodshed. Therefore he said unto Feridoun:\n\n\u201cO Royal Cypress, casting thy gracious shadow over the whole sun-kissed\nworld! Good and not evil hath been thy influence throughout thy long\nreign for, blessed by thy protecting shade, the beauteous flower of\npeace hath blossomed radiantly throughout thy kingdom for more than a\nhundred years. Now I, too, O my father, would reign beneficently, for I\ncare not to be a dragon of war, vomiting upon the world destruction and\nwoe. Suffer me, therefore, to go forth alone unto my brothers that I may\nstill the anger which they feel against me, since rather than dip my\nhands in fratricidal blood, gladly will I sacrifice both diadem and\nthrone. For verily\n\n          \u201cI feel no resentment, I seek not for strife,\n          I wish not for thrones and the glories of life;\n          What is glory to man?\u2014an illusion, a cheat;\n          What did it for Jemshid, the world at his feet?\n          When I go to my brothers, their anger may cease\n          Though vengeance were fitter than offers of peace.\u201d\n\nNow tears filled the eyes of the aged Feridoun as he listened unto the\nnoble words of his son and with heart soothed and quickened as by a\ngentle shower, he said unto his youngest born:\n\n\u201cIf such be thy desire, O my gentle son, go forth, and may flowers\nspring up in thy pathway, brightening and making glad unto thee every\nstep of thy feet. But forget not that my life is rooted in thee, and\nreturn unto thy father with the speed of the swift-footed dromedary.\u201d\n\nBut, before Irij started upon his mission of peace, Feridoun wrote and\ngave unto him a letter that he should bear unto his brothers. Now the\nwriting was signed with the royal seal, and it read:\n\n\u201cThus sayeth Feridoun the Mighty unto his sons, Selim and Tur: Behold,\nyour youngest brother hath descended from off his throne and is come\nunto you with peace in his heart, esteeming your friendship of more\nvalue than his crown and throne. Banishing from your hearts, therefore,\nall hostility, be kind unto him, for it is incumbent upon the eldest\nborn to be indulgent and affectionate unto their younger brothers. As\nfor me, I am now old, and desire naught so much as to see my sons\nunited; and though your consideration for my happiness seemeth to have\npassed away, yet are your names still graven upon my heart.\u201d\n\nSo, armed with his father\u2019s letter, Irij hastened with his modest\nretinue into Turkestan, where he found the armies of his brothers\nalready assembled. However, he was received courteously by Selim and\nTur, and was lodged in the royal quarter. But alas for Irij! for it\nseemed as if his very good qualities were to bring about his\ndestruction, as you shall hear.\n\nNow it is related of this Prince of the house of Feridoun that, in\naddition to beauty of character, he was also extremely prepossessing\npersonally\u2014so much so, in fact, that in every place all eyes were fixed\nupon him, and wherever he moved he was followed and surrounded by the\nadmiring soldiers, and crowds of people who, filled with wonder at his\nbeauty and kingly presence, murmured among themselves, saying: \u201cSurely\nthis is the Prince worthy to bear the sceptre of Iran!\u201d all of which\nexasperated the malignant spirit of the two brothers, bringing down upon\nIrij his fate.\n\nFor although at first Selim and Tur had intended to kill Irij, his youth\nand gentleness had in some degree subdued their animosity; now, however,\nthey were glad to have this excuse for removing him from their pathway.\nSo, retiring into their tents, all night they fanned their jealousy and\nhate, counselling how they might do hurt unto Irij; and as the day\nbroke, Selim said unto Tur:\n\n\u201cO Courageous One, thou must put this usurper to death; then his kingdom\nwill be thine.\u201d\n\nSo, when the curtain that hid the sun was lifted, revealing a glorious\nnew day, Selim and Tur went forth unto the tent of their brother. And\nIrij greeted them joyously, for his heart was full of sunshine. But Tur,\nfrowning darkly, said: \u201cO Perfidious Stripling,\n\n                 \u201cMust thou have gold and treasure,\n                 And thy heart be wrapped in pleasure,\n                 Whilst we, thy elder born,\n                 Of our heritage are shorn?\n                 Must the youngest still be nursed,\n                 And the elder branches cursed?\n                 And condemned by stern command,\n                 To a wild and sterile land?\u201d\n\nNow when Irij heard these bitter words from Tur, behold, he grew not\nangry, but replied gently unto him: \u201cO my brother,\n\n           \u201cI only seek tranquillity and peace;\n           I look not on the crown of sovereignty,\n           Nor seek a name among the Persian host;\n           And though the throne and diadem are mine,\n           I here renounce them, satisfied to lead\n           A private life. For what hath ever been\n           The end of earthly power and pomp, but darkness?\n           I seek not to contend against my brothers;\n           Why should I grieve their hearts, or give distress\n           To any human creature? I am young\n           And Heaven forbid that I should prove unkind!\u201d\n\nBut alas! the gentle words of Irij unconsciously rebuked the greedy,\nself-seeking spirit of his brothers, and so they softened not the heart\nof Tur, which was proud and full of evil. Utterly unable to comprehend a\nnobility of soul so wonderful, he thought that Irij feigned, and so,\nspringing up, furiously he seized the golden chair, but now his seat,\nand with it struck a violent blow upon the head of his brother, calling\naloud, \u201cBind him! Bind him!\u201d\n\nThen Irij, thinking of his aged parent, and fearing his hour was come,\nbegged piteously for mercy, saying unto his brother:\n\n\u201cO Cruel One, think of thy old father, and spare me! and if not of him,\nthen have compassion upon thine own soul, and destroy me not, lest God\nask vengeance for my blood. Verily, thou wouldst not crush even the tiny\nant that beareth a grain of corn, for she hath life, and sweet life is a\nboon; therefore spare thy brother. For thy father\u2019s sake, grant that I\nmay yet behold the sun. I ask only to live in peace and retirement.\u201d\n\nAlas! strange to say, these words of piteous pleading but angered Tur\nthe more, so that, drawing from his boot a poisoned dagger, he thrust it\ndeep into the breast of gentle Irij. And behold, the Kingly Cedar fell,\nnever again to raise his glorious head in the sunshine of the world.\nAlas, the pity of it!\n\nBut pity was far from the heart of Tur; for, in his vileness, he severed\nfrom the trunk the royal young head of his brother, and filling it with\nmusk and amber, sent it unto their aged father with these cruel words:\n\n\u201cBehold the head of thy darling! Give unto him now the crown and the\nthrone.\u201d\n\nThen, their evil deed accomplished, behold, the brothers furled their\ntents and returned each unto his own land. But the end was not yet.\n\nAll this time the aged Feridoun kept his eyes fastened eagerly upon the\nroad whither Irij had gone, for his heart yearned exceedingly to behold\nhis boy again. And, as the time of his return drew near, he caused the\nwalls of his palace to be readorned, and gave orders that musicians,\ndancing-women, and banquets should be in readiness to give his son a\njoyous welcome home. Then, when at last the day of his return was come,\nthe aged King sent forth a host to greet him, he himself following close\nin the wake.\n\nBut when the joyous company had gone a little way, a strange thing\nhappened. For Feridoun, riding at the head of his expectant army,\nsuddenly beheld a mighty cloud of dust upon the sky, which, when it\ncleared, revealed a solitary dromedary looming out of the far horizon,\nwhereupon was seated a rider clad in the garb of woe. And, the mournful\nfigure drawing nearer, the King beheld that he bare in his arms a casket\nof gold which, upon reaching the retinue, he gave with sorrowful mien\ninto the hands of the aged monarch.\n\nNow Feridoun, suspecting not to what lengths greed and envy had driven\nhis wicked sons, yet felt a dire presentiment in his heart as he gazed\nupon the case of gold. Commanding that it be opened, however, when the\nlid was raised, there was revealed at first naught but rich stuffs of\nsilks; but when the silks were unrolled, lo! the hoary-headed King gazed\nupon the head of his loved Irij. Alas for Feridoun! horror-stricken by\nthis grim sight and the cruel words of his sons, the world grew suddenly\ndark unto his eyes, and he fell from his horse in a swoon.\n\nThen there rent the air a mighty cry of sorrow such as the world hath\nseldom heard. For the whole army wailed with grief, in their woe casting\ndust upon their heads, and tearing their garments in twain. And not only\nthat, but the banners were rent, the drums broken, and the elephants and\ncymbals hung with the colors of mourning, because that the gentle Irij\nwas now but a beautiful memory in the world, and that the house of\nFeridoun was left unto him desolate.\n\nAs for the stricken monarch, when he recovered his senses, he returned\nupon foot into the city, and all the nobles accompanied him, trailing\ntheir steps in the dust, and followed by the lamenting army. But\nFeridoun was dumb in his sorrow until they were come unto the garden of\nIrij, the spot loved best in the world by the noble young King. Here his\ngrief o\u2019ercame him, and, casting black earth upon his head, he tore his\nwhite hair, and shed bitter tears, his cries and lamentations being so\npiercing that they mounted even unto the seventh sphere. Then pressing\nthe golden casket unto his breast, he spake unto God in his grief, and\nhe said:\n\n\u201cO Omnipotent One! Thou who art all-just! look down, I beseech thee,\nupon this innocent whom his brothers have so foully slain, and grant\nunto me vengeance for his blood. His murderers, O God, are my sons, but\nI, their most unhappy father, beg of Thee to sear their wicked hearts\nthat they may never again know joy or peace in the world. O Lord of the\nWorld, I long for the earth to cover me, but let me not go hence until a\nwarrior, mighty to avenge, shall be sprung from the loins of Irij; then\nwill I depart with joy, for I am weary of turmoil and strife.\u201d\n\nThus cried Feridoun in the bitterness of his soul, and, refusing to quit\nthe garden of Irij, he threw himself upon the grass, and, his white\nlocks wet with dew, he lay night after night under the stars. Yea, the\nearth was his couch, and he watered the garden with his tears, and lo!\nhe moved not from the spot until the grass had grown above his bosom,\nand his eyes were stricken with blindness from much weeping. And,\nmoaning continually, in his agony he lamented:\n\n\u201cO my son! My gentle Irij! Never prince died a death so pitiful as\nthine!\u201d\n\n[Illustration: Then pressing the golden casket unto his breast, he spake\nunto God in his grief.]\n\nNow all the land wept and bemoaned the death of Irij, and the sorrow\nwhich had come unto the great King, so that for many years Iran was like\nunto a house of mourning. And the voice of lamentation ceased not in the\nland until the happy day upon which they placed in the arms of Feridoun\na babe, fair and strong, the hero destined to avenge the gentle Irij\u2019s\ndeath. But of this you must hear in another story.\n\n\n\n\n                          MINUCHIR THE AVENGER\n\n\nThe old Persian chronicles relate that the Princess of Yemen wedded by\nIrij, son of Feridoun, bare unto him an only child, a daughter fair and\nsweet as a garden in spring. Now the fame of her beauty travelled far,\nand kings became her suitors. But her grandsire, giving her the desire\nof her heart, wedded her unto Pescheng, a hero of Jemshid\u2019s race; and,\nin the course of time, there was born unto them a son who, in form and\nfeature, resembled the lost Irij.\n\nNow great was the rejoicing on the occasion of his birth, and, when he\nwas yet a tender babe, they carried him unto the aged Feridoun, saying:\n\n\u201cO Shelter of the Universe, rejoice! for here is thy loved Irij come\nback unto thee a sweet and smiling babe.\u201d\n\nThen,\n\n                \u201cThe old man\u2019s lips, with smiles apart,\n                Bespoke the gladness of his heart.\n                And in his arms he took the boy\n                The harbinger of future joy;\n                Delighted that indulgent Heaven\n                To his fond hopes the pledge had given.\n                It seemed as if, to bless his reign,\n                Irij had come to life again.\u201d\n\nBut alas! as Feridoun held the child in his arms, a mighty yearning took\npossession of him to behold the face of this babe like unto his gentle\nIrij. Vain, however, was his desire, for as you know, he was blind. Then\nin his longing he cried aloud unto the Almighty, and he said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, in Thine infinite goodness, grant unto me the\nsight of my eyes, that I may behold this image of my son.\u201d\n\nAnd God was good unto Feridoun; for, even as he prayed, his eyes were\nopened, and his sight rested upon the babe who, pleased with his\ngrandsire\u2019s hoary locks, smiled up at him and cooed in glee; seeing\nwhich, Feridoun gave thanks unto Ormuzd, and called down blessings upon\nthe child, naming him Minuchir. For he said, \u201cLo, a branch worthy of a\nnoble stock hath borne fruit.\u201d\n\nAs for the child, he was nourished with the greatest care during his\ninfancy, in the house of Feridoun, who bestowed upon him a mother\u2019s\ntenderness, suffering neither sorrow nor ill to come near unto him. So\nthe years passed over his head, and the stars brought him naught but\ngood. And, as he grew up, his grandfather had him carefully instructed\nin every art necessary to form the character, and acquire the\naccomplishments of a warrior. Brought up in the saddle, he could ride as\nno other; with his spear could he pierce all shields; with his arrow\nshoot farther and straighter than any in Feridoun\u2019s court; while in\nwrestling, he overcame the strongest. And, in addition to his prowess,\nhe possessed all the personal charm which had so endeared Irij to the\nwhole world, so that the army adored him as no other.\n\nNow when the young Minuchir was come unto years of maturity, Feridoun\ngave unto him a throne of gold and a mace; he also decorated his brow\nwith the crown of sovereignty, and bestowed upon him the key unto all\nhis treasures. And when this was accomplished, he commanded his nobles\nthat they should do homage unto him as King. Now at this important\nceremony, there were gathered about the throne, Karun, the brawny son of\nKavah; Serv, King of Yemen; the great Neriman, and many other mighty\nprinces and heroes of renown, more than tongue can name. But the young\nKing outshone them all in strength and beauty and valor; and joy took up\nher abode once more in Iran.\n\nAnd, presently, tidings of the splendor and glory of the new Shah\npierced even unto the ears of Selim and Tur, who, hearing of the\nintrepidity and valor of Minuchir, and of the immense army that had\nflocked to his standard with the purpose of forwarding his plans for\nrevenge, were filled with inexpressible terror; for they feared an\nimmediate invasion of their kingdoms.\n\nThus alarmed, these slayers of their brother counselled long together,\nfinally determining to try the efficacy of rich gifts and conciliatory\nlanguage, hoping thus to regain the good-will of Feridoun, and also to\nlure Minuchir into their power, for they feared him greatly.\n\nIn pursuance of their plan, therefore, the two brothers loaded a train\nof elephants and dromedaries with rich treasure: gold, and silver, and\njewels, and other articles of priceless value; and a messenger was\ndespatched with them charged with abundant acknowledgment of guilt, and\nprofuse expressions of repentance.\n\nNow when the messenger arrived at the court of Feridoun, at once he\ndelivered the magnificent presents, the sight of which caused the old\nmonarch to observe unto Minuchir, who in all his splendid robes of state\nwas seated upon the golden throne at his side:\n\n\u201cThese gifts, O my son, are unto thee a prosperous and hopeful omen;\nthey show that thy enemy is afraid of thee.\u201d\n\nThen, all being in readiness, the great Shah commanded that the\nmessenger be given audience, who, when he had performed obeisance, thus\nstated his mission:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Shah, whose throne of light illumines the world, live\nforever! Behold, I bear unto thee a message from thy contrite sons who,\nbowed low in the dust, venture not so much as to raise their eyes unto\nthy footstool. Contrite of heart, they pray that thou wilt pardon their\nevil deed, for it was Iblis who led them astray. Have pity, therefore, O\nKing, upon these unfortunate ones whose eyes are filled with tears and\ntheir hearts with repentance. For art thou not, O Beneficent One, the\nocean of mercy? Therefore thy forgiveness will cleanse their hearts and\nrestore them unto themselves. And, as a sign of thy grace, they beseech\nthee to send unto them Minuchir, thy son, for they yearn to look upon\nhis face and do him homage. And this they beg, O Noble Shah, being but\nthe dust of thy feet.\u201d\n\nAlas! As Feridoun listened unto the words of his sons, he knitted his\nbrows in anger, for he knew the guile of their hearts, and trusted them\nnot. Turning, therefore, unto the messenger, he said:\n\n\u201cO Foolish One, canst thou conceal the sun? Go, therefore, and say unto\nthose wicked men, your masters, that their gifts and false-hearted words\nshall avail them naught, for it is vain white words to speak with\ntongues of blackness. And now, hear my answer: Go back and ask those\nfierce unnatural brothers, who talk of their affection for the Prince,\nwhere lieth the body of the gentle Irij\u2014him they have slain so foully?\nAnd now they thirst to gain another victim! They long to gaze upon the\ngreat Minuchir! Yea, and they shall, surrounded by his soldiers, and\nclad in steel. And they shall feel, also, the edge of his\nlife-destroying sword. Yes, they shall see him, never fear!\u201d\n\nNow, uttering this indignant speech, behold, Feridoun paused for a\nmoment to show unto the messenger his famous warriors one by one, all\nmen of giant stature and of admirable courage and valor in war. Then he\nresumed:\n\n\u201cLong, long hath vengeance slumbered, since it became not Feridoun to\nstretch forth his hand in battle against his sons. But, thanks unto\nOrmuzd, at last forth from that noble young cypress, uprooted so\ncruelly, is there sprung a branch which shall be as poison unto these\nenemies of his sire. And I say unto you:\n\n               \u201cHence with your presents, hence, away.\n               Can gold or gems turn night to day?\n               Must kingly heads be bought and sold,\n               And shall I barter blood for gold?\n               Shall gold a father\u2019s heart entice,\n               Blood to redeem beyond all price?\n               Hence, hence with treachery; I have heard\n               Their glozing falsehoods, every word;\n               But human feelings guide my will,\n               And keep my honor sacred still.\n               True is the oracle we read:\u2014\n               \u2018Those who have sown oppression\u2019s seed\n               Reap bitter fruit; their souls, perplexed,\n               Joy not in this world or the next.\u2019\n               The brothers of my murdered boy,\n               Who could a father\u2019s hope destroy,\n               An equal punishment will reap,\n               And lasting vengeance o\u2019er them sweep.\n               They rooted up my favorite tree,\n               But yet a branch remains to me.\n               Now the young lion comes apace,\n               The glory of his glorious race;\n               He comes apace to punish guilt,\n               When brother\u2019s blood was basely spilt;\n               And blood alone for blood must pay;\n               Hence with your gold, depart, away!\u201d\n\nNow when the messenger heard these reproaches mingled with poison, he\ndeparted with speed; and when he was come unto Selim and Tur he had many\nominous things to report unto them. And first he told of the glorious\nMinuchir who, with frowning brow, was only anxious for battle; of the\nmighty heroes bearing names that filled the world with wonder, who stood\nabout him thick as flies; of the army so great in numbers and valor that\nthe men of Roum and China could not hope to stand against them; and he\ntold finally how that every heart in Persia was filled with hatred of\nthem because of gentle Irij slain.\n\nAn ominous outlook for the two brothers, truly, and one that filled\ntheir hearts with fear. But Tur, who was naturally cool-headed and\nbrave, said unto Selim:\n\n\u201cHenceforth, O my brother, we must forego pleasure, for it behooveth us\nto be first upon the field of battle, and not to wait until the teeth of\nthe young lion are sharpened. Also, let us take heart, for the young\nMinuchir hath yet to show his valor, and it followeth not that he will\nprove a hero bold and victorious because he is descended from the\nbrave!\u201d\n\nSo in this spirit the two brothers rapidly collected from both their\nkingdoms an army that was past numbering. Helmet was joined unto helmet,\nand spear unto spear, and treasure, baggage, and elephants and camels\nwithout number went with them, so that the earth thundered beneath their\ntread. Now you would have thought it a host that none could withstand,\nfor it covered the land like unto a flock of locusts. So they marched\nunto Iran, and the two Kings rode at the head, their black hearts filled\nwith hate and rage, for they feared that their sun was declining.\n\nAs for Feridoun, when he learned that the hostile army had crossed the\nJihun, he called unto him Minuchir and said:\n\n\u201cBehold! The forest game surrendereth itself voluntarily at the foot of\nthe sportsman. This is well! And now wait quietly, for a little skill\nand patience will draw the lion\u2019s head into thy toils.\u201d\n\nSo Minuchir waited; but when the enemy had approached within hailing\ndistance, they found the army of the Great Shah drawn up in magnificent\nbattle-array. Now the glorious Minuchir rose above the rest like unto\nthe moon, or the sun when it shineth above the mountains; while at his\nright rode Karun, the avenger, and his warriors, carrying ponderous\nclubs, each like a fierce lion girt with power. At his left, rode Saum\nthe son of Neriman, and his men, whose bright scimetars ashed\nbrilliantly in the eastern sunshine, while front and rear, for miles and\nmiles, there was naught but bristling steel. And over all this mighty\nhost waved the fair flag of Kavah, resplendent with jewels\u2014that banner\nwhich never yet had recoiled or gone down before the foe!\n\nNow, seeing this, the two brothers also drew up their legions in\nimposing array, and when dawn, the fair harbinger of day, had flushed\nthe eastern sky with red, out from the mighty host sprang Tur the\nCourageous, and, with haughty gesture, thus addressed himself unto the\nchieftain, Saum:\n\n\u201cO Son of Neriman, I pray thee ask this new King, this young Minuchir,\nsince Heaven to Irij gave but a daughter, who on him bestowed the\nbattle-axe, the shining mail, the sword?\u201d\n\nIncensed at this insulting speech, Saum replied hotly:\n\n\u201cO Shedder of a Brother\u2019s Blood, thy message shall be given, and I will\nbring the answer too. Ye know right well what ye have done. Have ye not\nmurdered him who, trusting, sought protection from ye? And verily for\nthis atrocious deed must all mankind your memory curse even until the\nday of doom. Yea, if savage monsters were to flee your presence, it\nwould not be surprising! And this is certain, those who die in this most\nrighteous war will go to Heaven with all their sins forgiven.\u201d\n\nNow having thus given vent unto his feelings, Saum went at once unto\nMinuchir and delivered the message. Smiling, then, the young King spake,\nand he said:\n\n\u201cVerily, a boaster must he be, foolish and vain, for, when engaged in\nbattle, vigor of arm and the enduring soul are best proved by deeds, not\nwords. Parley not with him. I ask but for vengeance for gentle Irij\nslain. Forward! to battle!\u201d\n\nAnd at the signal, verily, never saw you such an onslaught! For, like a\nhungry tiger breaking forth from the jungle to seize upon its prey, so\ndid the army of the brave Minuchir fall upon the foe. And fierce indeed\nwas the conflict, lasting until set of sun, multitudes on both sides\nbeing slain, until all the spacious plain became a sea of blood. Yea,\nred, red, became the ground, so red it seemed as if the earth were\ncovered o\u2019er with crimson tulips, their bright heads stilled by the\nluxuriance of their bloom. But the army of Minuchir was victorious, the\nflag of Kavah, at evening, still waving defiance to its foes.\n\nBut alas for Selim and Tur! for behold, it is related that when the sun\nhad sunk to rest upon this day of bloodshed, craftily they consulted\ntogether how they might seize upon Minuchir by fraud, for they saw that\nhis arm was strong, since the day had witnessed many dauntless deeds of\nbravery performed by him, making them despair of ever conquering such a\nhero in battle.\n\nSo it came to pass that at dead of night Tur set forth at the head of a\nsmall band of picked men to surprise Minuchir in his tent. But the\nKing\u2019s spies were not sleeping, and so straightway they carried the news\nof the evil plan unto his ears, and thus it happened that when\ncourageous Tur burst upon the great Minuchir in his tent, at once he was\nsurrounded, and when he would have fled, behold, the King, dexterously\nusing his javelin, hurled him from his saddle to the ground. Then with\nhis cruel dagger he severed the head of Tur, regarding not his piteous\ncries for mercy. Now the body he left unto the wild beasts, but the head\nhe sent as a trophy unto Feridoun, pledging neither to rest nor tarry\nuntil the death of trusting Irij be fully avenged.\n\nNow as for Selim, when he heard of the fate of his brother, he at once\ncast about for a new ally; and, at his solicitations, there came unto\nhim the giant Kaku who was of the seed of Zohak. Then, deeming it\nprudent, they fell back with the army, taking refuge in an old fort. But\nMinuchir in hot pursuit soon came up with them, and besieged the castle.\n\nOne morning, however, the great Deev, Kaku, hideously black and ugly,\nsallied boldly forth from the fort, and running swiftly toward the\ncentre of the besieging army, threw a javelin at Minuchir which,\nfortunately, fell harmless before it reached him. But retribution was\nswift and sure, for the King, rushing quickly upon the Deev, seized him\nby the girdle, and, raising him high in the air, flung him from his\nsaddle to the ground with such fury that he never moved again. Such was\nthe strength and prowess of the great Minuchir.\n\nBut the young avenger was wise as well as strong and brave, and so,\nseeing that the siege threatened to last for some time, he now sent a\nmessage unto Selim, saying:\n\n\u201cO Slayer of thy Brother! behold, I, Minuchir, challenge thee to quit\nthe fort, and boldly meet me here, that it may be determined unto whom\nGod giveth the victory.\u201d\n\nNow as Selim could not, without disgrace, refuse this invitation to\nsingle combat, he descended from the fort to meet Minuchir, and a\ndesperate combat was the result. But though the fight was long, and\nSelim no unworthy foe in his desperation, yet, in the end, the\nsuperiority of Minuchir caused him to prevail, and Selim was slain, his\nhead being severed from his body by the redoubtable sword of the King.\n\nAs for the army of Selim, when the soldiers beheld the head of their\nleader borne upon the lance of Minuchir, they fled swiftly unto the\nmountains and vanished like cattle whom the snow hath driven from their\npasture. And, being thus at a safe distance, they took counsel together\nand chose from among them a man, prudent and gentle of speech, to go\nunto Minuchir and speak for them. Returning, therefore, the messenger\nsaid:\n\n\u201cO Conqueror of the World, we pray thee that, looking down upon us from\nthy glorious height, thou wilt have mercy upon us, for neither hate nor\nvengeance drove us forth against thee, but only this, that we obeyed the\nwill of our masters. We ourselves long only after our homes, for we are\npeaceful men, tillers of the earth and keepers of cattle, and we pray\nthee, therefore, that we be permitted to return in safety whence we have\ncome. We acknowledge thee our Shah, and will ever be faithful and loyal\nunto thee, for we perceive that not only art thou brave, but noble as\nwell.\u201d\n\nNow when Minuchir heard these words, he said kindly unto the messenger:\n\n\u201cLet every man lay down his arms and go his way, and may joy wait upon\nyour feet. For Minuchir, like the great Feridoun, desireth naught but\nthe good and happiness of his people, and that peace may dwell once more\nin the land.\u201d\n\nSo the vanquished army passed before Minuchir, each man bearing his\narmor and weapons of battle, and, calling down blessings upon his head,\nthey laid them at his feet. And behold! of weapons there was reared such\na mighty tower that Babel would have paled in its sight, and the\npolished steel, as it rose tier upon tier up into the blue, glittered\ndazzlingly in the sunshine, a glorious promise of peace.\n\nAnd presently Minuchir, having disbanded the vanquished army, set out at\nthe head of his warriors for the city of Feridoun, his vengeance being\nfully accomplished. And, being apprised of his approach, his grandsire\ncame forth to meet him, and there accompanied him a glorious train. Now\nthere were elephants swathed in gold and jewels, warriors arrayed in\nrich attire, and a large multitude clad picturesquely in garments of\nbright hue, while over them waved flags and banners, and about them the\ntrumpets brayed, and the cymbals clashed, and sounds of rejoicing were\nheard everywhere.\n\nNow beholding his grandsire yet some distance off, Minuchir got down\nfrom his horse, and, running to meet him, kissed the ground before him,\ncraving his blessing. So Feridoun blessed Minuchir, and raised him from\nthe dust. Then he bade him again mount his horse, and, amid shouts of\nrejoicing, they entered the city in triumph. But when they were come\nunto the royal palace, Feridoun, having seated Minuchir upon the throne\nof light, and placed with his own hands the crown upon his head, called\nunto him Saum, the son of Neriman, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO mighty Warrior, loyal and brave, to thee specially do I commend this\nyouth to nourish him for full sovereignty, and to support him royally\nwith thy might and mind, both thee and thy house forever.\u201d\n\nSo saying, he placed the hand of Minuchir in that of Saum, and said:\n\n\u201cLo! my hour of departure is at hand. Soon shall I cumber the earth no\nmore. God, in his goodness, hath given unto me the desire of my heart,\nand now I go unto him to render account. May he be merciful unto his\nservant, granting unto him peace in the life to come.\u201d\n\nThen having thus spoken, Feridoun distributed gifts unto his nobles and\nservants, then, withdrawing into solitude, he bewailed without ceasing\nthe evil fate of his sons, and the sorrow they had caused in the world.\nBut daily he grew weaker, and at last the light of his life went out.\nHowbeit, the glory of his name liveth even unto this day, for even the\nchildren in Persia know and love this glorious Shah of Old.\n\nBut as for Minuchir, he mourned for his noble grandsire with weeping and\nbitter lamentation, and raised above him a stately tomb. Then when the\nseven days of mourning were ended, lo, he put upon his head the crown of\nthe Kaianides, and girt his loins with the red sash of might and the\nnation called him Shah, and he was beloved in the land.\n\n           \u201cThe army and the people gave him praise,\n           Prayed for his happiness and length of days.\n           \u2018Our hearts,\u2019 they said, \u2018are ever bound to thee,\n           Our hearts, inspired by love and loyalty.\u2019\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                         ZAL OF THE WHITE HAIR\n\n\nAmong all the great heroes who had such vast influence in shaping the\ndestinies of Iran, there is no house so celebrated as that of Saum Swar,\nthe mighty Pehliva, unto whom the aged Feridoun especially committed\nMinuchir. Seistan, which is to the south of Iran, was the hereditary\nprovince of this famous warrior, and here was bred a race of heroes that\nnot only saved Persia again and again from out the hands of her foes,\nbut whose marvellous deeds of valor have filled the world with wonder.\n\nNow Saum was the son of the great chieftain Neriman, and on account of\nhis intrepid bravery had been made commander-in-chief of the Persian\narmies. But, though a valiant hero upon the battle-field, he was\nparticularly celebrated because, more than once, he had warred against\nthe allied hosts of Deevs, and come off victorious. He also conquered\nthe furious monster Soham, which was of the color and nature of fire,\nand, bringing it beneath obedient rein, he made it his war-horse in all\nhis later battles with the Deevs.\n\nSo the great Pehliva, girt with might and glory, and smiled upon by the\ngracious Feridoun, passed his days in happiness, save for the grief that\nfor long years he was childless. After the death of the great Shah,\nhowever, it came to pass that at last a son was born unto him, perfect\nin face and limb, and fair as the sun, but, by some strange misfortune,\nhis hair was silvery white like that of an aged man. Now the poet says\nof this wonderful baby:\n\n                \u201cHis hair was white as a goose\u2019s wing,\n                His cheek was like the rose of spring,\n                His form was straight as a cypress tree,\n                But when his sire was brought to see\n                That child with hair so silvery white\n                His heart revolted at the sight.\u201d\n\nYes, strange as it may seem, such an unfortunate omen is it considered\nin Persia to have light hair and blue eyes, that in spite of its being\nwell known in the Pehliva\u2019s household that he longed passionately for a\nson to perpetuate his line, yet the infant had gazed upon the light for\nseven days ere any one found courage to announce unto him the fact of\nthe baby\u2019s birth.\n\nOn the eighth day, however, the child\u2019s nurse, bold as a lioness, went\nin unto the Pehliva, and, bowing herself low in the dust, craved of her\nlord the boon of speech. Permission being graciously granted unto her,\ntherefore, the woman thus spake:\n\n\u201cUnto the sire of a noble house I bring good news. May the days of Saum\nthe hero be happy! May he live to see the heart of his enemies rent\nasunder! And now rejoice, O mighty Pehliva, for God hath granted unto\nthee the desire of thy heart. Behind the curtain of the house of women,\nthou hast at last a son, a moon-faced boy who, young as he is, yet\nshoweth the heart of a lion. Fresh from the Garden of Paradise, he is\nbeautiful to behold, with nothing amiss except that by some ill-luck his\nhair is white. Fate would have it so. But in spite of this misfortune,\nthe stars have decreed unto him a great destiny. Be content, therefore,\nwith this gift of God as he hath sent it, nor give place in thine heart\nunto ingratitude.\u201d\n\nNow, thus speaking, the woman again performed obeisance and departed.\nThen Saum descended from his throne and made haste unto the apartments\nof the women, where, when the curtain was raised, he beheld a child of\nextraordinary beauty, but with the head of an aged man, the like of\nwhich he had never seen or heard tell of before. Appalled at the sight,\nand filled with despair at this strange trick of Fate, which he feared\nboded misfortune unto his house; also dreading the jeers of his enemies\nwho would now accuse him of bearing a demon child, Saum, the great\nPersian Pehliva, departed from the paths of wisdom. For, lifting up his\neyes unto Heaven, he murmured against the Lord of Destiny, and he said:\n\n\u201cO God of all the World, eternally just and good! Source of all light\nand wisdom! incline unto me, and mercifully hear my cry. If I have done\nevil in thy sight, behold my repentance and pardon me, for lo! I am\nbowed in the dust at thy feet. O merciful Ormuzd, have pity upon me, for\ntruly my soul is overwhelmed that unto me should be born a son who, with\nhis black eyes and his hair as white as a lily, seemeth to be of the\nrace of Satan. Alas! alas! the shame of it is greater than I can bear.\u201d\n\nThus spake Saum Swar in the turmoil of his soul, and, with heart full of\nanger, he hastily departed from the house of women, cursing the fate\nwhich gave unto him such a child. Not so was it, however, with the\ngentle young mother who gave unto her baby the name of Zal, and loved\nhim, mother like, doubly on account of his misfortune.\n\nBut the superstitious people, when they heard of the white-haired child\nborn unto the house of Saum the hero, straightway whispered together,\nsaying:\n\n                  \u201cNo human being of this earth\n                  Could give to such a monster birth;\n                  He must be of the Demon race,\n                  Though human still in form and face.\n                  If not a Demon, he, at least,\n                  Appears a parti-colored beast.\u201d\n\nAnd behold! the nobles of the court expressed much the same sentiment\nwhen they said warningly unto Saum:\n\n\u201cO Pehliva of the World, truly this is an ominous event which will, we\nfear, be productive of naught but calamity unto thee and thy house.\nWould it not be better if thou couldst remove him out of sight?\u201d\n\nAlas! with a heart overflowing with bitterness, Saum bore the sneers and\nreproaches which everywhere met him for some time. Then his\nsuperstitious fears getting the better of him, he resolved, though with\na sorrowful heart, to carry the unfortunate babe unto Mount Alborz\nwhere, abandoned, he would fall a victim unto the beasts of prey.\n\nAnd the resolve once made, in vain did the loving mother plead to be\nallowed to keep her babe; in vain she promised to hide him in seclusion\nso sacred that the sight of him should never again offend his father\u2019s\neye; all was useless! In spite of tears and pleading, little Zal was\ntaken from her loving arms, and carried away unto the lonely mountain,\nin the dead of night, and there left to die.\n\nBut though abandoned by his most unhappy father, poor little Zal was not\nforgotten by God, who knew that he would yet do great things for Persia.\nTherefore, he provided a safe and happy refuge for the babe.\n\nFor behold! upon an inaccessible cliff of Mount Alborz, whose head\ntouched the stars, and upon whose crest no mortal foot hath ever\nstepped, the great Simurgh, the bird of marvel, had builded her nest.\nFar beyond the reach of man, this wondrous nest, fashioned of ebony and\nof sandal-wood, and twined about with aloe, was hidden among the great\nwhite cliffs, threaded thickly with veins of golden quartz. Around the\nbase of this nest of marvel, however, there gleamed the stones of\nfire\u2014the amethyst, the topaz, and the ruby, while in the rocks not far\naway the sunset fires had left their glow in the heart of the opal. So\nthis bird of the golden plumage was happy, for she loved these precious\nstones because they flashed back unto her the fire of her eye, and\nwarmed her heart with their gleaming beauty.\n\nNow the Simurgh is a giant bird, so large that she carrieth elephants in\nher claws unto her nestlings. Yea and her feathers are of pure gold,\nbeing so luxuriant and soft as admirably to fit her for the protecting\ncares of a mother. Now her home being so near unto the stars, and in her\nswift flight soaring almost unto heaven\u2019s gate, it is not surprising\nthat, by the people, the Simurgh is also called the Bird of God.\n\nSo at least on this fateful night she proved unto the forsaken babe of\nthe house of Saum, who lay upon the hard ground, thorns for his pillow,\nthe cold earth for his nurse. Now the night was dark, for great black\nclouds which foretold a coming storm had dimmed even the light of the\nstars. Then\n\n                \u201cA voice not earthly thus addressed\n                The Simurgh in her mountain nest\u2014\n                To thee this mortal I resign,\n                Protected by the power divine.\n                Let him thy fostering kindness share,\n                Nourish him with maternal care;\n                For, from his loins in time will spring\n                The champion of the world, and bring\n                Honor on earth, and make thy name\n                The heir of everlasting fame.\u201d\n\nAnd not in vain was the message, for the great mother bird listened unto\nthe voice, and, peering over the edge of the cliff, she spied the\nhelpless infant lying bereft of clothes and wherewithal to nourish it,\nsucking its fingers for very hunger. Now her own young nestlings were\ngathered safe and warm under her soft feathers, and as she thought of\nthis human parent who could thus leave his tender offspring upon the\ncold, bare rocks to die, her heart beat hot with anger.\n\nRising quickly from her nest, therefore, the great bird poised for a\nmoment in mid-air, listening to make sure that all was well in her nest,\nthen the strong wings moved up and away through the darkness and the\nstorm, and circling round and round in stately flight, she swept nearer\nand nearer unto the abandoned babe. Down she dropped at last, and the\nforlorn little one, looking with wondering, tear-wet eyes upon the great\nmass of soft plumage that seemed to have been borne unto him upon the\nwings of the storm, smiled and gurgled and cooed with delight, reaching\nout his baby arms toward his new-found friend.\n\nAt this the tender mother bird first caressed little Zal with her beak,\nas if to reassure him, then, wreathing him with a girdle of aloe, in\nwhich she fastened her talons securely, up, up, she soared over mountain\nstreams and rocky cliffs, beyond the foot-hills and the higher peaks,\nuntil she reached the mountain nest hidden amidst the stones of fire.\nHere, a sweet, well-known note caused the nestlings to cling more\nclosely together, and, in the newly made space, the forsaken child\ncuddled, finding a safe and happy retreat. For behold! his shelter that\nnight from the cruel storm was the soft golden feathers of the Bird of\nGod.\n\nBut the storm and the darkness passed, and in the morning, when the\nsunlight touched the white cliffs and lighted up the fires in the ruby\nand the opal, the great bird was aroused from slumber by a strange cry\nbeneath her wings, reminding her of her human nestling, and the new\nresponsibilities which it entailed. Rising, therefore, upon her strong\nswift wings, she flew forth to find food for the helpless stranger\nwithin her walls.\n\nNow the Simurgh, being a wise bird, knew only too well that elephant\u2019s\nflesh would be quite too tough for her dainty guest, so she secured\nnice, tender venison for breakfast. And with due regard for courtesy and\nhospitality, baby Zal was fed with the very choicest morsels before her\nown loved brood were allowed to break their fast. And though accustomed\nto balmy milk instead of flesh, the baby laughed in glee as the tender\nbits were popped into his mouth, now by the mother bird, now by her\nnestlings, and thought it a fine breakfast\u2014oh, ever so much better than\nsucking his own fat thumbs!\n\nSo, nourished and protected by the Simurgh, Zal flourished finely; and\nthe nestlings were no less kind unto the little stranger than their\nmother, for from her they had learned the lessons of mercy and love.\nSoon upon tender wing, therefore, they, too, were bringing dainties unto\ntheir human playfellow. And so, the moons and the years rolled happily\nby for white-haired Zal, as he lived in the Simurgh\u2019s home, or played\namidst the rough jewels upon the crags around her nest.\n\nBut Zal\u2019s greatest treat, as he grew older, was going to school; for\nthus the wise old bird named the wonderful excursions upon which she\ntook him. Now, of course, geology and mineralogy he could learn at home,\nfrom the jewelled rocks about their door; but as for astronomy, when it\nwas the lesson of the day, quickly he would mount into his golden\nchariot, which was his foster-mother\u2019s soft back, and then, away he\nwould be borne gently through the air, up, up, until he almost thought\nto touch the golden sun, and all the silver stars.\n\nAnd, would you believe it? his language lessons he loved even better,\nfor then would the glorious bird sweep majestically down to earth, near\nto the dwellings of men, and thus did Zal learn quite early to speak the\nlanguage of the children of Ormuzd, though he thought it not nearly so\nbeautiful as the wonderful notes of his mother. Oh, those were glorious\nexcursions! but best of all, he loved his geography lessons. For then,\nupon the back of the Bird of Marvel, he sailed over the whole world,\nvisiting all its places of interest, and storing his mind with\nknowledge. So, take it all in all, the education of Zal was quite\ncomplete, and his way of securing it most happy.\n\nBut though Zal was so contented and well cared for in his mountain home,\neven unto the time when he was grown into a glorious youth, for his own\nnatural mother, in the stately palace of Saum, the years dragged by with\nmuffled feet, bringing no balm unto her wounded heart. And the old\nwarrior, his father, too, suffered, so that even the remembrance of his\nglorious deeds of valor, writ large in the heart of the Shah and the\npeople, was but as dust in his nostrils. However, no word of repentance\ncrossed his lips; the only sign of remorse was to be seen upon his head,\nfor the raven locks of the great Pehliva had become as the silver poplar\nin whiteness. Night after night, too, he was haunted by strange and\nterrible dreams, so that sleep was driven from his pillow, and he knew\nneither rest nor joy.\n\nBut by and by, as neither good nor evil can remain hidden forever, there\ncame a day when the fame of the glorious youth of Mount Alborz, whose\nchariot was the Bird of Marvel, whose home its mountain nest, spread\nthrough the whole land, even unto the ears of Saum, the son of Neriman.\n\nThen it came to pass that one night Saum dreamed a dream wherein he\nbeheld a gallant youth of martial bearing riding toward him at the head\nof a troop of horsemen, with a banner flying before him, and a Mubid\nupon his left hand. And the Mubid said unto Saum:\n\n\u201cO Unfeeling Mortal, who in thy wickedness cast out thy only son to die,\ndisowning him because his hair was white, though thine own resembleth\nthe silver poplar! How long must thy fair young offspring be left unto\nthe tender mercies of a mountain bird?\u201d\n\nNow hearing these words, Saum awakened with a great cry, and so terrible\nwas his distress of mind that he hastily summoned his Mubids and\nquestioned them concerning the marvellous youth of Mount Alborz, whether\nthis could indeed be his son, saved in some miraculous way.\n\nThen the Mubids, seeing that the time was opportune, said unto Saum, the\nson of Neriman:\n\n\u201cO father more cruel than the lion, the tiger, and the crocodile\u2014for\neven savage beasts protect their young, while thou didst cast out thine\nown, because a mark was set upon him by the Creator\u2014arise and seek thy\nchild, for since he is in the guardianship of God, having a great\nmission to perform in the world, surely all is well with him. Pray\nHeaven, therefore, to forgive thy cruelty, and seek thy child in the\nwild eyrie of the Bird of God.\u201d\n\nNow when Saum heard these words of promise he was truly contrite of\nheart, and calling about him his army, he hastened quickly unto the\nmountain. And there, from the foot of the inaccessible rock which seemed\nto pierce the very skies, the white-haired old warrior beheld his son, a\nyouth of heroic mould, standing near unto the nest of the Simurgh,\ngazing like a young King out over the world. Now seeing this, the pride\nand glory of fatherhood awakened suddenly in the breast of Saum, and his\ndesire to get near unto his son was very great; but, alas! he strove in\nvain to mount the cliff.\n\nThen the great Pehliva, kneeling, called upon God in his humility. And,\nbehold! seeing that his repentance was sincere, the All-Just One put it\ninto the heart of the Simurgh to look down upon the warrior, who with\nuplifted, longing arms cried eagerly unto his son. Consequently, as the\nfather\u2019s cry mounted up unto the wondrous nest amidst the stones of\nfire, it softened toward him the tender heart of the great mother bird\nwho, casting a proud glance at her own loved offspring circling in the\nblue above the nest, then looked sorrowfully down upon the white-haired\nyouth upon the cliffs below who shot out into the world unpolished gems\nfrom his bow.\n\nPresently, however, rising from her nest, the Bird of God circled nearer\nand nearer unto the youth, finally settling down beside him upon the\ncliff. Then, throwing aside his bow and arrow, Zal stroked the golden\nplumage of his kind foster-mother, questioning her as to the proud\nwarrior and his host who tarried upon the rocks below. Whereupon, first\ncaressing him lovingly with her beak, the Simurgh then said:\n\n\u201cO thou my Nestling! verily, I have reared and been unto thee as a\nmother, but now the time is come when I must give thee back unto thy\npeople. For lo! the warrior who gazeth at us so longingly from afar is\nthy father, Saum the hero, Pehliva of the World, greatest among the\ngreat; and he hath come hither to seek his son. And behold! glory and\nsplendor await thee at his side.\u201d\n\nNow as the youth listened unto these words, his eyes slowly filled with\ntears and his heart with sorrow, for he loved his mountain home, and\nlonged not for greater splendor than that which was already his in the\nglorious nest of the Simurgh. Flinging his arms closely, therefore, in\nmute caress about the soft neck of his foster-mother, for a time Zal was\nsilent; then suddenly raising his head, he burst forth into impassioned\nspeech, and he said:\n\n\u201cO Wondrous Bird of God, art thou then weary of me? Ah, send me not\nforth! For truly thy nest is unto me a throne, thy sheltering wings, a\nmother\u2019s arms. In thy golden chariot have I beheld the glories of the\nworld, and now I desire naught but to remain near unto thee forever.\nThen send me not forth, lest I die with longing for thee and my mountain\nhome.\u201d\n\nNow at this proof of affection, tears filled the eyes of the kind old\nmother bird. But, once more caressing Zal with her golden feathers, she\nsaid unto him gently:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Youth, verily it is not for want of love I send thee forth!\nNay, if I consulted my heart, I would keep thee beside me forever. But\nthe stars indicate for thee a great destiny, and so I must let thee go,\nfor thy country as well as thy father shall be royally blessed through\nthee. Comfort thyself, therefore, and take heart. And who knoweth! It\nmay even be that when thou hast experienced the joys of a real throne,\nwith all its pomp and splendor, the glories of the wondrous nest will be\ndimmed in thine eyes. But, that thou mayest always remember with\naffection thy loving foster-mother who saved and reared thee among her\nlittle ones; that thou mayest still feel thyself safe under the shadow\nof her wings, take and bear with thee into the world this golden feather\nfrom her breast, and when thou art involved in difficulty or danger\nplace it upon the fire. I will then come unto thee instantly to secure\nthy safety. And now, O my Nestling,\n\n        \u201cHaving watched thee with fondness by day and by night,\n        And supplied all thy wants with a mother\u2019s delight,\n        Oh, forget not thy nurse\u2014still be faithful to me,\n        And my heart will be ever devoted to thee.\u201d\n\nAnd now right sorrowfully the Simurgh bade the youth mount for the last\ntime into his golden chariot; then in graceful circles she swept slowly\ndown unto the wondering father. And behold! having reached the ground,\nthe Bird of Marvel placed the youth in the outstretched arms of his\nfather, saying unto Saum:\n\n\u201cO contrite Pehliva, receive thy son, and know that never royal youth\nwas more worthy of diadem and throne. Let thy heart rejoice in him,\ntherefore, for great glory shall he bring unto thy house.\u201d\n\nThen Saum, when he beheld his son, with body like unto an elephant\u2019s for\nstrength, and glorious in his youthful beauty, bowed low before the Bird\nof God, covering her with benison. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Shah of Birds, dwelling so near unto Heaven\u2019s gate, truly thou art\nthe Bird of Marvel as well as the Bird of God! Mayest thou be ever safe\nfrom thy enemies! mayest thou be great forever!\u201d\n\n[Illustration: Then in graceful circles she swept slowly down unto the\nwondering father.]\n\nBut even as Saum yet spake, the wondrous bird flew upward unto her nest,\nleaving father and son together. Then the Pehliva humbly acknowledged\nunto Zal his guilt, entreating forgiveness. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Silver-crowned Youth, whose glory is a reproach unto thy father,\ngraciously let the waters of forgetfulness cover my sins, and I swear\nunto thee that never again will I harden my heart against thee, or\nrefuse unto thee aught that is good.\u201d\n\nThen reconciliation having been made, Saum clothed his son in rich robes\nworthy a king\u2019s son, and mounting him upon a superb Arab steed, he\nconducted him unto the army. Now when the warriors beheld the glorious\nyouth, they shouted for joy, and the army being set in motion, the\nkettle-drummers, mounted upon mighty elephants, sounded their\ninstruments, the tabors were beaten, the cymbals clashed, and great\nrejoicing filled the land because that Saum had found his son, and that\nZal was a hero among men. And above this rejoicing host, far, far up in\nthe blue, there floated the wondrous Bird of God, who accompanied the\narmy even unto the gates of Seistan.\n\nNow thus it was that Zal, the son of Saum, clad in purple, and covered\nwith honors, returned unto the palace from which he had been cast out, a\nnaked and wailing babe. And when clasped in the glad arms of his\nbeautiful mother, who wept tears of joy over her handsome, white-haired\nboy, then, indeed, did he think less longingly of the wondrous nest amid\nthe stones of fire. But again and again was he made to tell of his\nwonderful experiences in the Simurgh\u2019s nest, and the golden feather was\nprized by all as the greatest treasure of the house of Saum.\n\nAnd behold! as the days and the weeks flew by, the wondrous story of Zal\npierced even unto the ears of the great Minuchir, who bade his son Nuder\ngo forth unto Seistan with a splendid troop of horsemen, in order to\nbring the great Pehliva and his newly found son unto the court to\nreceive the royal congratulations.\n\nSo father and son made ready, and when they were arrived at the gates of\nthe Shah, behold, Saum was first conducted into the presence of the\ngreat Minuchir. Now the King was seated in all his royal robes upon the\nthrone of light, while upon his right hand sat Karun the Pehliva.\nReceiving Saum most graciously, therefore, the monarch bade him be\nseated upon his left hand. Then he questioned him as to the wondrous\nstory of Zal; and Saum related everything unto the Shah, hiding not his\nown evil deed. Then when all was told, Minuchir commanded that Zal be\nbrought into his presence.\n\nSo the nestling of a mountain bird, clad in robes of splendor, was\nconducted by the chamberlains into the great audience-room of Kings, and\nthe Shah, amazed at his royal appearance, after welcoming the youth,\nsaid unto Saum:\n\n\u201cO Pehliva of the World! Verily, the heart of the Shah rejoiceth in this\nyoung hero born to be a glory unto the land of Iran. Guard him well,\ntherefore, teaching him the arts of war and the pleasures and customs of\nthe banquet. For how should one reared in the nest of a mountain bird be\nfamiliar with these things?\u201d\n\nThen, after talking pleasantly with Zal for some time, the Shah bade his\nMubids cast the horoscope of this child of promise. And lo! it was found\nthat the stars would bring naught but good unto the son of Saum; that he\nwould outlive every warrior of the age, and be the defence of Iran for\nhundreds of years.\n\nNow these prophecies so delighted Minuchir that he presented Zal with a\nbeautiful Arabian horse and gorgeous armor, and as he left the\naudience-room slaves poured musk and amber before him. And unto Saum the\nShah gave Indian swords in gold scabbards, rubies, a throne adorned with\nturquoises, a crown and girdle of gold, and finally, a charter that\nvested him with the sovereignty of Kabul, Zabul, and Ind. Then he bade\nthat the Pehliva\u2019s horse be brought, and sent him rejoicing back unto\nhis land.\n\nBut it was not to idleness that Zal returned, after his visit unto the\ncourt of the great Minuchir. For, in accordance with the wishes of the\nShah, he was now placed under the care of renowned instructors, and\ndaily he increased in wisdom and accomplishments, so that his fame\nfilled the land. However, the Mubids were not his only teachers, for\noften when tired of the pomp and splendor of his father\u2019s court, his\nheart would fill with longing for his mountain home. Then climbing up\nunto his airy balcony, presently he would hear a great flapping of\nwings, and lo! there was his golden chariot, into which he would quickly\nmount, and then, away, away, wherever his fancy led. Now during these\nmarvellous journeys so great was the sense of freedom and power which he\nenjoyed, that he envied not all the kings of earth; nay, not even the\ngreat Minuchir upon his throne. And this is not to be wondered at. For\ntruly such delight is seldom accorded to mortals. It cometh, we are\ntold, but once in a thousand years, and then only unto the white-haired\nwonder child of a Simurgh. Happy Zal!\n\nBut not even a wonder child can always remain young and free from\nresponsibility, and so the time came when Zal was called upon to fight\nthe battles of his country, and also to rule in his father\u2019s stead, when\nhe was absent fighting against the Deevs. In all these things the son of\nSaum proved himself to be a real hero, being not only valiant and wise,\nbut also beneficent in his power.\n\nThen a thrilling experience happened unto Zal the son of Saum, for he\nfell deeply and irrevocably in love with fair Rudabeh, the daughter of\nthe King of Kabul. The poet says of this princess, in describing her\nbeauty:\n\n              \u201cOh, wouldst thou make her charms appear,\n              Think of the sun so bright and clear,\n              And brighter far, with softer light,\n              The maiden strikes the dazzled sight.\n              Think of her skin, with what compare?\n              Ivory was never half so fair!\n              Her stature like the Sabin tree.\n              Her eyes, so full of witchery,\n              Glow like narcissus tenderly.\n              Her arching brows their magic fling,\n              Dark as the raven\u2019s glossy wing.\n              Soft o\u2019er her blooming cheek is spread\n              The rich pomegranate\u2019s vivid red,\n              Her musky ringlets unconfined\n              In clustering meshes roll behind.\n              Possessed of every sportive wile,\n              \u2019Tis heaven, \u2019tis bliss, to see her smile.\u201d\n\nNow Zal _did_ see Rudabeh smile one moonlight night upon her balcony,\nand straightway he vowed to win her for his bride, though all the world\nopposed. And that there would be opposition enough Zal knew quite well,\nfor the King of Kabul was of the hated seed of Zohak and therefore under\na ban. But Zal determined to conquer in spite of this drawback, for not\nonly did he love the princess, but she also loved him, saying stubbornly\nunto those who would have persuaded her of her folly:\n\n          \u201cMy attachment is fixed, my election is made,\n          And when hearts are enchained, \u2019tis vain to upbraid.\n          Neither Kizar nor Faghfur I wish to behold,\n          Nor the monarch of Persia with jewels and gold.\n          All, all I despise, save the choice of my heart,\n          And from his beloved image I never can part.\u201d\n\nBut alas for the lovers! When the mighty Saum heard of the folly of Zal,\nhe was so overwhelmed with anger and dismay that in his great distress\nof mind he cried out bitterly:\n\n\u201cAh, woe is me, for my son, whom a mountain bird hath reared, is become\na prey unto wild desires, and who can foretell the end?\u201d\n\nBut the anger of Saum was mild compared with that of Minuchir. For when\nhe heard the ill news, at once he commanded Saum to go straight to\nKabul, there to tarry until he had burned the palace of Mihrab, and\nutterly destroyed his whole family and all who served him, since he\nwilled that the entire serpent brood of Zohak be wiped from the earth.\n\nThen to complicate matters still further, Mihrab, when he learned the\nShah\u2019s decree, straightway determined in his terror to slay the Princess\nwhose folly was causing all the trouble. But Rudabeh faced her father\nproudly, and as the Queen interceded in her behalf, offering to go alone\nunto the mighty Saum to beg for mercy, the King relented and Rudabeh was\nsaved.\n\nBut while these events were happening in Kabul, Zal was not idle. Going\nstraight to his father, he pleaded most eloquently for his love,\nreminding Saum that when a helpless babe he had cast him out to die, and\nthat now once more he threatened his happiness. He also recalled unto\nhis father\u2019s mind his promise never to refuse his son aught that his\nheart desired; and so, being thus beset, Saum finally withdrew his\nopposition. And not only that, but he also gave unto his son a strong\nletter of pleading to carry unto the Shah.\n\nSo once more Zal set out for the Court, this time to besiege the great\nMinuchir. And here he had no easy time, for the Shah, determining to try\nthe young hero, instructed that his Mubids should propound unto him six\nhard riddles, most difficult of solution, in order to test his wisdom.\nBut Zal answered them every one, and all the Court wondered at his great\nintelligence. Then the King required that he give proof of his physical\nprowess, and in the tournament which followed, behold, Zal outstripped\nevery competitor, arousing the greatest enthusiasm by his remarkable\nexhibitions of skill and strength and courage. But it was the Mubids who\nfinally gained the day for Zal, as you shall hear, for, after consulting\nthe stars, they said unto Minuchir:\n\n\u201cO Shelter of the Universe! Lo, in the Book of Fate it is written that\nthe love of Zal and Rudabeh shall shine as the stars, for from their\nunion shall spring a son, beside whom all the heroes of the world shall\npale. Long life, courage, strength, and honor shall be his, and in the\nhour of peril the great Shahs of Iran will never call upon him in vain.\u201d\n\nNow hearing this, Minuchir could not reasonably withhold his consent, so\nquickly the gallant young lover speeded him back unto Kabul where a most\ngorgeous wedding took place. And after this great event, for days and\ndays, naught was heard but merry sounds of rejoicing through all the\nland. For the people loved White-haired Zal, and their hearts were glad\nbecause of his victory.\n\nBut the happiest time for the lovers was when, the fuss and parade all\nover, they were allowed to settle down amid the roses and fruits of\ntheir vine-wreathed home. Yea, and here, for many, many moons, the young\nchieftain and his fair bride lived happy as it is ever given unto\nmortals to be.\n\nBut alas! One day there was darkness and gloom in the thicket of roses,\nwhere the night-bird trilled his song unto the drooping flowers. There\nwas darkness also upon an inner-room, for the shadow of death hovered\nover the fair Princess, who lay ill and in terrible peril, the court\nphysicians having given up all hope of her life.\n\nNow for a time, after hearing this dire verdict, Zal sat stupefied with\nsorrow; but suddenly as he gazed blindly at the dying fire, he thought\nof the Simurgh\u2019s plume. Pausing not an instant, therefore, he quickly\nsecured the beauteous golden feather, and laid it softly upon the fire.\nThen with bated breath he waited, listening! listening! and lo! in a\nmoment there came the rushing sound as of a tempest, the wings of the\nSimurgh gleamed in the darkness, and the great, soft mother bird stood\nbeside her foster-child.\n\nAnd, oh! how Zal\u2019s eyes lighted up with joy and hope as he threw his\narms about her soft golden neck, and leaned upon her gorgeous plumage!\nWaiting not for him to speak, however, the Bird of God said caressingly\nunto Zal:\n\n\u201cO, thou my Nestling! Wherefore art thou troubled? And why do I see the\neyes of the lion wet with tears?\u201d\n\nThen quickly Zal told unto his foster-mother of the great joy that had\ncome unto him, followed, alas, by the present sorrow, unto all of which\nthe Simurgh listened attentively. And the story told, bidding him be of\ngood cheer, the loving mother bird whispered a few directions in his\near, after which away she flew back to her mountain nest.\n\nBut Zal speeding him to carry out the directions of the Simurgh, soon\njoy reigned once more in the bower of roses, for Rudabeh was out of\ndanger. Yea; and not only that, for with the Bird of God, tucked safely\nunder her soft wing, had come a priceless gift unto Zal and Rudabeh\u2014a\nsplendid young son to crown their happiness. And now Rudabeh, too, loved\nthe beautiful Simurgh, with a love almost as great as that of Zal\nhimself, because the golden chariot had brought her babe so safely. And\nbehold! they called the boy Rustem, which meaneth \u201cdelivered\u201d; for, said\nthe Mubids, while he liveth will he ever stand between Persia and her\nfoes.\n\n\n\n\n                        RUSTEM THE WONDER CHILD\n\n\nNever, I suppose, in the legends of any land is there given account of\nso wonderful and prodigious a child as Rustem, the son of Zal.\n\nNow he was as fair as a nosegay of lilies and tulips, we are informed,\nand when but a day old he was so tall and strong and vigorous that he\nseemed to have been born a whole year. You will not be surprised to\nhear, therefore, that at first he required the milk of ten nurses, so\ngreat was his hunger; and when he was weaned, his food was bread and\nmeat, and he ate as much as five men. Now by all this you will see that\nthe babe was a true wonder child; but then that was to be expected,\nsince he was brought by the Simurgh from\u2014who knows what enchanted\nregion?\n\nAnd never, I am equally sure, was there greater rejoicing over the\ncoming of a babe! For, when the tidings sped forth that unto Zal the\nhero a son was born, behold, the whole land of Iran was given over to\nfeasting and rejoicing\u2014even the very poor sharing in the general mirth;\nfor so great was the satisfaction of the great Shah over the coming of\nthis child of promise, foretold by the Mubids, that thousands of dinars\nwere given away in charity throughout the land.\n\nBut who shall describe the joy of the two grandfathers?\u2014particularly\nthat of King Mihrab, who became so puffed up with pride that, like a\ngreat gas-inflated balloon, he threatened any minute to fly off into\nspace, or to burst with joy. The father of Zal, however, was away\nfighting the Deevs of Mazinderan at this time, so his son sent swift\nmessengers to carry unto him the good news, and Zal sent with them a\nlikeness of Rustem worked in silk, representing him upon a horse, armed\nlike a warrior, and bearing in his hands a cow-headed mace. Now when the\nold champion beheld the image of this lion\u2019s whelp, it made him almost\ndelirious with delight. Returning thanks unto Ormuzd for this splendid\ngift unto his house, therefore, the old warrior then poured mountains of\ngold before the messengers, and distributed munificent gifts unto all\nhis army.\n\nAs for Rustem, he continued to grow in wonder with his years. At three,\nit is said, he rode upon horseback; and in his eighth year he was as\ntall and powerful as any hero of his time. In fact, so great was his\nphysical perfection, that the chronicles and the poet unhesitatingly\ndeclare of him:\n\n                 \u201cIn beauty of form and vigor of limb\n                 No mortal was ever seen equal to him.\u201d\n\nBut though twice four years had rolled over his head, the eyes of Saum\nhad not yet been gladdened by the sight of his wonderful grandson.\nFinally, however, the war was over and, at the head of a splendid\nretinue of warriors, the aged Prince set out for Zabulistan, the home of\nRustem and his noble father, the White-haired Zal.\n\nAnd behold! when the old warrior was yet a day\u2019s journey from the city,\nRustem, with a gorgeous train, went forth to meet him, for he longed to\nhear his grandsire tell of war and battle, which his soul loved and\nlonged for, and in his eagerness he could not wait. So his father let\nhim go, but not alone, for as the young Prince passed through the city\ngates, his body-guard, mounted upon coal-black steeds, rode in advance,\ntheir golden maces and battle-axes gleaming in the sun, while above them\nwaved the red flag of the house of Zal. Then followed the elephants,\nupon whose backs, seated in gayly decked howdahs, rode the lords and\nnobles of the land, their waving plumes and bright ensigns making them\nappear like a troop of gorgeous butterflies. And following these came a\nmultitude of young warriors, the flower of Iran, riding beautiful Arab\nhorses, with swords at their sides, and long spears resting upon their\nsaddle-bows; and there was music, too, for the drums beat, the cymbals\nclashed, and the trumpets brayed, filling the air with sounds of\nrejoicing. Thus rode young Rustem forth to greet and do honor unto his\nillustrious grandsire, Saum the son of Neriman.\n\nAnd lo! when Rustem beheld the retinue of Saum yet a long way off, he\ncommanded his own attendants to stand still, while he, dismounting from\nhis great war elephant, went forward on foot. Then when he was come near\nenough to behold the face of his grandsire, he straightway touched with\nhis eyelashes the ground before his feet, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Pehliva of the World! Greatest of the great among the defenders of\nIran! Behold, I am Rustem, thy grandson, and much I have longed to see\nthee! And now I crave thy blessing that I may return in happiness unto\nZal, my silver-crowned father.\u201d\n\nNow, beholding the youth, Saum was struck dumb with wonder, for he saw\nthat not half had been related unto him as to the boy\u2019s stature and\ngrace. Filled with delight, the old warrior commanded his elephant to\nkneel, and having descended, he raised and blessed his grandson. Then,\nhaving seated him in the howdah beside him, the two rode side by side\ninto Zabulistan.\n\nAnd how the two enjoyed that journey! Also, how they talked, or rather\nRustem did! But first, he gazed and gazed in open delight at the great\nwarrior by his side, concealing not his admiration and pride, for though\na giant in size, the heart of Rustem was that of a child. Then he said\nunto the old man:\n\n\u201cO my grandfather, now I perceive that I am sprung from thee, and I\nrejoice. For my desires are not after pleasure, neither do I think of\nplay, or rest, or sleep; but ever and always I long to be a hero,\nfighting fierce battles and performing deeds of valor. But most of all,\njust now, I crave a horse of my own, and a hard saddle such as the\nTuranian riders use; a coat of mail, too, and a helmet like those thy\nwarriors have. Then with my lance, and my arrows in which I delight, I\nwill vanquish the enemies of our house and of Iran, and my courage shall\nbe like unto thine and that of my noble father. Then thy heart will\nrejoice, O my grandsire, and side by side we will fight the battles of\nthe great Shah and of Iran.\u201d\n\nNow when Saum heard these words he was both amazed and delighted, and he\nblessed the boy yet again, promising him that as soon as he reached the\nstature of his father, he should have his heart\u2019s desire. And so great\nwas his joy and pride in his grandson that his eyes could not cease from\ngazing upon the bright, eager face of the youth. And he said unto him:\n\n\u201cO my young Hero, valiant of heart, for more than a hundred years have I\nbeen the chief of the Princes of Iran, and great are the honors that\nhave come unto me, yet never have my eyes been gladdened as in thee.\nVerily, being now full of years, I fear that my fighting days are almost\nover, but I rejoice that in Rustem the house of Saum will still live and\nshine as the sun in glory. And to this end, it behooveth thee to grow up\nstrong and valiant and wise like unto thy father and the other heroes of\nthy house. Then will the heart of thy grandsire indeed rejoice in thee,\nand all will be well in the land.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: The two rode side by side into Zabulistan.]\n\nBut alas! The home pleasures of a warrior are of short duration, and so\nscarcely a moon had run her course before Saum was again called unto the\nfield of battle. During the whole of his stay, however, he insisted upon\nhaving Rustem always with him, and when finally he was obliged to go, he\nsaid unto Zal:\n\n\u201cRemember, O my son, that when this child\u2019s stature is equal to thine\nown, he is to have a horse of his own choosing, and all the trappings\nsuch as we ourselves wear in battle. Honor this, therefore, as my\nparting command.\u201d\n\nNow hearing this, Rustem, leaving his grandfather\u2019s side, and placing\nhimself near unto White-haired Zal, said, smiling:\n\n\u201cAnd see, father! I am only eight, but even now I am almost as tall as\nthou. Truly, I shall not have long to wait!\u201d\n\nThen the two warriors smiled, well pleased with the boy; and as they\nembraced in parting, Zal gravely promised that he would surely remember.\n\nBut time passed, and when yet two summers had rolled over the head of\nRustem, behold, one night he was awakened from his slumbers by a great\nnoise and cries of distress outside his door. Starting up quickly and\nlistening, therefore, he distinguished the cry:\n\n\u201cThe King\u2019s white elephant! The King\u2019s white elephant! He hath broken\nhis chain, and is crushing and trampling the people to death. Flee!\nFlee, for thy life!\u201d\n\nNow Rustem, when he caught the import of the words, sprang quickly from\nhis bed, seized his grandfather\u2019s great club, and commanded the guards\nto let him pass into the court that he might subdue the beast. But the\nattendants barred the way, saying harshly:\n\n\u201cRash boy! What wouldst thou do? The night is dark, and the white\nelephant is loose. It is sure death, therefore, to venture out. Lend\nthyself not unto folly, nor yet give place unto rage, for how can we\nface the fury of thy father, if we allow thee to run into danger?\u201d\n\nBut Rustem did give place unto both rage and disgust at such\nfaint-heartedness. For, realizing that hundreds of lives were in danger\nand that he must not delay, behold, he struck the attendant who barred\nhis path so terrible a blow that his head rolled off like a ball struck\nfrom a bat, seeing which, the others quickly made way for him. Then with\nhis mighty arms and his strong fists he broke down the barriers of the\ndoor; and as he stood without, he beheld how all the warriors were sore\nafraid of the elephant, because that he was mad with rage. Then Rustem\nwas ashamed for them in his soul, for he said within himself:\n\n\u201cVerily, what counteth the life of one against a hundred?\u201d\n\nLaying his club upon his shoulder, therefore, he hastened after the\nelephant; and when he was come near unto the furious beast he ran toward\nhim with a loud cry. Then the elephant, beholding the son of Zal, rushed\nmadly forward, roaring like the river Nile, and raising his trunk to\nstrike. But Rustem, regarding the huge beast with a cautious and steady\neye, fearlessly struck him a blow with such strength and vigor that the\niron mace was bent almost double. Now at this the elephant trembled, his\nlegs failed under him, and he fell with a crash so appalling that you\nhad said a mountain had fallen, the noise of it being heard afar. As for\nRustem, when he had done this deed, he returned unto his bed and slept\nsweetly until morning.\n\nNow the next day, when Zal heard of the prowess of his son, he was\ndelighted. Sending for him therefore, he said unto him:\n\n\u201cO my glorious son, Ormuzd hath been indeed gracious unto thee. In years\nthou art but a child, yet there is no one to match thee in courage,\nstrength, and stature. On this account, therefore, thou shouldst\naccomplish great things in the world; and that thy judgment may also be\ncultivated, I wish to send thee forth upon an enterprise which will\ndelight thy heart. And now listen carefully unto that which I shall\nrelate:\n\n\u201cMany, many years ago, in the reign of the glorious Feridoun, thy\ndistinguished grandfather, the aged Neriman, was sent by that monarch to\ntake an enchanted fortress situated upon Mount Sipend. This fort, high\nup upon a steep eminence, was said to contain beautiful lawns of\nfreshest verdure, delightful gardens abounding with fruits and flowers,\nand fair castles filled with marvellous treasure; for no caravan going\nthat way ever returned. Yet no eye had ever beheld the beauties of the\nplace, and no army, however strong or strategic, had ever scaled the\nheights, for the fort seemingly was impregnable.\n\n\u201cAgain and again valiant warriors and mighty armies, at the command of\nthe Shah, besieged this place of Deevs, but in vain. And alas! thy\ngrandfather, great champion that he was, fared no better, for after a\nwhole year\u2019s siege, with nothing accomplished, he was finally killed by\na rock thrown upon his head by one of the evil Deevs, and as a\nconsequence, again an unsuccessful army returned unto Feridoun.\n\n\u201cThen thy grandfather Saum, being deeply afflicted by the fate of his\ngallant father, himself set out against the fort. But though he wandered\nfor months and years over the desert looking for the fortress, he could\nnot find the way which led unto the place, for never a being was seen to\nenter or come out of the gates. So finally, other duties obliged him to\ngive up the appalling enterprise, and he was forced to return without\nhaving avenged his father\u2019s death.\n\n\u201cAnd now, my son, it seemeth unto me that, since thou art yet unknown,\nit may be easy for thee to accomplish our purpose. But thou must go\ndisguised, since the keepers of the fort will not then suspect thee, and\nthus thou mayest secure entrance unto the fortress. It occurreth unto\nme, also, that it might be well to disguise thyself as a camel driver,\ncoming in from the desert with a cargo of salt, since it is said that\nthere is nothing in that country valued higher than salt. When they hear\nthat this is thy commodity, the gates of the fortress will surely be\nopened unto thee. Then destroy the wretches utterly, root and branch,\nfor, behold, they have cumbered the earth too long.\n\n\u201cNow, that this is a glorious opportunity by which to test thy prowess,\nO my son, I need not say unto thee. But of this I am sure, if thou shalt\nprove thyself successful in this endeavor, surely Saum, thy grandsire,\nwill consider that the time is ripe for thee to have thine own horse and\narmor, together with all the privileges and honors of a young warrior.\nThen go forth, O my Wonder Child, and may the desert blossom beneath thy\nfeet, and the Blessed Ormuzd wreathe thy brow with victory.\u201d\n\nSo spake the White-haired Zal, and as Rustem listened he became so\nfilled with delight that he scarce felt the earth beneath his feet. For\nhis soul was that of the warrior, and he longed mightily for adventure\nand combat; yea, they were as honey unto his lips. So the grass grew not\nunder his feet, but right speedily he prepared a great train of camels.\nAnd so cunningly was the train disguised that, had you seen it, you\nwould have said:\n\n\u201cWhy, here is a salt merchant starting with his caravan across the\ndesert!\u201d\n\nBut the salt merchant was Rustem, and the camel drivers his brave\ncompanions in this adventure. And besides salt, the huge packing-cases\ncontained Rustem\u2019s great club with which he slew the white elephant, as\nwell as all the arms of his warriors. But so well was all arranged, and\nso clever the disguises, that the breath of suspicion could not possibly\nfall upon so innocent-looking a train.\n\nSo right merrily they set forth, and, after marching many days, they at\nlast approached the fortress. And lo! it happened even as Zal had\nthought, for when the keeper of the gate saw them from a distance, he\nran quickly to the governor of the fort, saying:\n\n\u201cMy Lord, a caravan with a great number of camel drivers hath arrived,\nand, judging by the cases, I should say they have salt to sell. What are\nthy commands?\u201d\n\nThen the governor replied unto the gate-keeper:\n\n\u201cWhy, this is most fortunate! It was but yesterday that my chamberlain\nreported unto me that the Deevs were famishing for salt. Admit them by\nall means, for now my people can be satisfied.\u201d\n\nSo the gates were thrown open, and Rustem and his whole train entered\nthe fortress. And behold! after courteous greetings had been exchanged\nbetween the governor and Rustem, he was allowed to repair unto the\nbazaar, taking his camel drivers with him. And here the salt merchant\ndrove a brisk trade, for thousands crowded around, eagerly making their\npurchases, some giving clothes in exchange, some gold, and some jewels;\nand not a thought of fear or suspicion was there in the heart of any one\nof them.\n\nHowbeit, when night came on and it was dark, Rustem impatiently drew\nforth his weapons from their hiding-place, and quickly arming himself\nand his companions, started to execute his plan of attack. And first,\nadvancing toward the governor\u2019s mansion, he raised his furious\nbattle-cry; then, with one blow of his mace, he shattered the great iron\ndoor, and fell upon the guards. Now right and left he levelled them, and\nnone could stand before him. Indeed, so fierce and overwhelming was he\nthat you would have sworn that this was no mortal man, but the Great\nWhite Deev himself, falling upon his brethren. For in his fury, not only\ndid he slay the mighty Deev who ruled the fortress, but all his chiefs\nas well, felling some to the earth with his club, striking others down\nwith his sword, so that when morning was come not a Deev was left alive\nin the fortress.\n\nAnd this accomplished, Rustem\u2019s next step was to storm the governor\u2019s\ntreasure palace. Now this was built of stone, and the gate was of iron,\nbut this did not deter for a moment the mighty son of Zal. With his\nformidable battle-axe he soon demolished the entrance, and then,\npressing eagerly forward, treasure, priceless treasure, everywhere met\ntheir gaze.\n\nBut all this was as naught in comparison with what was to come, for in\nthe heart of the palace they finally discovered a marvellous temple,\nconstructed with infinite skill and science, beyond the power of mortal\nman. And well Rustem knew that here the cow-headed mace would be of no\navail, for it was plain that this was the work of magic. Undaunted,\nhowever, the son of Zal drew forth from his breast, at this crisis, a\nbeautiful golden feather, which, applying to the lock, the door\nimmediately flew open, revealing a most gorgeous sight. For lo! there\nwere rubies, and emeralds, and diamonds, and opals, amethysts and onyx,\nturquoise and pearls, to say nothing of crowns and girdles, sceptres and\nthrones of pure gold, inlaid with jewels. Also, there were tapestries\nand rugs, brocades and silks, carvings and armor, together with heaps\nand heaps of glittering coins. But words cannot describe it, for truly\nnever in the world was there such a gorgeous sight as that treasure\npalace of the enchanted fortress.\n\nAnd now a problem confronted Rustem, for he was puzzled to know what to\ndo with such enormous and valuable spoils. He therefore sent a messenger\nunto Zal to announce his victory, and to receive directions as to the\ntreasure. Then Zal, rejoicing, sent unto Rustem two thousand camels to\nbring away the booty, thinking this number sufficient. But alas! when\nthese were all loaded there was still much treasure remaining, for, you\nsee, it was the wealth of thousands of caravans. Having taken all they\ncould, however, Rustem, following the instructions of his father, then\nburned the place with fire, so that naught remained of it. Then, his\nwork being finished, lo, he departed back unto his father.\n\nBut, strange as it may seem, the chronicles yet record that all this\ntreasure was as nothing unto Rustem in comparison with the joy in\nbattle, the delight in conquest which he now knew for the first time\noutside his dreams. Again and again on the homeward journey, he lived\nover the blissful experience, and so engrossed in it did he finally\nbecome that the glorification which awaited him upon his arrival\nhome\u2014his father\u2019s words of praise, his mother\u2019s fond embrace\u2014all passed\nover him but half noted, for his mind was busy with other things. After\nmuch pondering, however, he finally said unto his father:\n\n\u201cO my silver-crowned father, one of these days I am going to be a great\nwarrior; of that I feel sure. For in battle my soul knoweth perfect joy.\nAnd now, having avenged my illustrious grandsire, surely I may choose my\nwar horse and enter upon my career as a warrior, for truly I am now no\nlonger a child.\u201d\n\nSo ended Rustem\u2019s youth, with all its exploits which seem so marvellous\nfor a child. But then it must be remembered that he was not an ordinary,\nbut a wonder child\u2014which explains it all perfectly.\n\n\n\n\n                        RUSTEM THE YOUNG WARRIOR\n\n\nNow when the news of Rustem\u2019s capture of the enchanted fortress reached\nthe ears of the aged Saum, at once he sent a swift messenger unto Zal,\nhis son, commanding that, as a reward for his valor, Rustem should now\nbe allowed to choose his own horse and enter upon his career as a\nwarrior.\n\nAccordingly, without delay, a proclamation was sent out into all the\nprovinces of Persia, commanding that upon the first day of the\napproaching Festival of Roses all the choicest horses in the land should\nbe brought in unto Zabulistan that Rustem might choose from among them\nhis steed of battle. Now, to the owner of the lucky horse chosen, the\nreward was to be mountains of gold, but the warning was also given that\nshould any man hold back a steed of value on the day named, the weight\nof the Shah\u2019s displeasure would certainly fall with blighting force upon\nhis head.\n\nAnd, oh, what a horse-fair this proclamation produced! For the fame of\nit spread away beyond the borders of Persia, and as a consequence, for\nweeks before the day appointed, great herds of horses were brought in\ndaily until, upon the hills and plains without the walls of the city,\nthere was an exhibition, the like of which the world hath not seen.\n\nFor, in addition to the large number of beautiful, home-bred steeds, the\nhill-slopes to the south of the city were white with the tents of the\nmost famous breeders from Kabul and the Afghan pasture-lands, whose\nchoice collections of animals were truly a joy to behold. Then on the\nplain, a mile or so from the gate of the city, were tethered a herd of\nheavy-built, dark-maned horses brought in by a horde of half-wild\nTartars, wearing black sheepskin caps and carrying long spears. And near\nunto them was a caravan of low-browed men from the shores of the\nCaspian, who rode their clean-limbed, swiftly-moving animals fresh from\nthe freedom of the steppes, at full speed, standing erect upon their\nsaddles. There were, too, a number of superb Arab coursers, for which\nmore than one princely sum had been offered, but the patriarchal sheik\nwho had travelled with them from the distant valley of the Euphrates was\nlooking for still greater opportunities. And besides all these, there\nwere also scores and scores of single horses, each the flower of the\nflock and the joy of his master\u2019s life, brought in not because of the\nreward, but through fear of punishment. Now, gazing upon this wonderful\ncollection of beautiful horses, you would have said that surely the\nworld had nothing left to be desired in the shape of perfect steeds. But\nwe shall see!\n\nFor the morning which ushered in the great Festival of Roses dawned at\nlast, and at a very early hour the whole city was astir. Now the\nbeautiful golden throne, from which Zal and Rustem were to inspect the\nhorses, had been placed just outside the western gate, and it was toward\nthis Mecca that everybody hastened. Here also the ladies of Zabulistan\nwere seated in the covered pavilion on the top of the wall, from which,\nwithout being seen, they could look down upon the passing show. And\nthough still early, every available point of view was already crowded\nwith a picturesque crowd of onlookers who discussed eagerly the possible\nchoice about to be made by Rustem.\n\nAnd finally, all being now ready, at a given signal the horses, which\nhad already been brought together at a convenient spot, were led, one by\none, through the long passage of armed men, directly before Rustem, the\nson of Zal. And the first to pass were those of the Zabulistan herds,\nstrong, beautiful horses, many of them bred and reared with the one\nthought of their being chosen as the Prince\u2019s steed of battle.\n\n\u201cO Mighty One, behold this beauty!\u201d cried the foremost keeper\nenthusiastically unto Rustem. \u201cTruly, never hast thou seen his like.\nWhy, so swift is he that the wind is outstripped and put to shame in a\ncontest with him, and yet he is so gentle that he will eat sugar from\nthy hand!\u201d\n\nSmiling at the keeper\u2019s enthusiasm, Rustem stepped forward, replying\nunto him:\n\n\u201cA beauty he is truly, but Rustem must have strength as well as\nswiftness in his steed.\u201d\n\nNow, thus speaking, the Prince placed his hand upon the horse to see if\nit could stand that test. But the animal shuddered beneath his grasp and\nsank upon its haunches from the strength of the pressure, so that,\ncrestfallen, his master was forced to lead him away.\n\nAnd alas! so fared it with horse after horse brought forward, with those\nfrom the home pastures as well as those from the steppes, the mountain\nvalleys, and the plains of the Oxus. Verily, not one of them could stand\nthe mighty weight of Rustem\u2019s hand.\n\nThen came the long-bearded, venerable old sheik from the Euphrates, and\nhe led forward the largest of his magnificent Arabs. And behold, so\nsplendid was this courser that cries of admiration from all the\nspectators greeted his appearance, for seldom, even in that land of\nbeautiful horses, had an animal been seen which was in every way so near\nperfection. Sure of success, therefore, the old sheik, smiling with\nsatisfied pride, said unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cO Seeker after Perfection, verily I perceive that naught but a\nblameless steed will satisfy thee! Well, behold! here are beauty, and\nstrength, and swiftness, and intelligence, combined with gentleness and\naffection. Step up, My Beauty, and greet thy future master!\u201d\n\nNow, at this, the magnificent creature stepped proudly forward, tossing\nhis head and coquetting as if perfectly conscious of the admiration he\nwas exciting. But alas! so high-spirited and mettlesome was he, that\nwhen Rustem quietly subjected him unto the same test that the others had\nundergone, he quailed and trembled, not so much because he could not\nbear the weight, as that it fretted his proud spirit to feel the weight\nof such an iron hand. So he also was led away.\n\nThen, last of all, the traders from Kabul brought forward a herd of ten\nwhich they had carefully selected for their great strength, and which\nwere the flower of all those bred in the Afghan pastures. But not one of\nall the ten could stand the test of Rustem\u2019s hand.\n\nAlas! at this last failure, disappointment filled the heart of Rustem,\nfor he knew not what he should do for a steed of battle. But letting his\neye rove over the plain in one last grand muster, behold! he suddenly\nspied beyond the tents of the Kabul traders a mare and her foal feeding\nquietly upon the hillside. Now the mare was gray, and though her height\nwas not remarkable, she appeared as strong as a lioness. But it was the\ncolt that held Rustem\u2019s eye, and little wonder, for its color was that\nof rose leaves scattered upon a saffron ground. And not only that, but\nit also appeared as strong as an elephant, as tall as a camel, and as\nvigorous as a lion, while its eyes fairly beamed with the fire of\nintelligence. Also, its tail was long and arched and its hoofs were like\nunto steel, seeing which, lo, hope blazed up once more in the heart of\nRustem. Turning quickly unto the traders therefore, he said:\n\n\u201cO Sons of Kabul, unto whom belongeth the gray mare that feeds beyond\nyour tents? And whose is the colt that follows after her? Verily, I see\nno mark upon its flanks!\u201d\n\nThen the herdsmen, shaking their heads gravely, replied unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cMost Gracious Prince, now thou asketh that which we cannot answer. Only\nthis can we say, that all the way from the Afghan valleys they have\nfollowed us, and we have been unable either to drive them back or to\ncapture them. We have heard it said, however, that the name of the colt\nis Rakush, or Lightning, because that he is as light as water and as\nswift as fire; but we do not know his master. Men say, also, that it is\nnow three years since the colt hath been ready for the saddle, and many\nnobles have desired to possess him, but in vain! For as soon as the\nmother seeth a man\u2019s lasso, she runneth up like a lioness to defend her\nyoung, and will suffer no one to touch him. Now what mystery is hidden\nunder all this we know not, but of a truth it is safest to leave them\nalone, for so savage is the gray mare, she will tear the heart out of a\nlion and the skin off a leopard\u2019s back in defence of her foal.\u201d\n\nNow no sooner had Rustem heard all this than he snatched a lariat from\nthe hand of the nearest herdsman, ran quickly forward, and threw the\nnoose, without warning, over the head of the startled colt. Then\nfollowed a furious battle, not so much with the colt as with its\nfrenzied mother, who ran at Rustem like a wild elephant, and would have\nseized his head in her teeth. But lo! the son of Zal roared at her with\nso terrible a voice that the gray mare stood still in astonishment.\nQuickly then, Rustem, seeing his opportunity, dealt her a mighty blow\nupon the head with his fist, so that she rolled over and over in the\ndust. And not in vain was this form of persuasion, for when she got to\nher feet the gray mare had no desire to renew the attack, but quickly\nhid herself in the herd.\n\nSo the mare having retired crestfallen from the field, Rustem tightened\nthe knot of the lasso, and then pressed one of his hands with all his\nmight upon the colt\u2019s back. But Rakush did not bend under it; indeed,\none would have said that he was unconscious of it. Then Rustem gave a\ngreat cry of joy, and caressing the beautiful creature fondly, he cried:\n\n\u201cO Rakush! Rakush! verily thou shalt be my throne, and seated upon thee,\nI shall accomplish great deeds, and now away, My Beauty, away!\u201d\n\nSo speaking, with a great bound the young Prince leaped upon the back of\nRakush, and the rose-colored steed bore him over the plains with the\nspeed of the wind. But when thoroughly tired he turned at a word from\nhis master, and came quietly back unto the city gates, where the vast\ncrowd cheered mightily both Rustem and Rakush.\n\nThen Zal, well pleased that at last the desire of his son was\naccomplished, said unto the men from Kabul:\n\n\u201cGood Herdsmen, what wish ye in exchange for this dragon? Be not afraid\nto speak, for I see that he pleaseth Rustem mightily.\u201d\n\nBut the herdsmen, turning quickly unto Rustem, replied gravely:\n\n\u201cIf thou art Rustem, mount him and retrieve the sorrows of Iran, for his\nprice is the land of Persia, and, seated upon his back, no enemy can\nstand before thee.\u201d\n\nNow thus it was that Rustem won his great war-horse, Rakush, and none\ntoo soon, for it was not long before Iran had need of a champion, being\nplunged in war and bloodshed, as you shall hear.\n\nAnd first you must know that after having flourished for twice sixty\nyears, the good King Minuchir made ready to pass from the world. Now\nbeing informed by the astrologers that his end was near, the Great Shah\ncalled before him Nuder, the young Prince, and gave unto him wise\ncounsel. Then when he had so spoken, he closed his eyes and sighed, and\nwas gathered unto the tomb of his fathers. And lo! all the world mourned\nfor the great Shah gone.\n\nAnd well might Persia mourn, for Nuder, alas, was not great and noble\nlike unto his father, whose wise counsel he soon forgot. And so it came\nto pass that presently so great became his injustice and tyranny that\nfinally the nobles of the land came unto Saum the great Pehliva, and\nprayed that he would wrest from Nuder the crown and place it upon his\nown head. But Saum, being grieved at these words, replied unto them:\n\n\u201cNot so, O Men of Might, for it beseemeth me not in my old age to be\nuntrue to the sovereign unto whom I have sworn loyalty\u2014I and my house.\u201d\n\nThen the nobles insisted, pointing out that Nuder was unworthy the\nthrone. But the aged Saum who for so long a period had faithfully served\nhis country was not at last to prove untrue to his duty. Sternly\nrefusing the proffered honor, therefore, he advised the nobles to return\nunto their allegiance, promising to go himself before the Shah in the\ninterests of the people.\n\nSo Saum the aged girt on his sword, and, taking with him a large\nretinue, he proceeded unto the Court, where he exhorted Nuder with\nprayers and tears to turn from the paths of evil, that he might earn for\nhimself a glorious immortality like unto Feridoun and Minuchir, his\nglorious predecessors. Now so earnest and eloquent was Saum that Nuder\nlistened unto his voice, and joy was abroad once more in the land.\n\nBut alas! The tidings of the death of the mighty Minuchir, and of the\nunpopularity and weakness of the new Shah, spread quickly, finally\nreaching even unto Turan. And there Poshang, who was of the race of Tur,\nheard the news with gladness, for he decided that now was the time ripe\nto take vengeance for the blood of his sire. Therefore he called about\nhim his warriors, and his son Afrasiab who was next unto himself in the\nkingdom, and held counsel over the matter.\n\nNow it is said of young Afrasiab the Prince that he was as strong as a\nlion or an elephant, and that his shadow extended for miles; that his\ntongue was like a bright sword, his heart as bounteous as the ocean, and\nhis hands like the clouds when rain falleth to gladden the thirsty\nearth. Therefore his father found it not difficult to imbue his\nchivalrous and youthful spirit with the sentiments he himself cherished\nas, calling him into his presence, he said unto him:\n\n\u201cO my son, generous and brave, even as the great Minuchir in days gone\nby took vengeance for the blood of his sire, so ought thou now to take\nvengeance for thine; for I say unto thee that the grandson who refuseth\nto do this act of justice is unworthy a noble ancestry.\u201d\n\nSo, inspired by the thought of avenging old wrongs, and lured on by\nambition as well, in the council which followed, Afrasiab gave his voice\nfor war. But Aghriras, his younger brother, advised peace, for he said:\n\n\u201cThough Persia can no longer boast the prowess of Minuchir, O my father,\nstill be not precipitate. For behold! the great warriors Saum, and Zal,\nand Karun yet live, and we have only to remember the result of the war\nin which Selim and Tur were involved to be convinced that it would be\nbetter not to begin the contest at all than to bring ruin and desolation\nupon our own country. Think well, therefore, before undertaking so\nmighty an enterprise.\u201d\n\nTo this prudent counsel, however, Poshang turned a deaf ear, for he\ncoveted the rich provinces of Persia, even as Selim and Tur before him,\nand he thought the time particularly fit and inviting to carry out his\nambitious schemes. So when the verdure of spring covered the plains the\nTartar army set forth.\n\nNow this event could not have happened in a more unlucky hour for\nPersia, since the great Pehliva Saum had just been gathered unto the\ndust; and Zal, his white-haired son, tarried in his house to build him a\ntomb; while Rustem was ill with the small-pox. Nevertheless, the\ngrandson of Feridoun, when he learned of the coming of the Tartar horde,\nraised as great an army as he could, and prepared to meet the foes of\nhis land, which covered the ground like ants and locusts.\n\nAnd presently it came to pass that the two great armies had approached\nwithin two leagues of each other, whereupon, a Tartar champion, Barman,\nby name, rode forth challenging the Persians to single combat; and as it\nhappened, there was no one to answer the call but the aged Kobad, the\noldest warrior in the army. Now Karun and Kobad were brothers, being\nboth sons of Kavah, and both leaders in the Persian army. Seeing how\nunequal would be the conflict, therefore, Karun tried to dissuade his\nbrother from the undertaking, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO my brother, go not forth to meet this giant, for should thy hoary\nlocks be stained with blood, thy legions would be overwhelmed with grief\nand, in despair, decline the coming battle!\u201d\n\nBut brave old Kobad resisted all the arguments and entreaties of Karun,\nreplying unto him:\n\n\u201cThis body, this frail tenement, O my brother, belongeth unto death. No\nliving man hath ever yet gone up to heaven, for all are doomed to\ndie\u2014some by the sword, the dagger, or the spear, and some devoured by\nroaring beasts of prey; some peacefully upon their beds, and others\nsnatched suddenly from life, endure the lot ordained by the Creator. And\nif I perish now, fighting against my country\u2019s foe, doth not my brother\nlive, my noble brother, to bury me beneath a warrior\u2019s tomb, and bless\nmy memory? And what can a soldier brave ask more?\u201d\n\nNow, speaking thus, brave Kobad rushed forward to the field, and the two\nchampions met in desperate conflict, the fearful struggle lasting all\nday long. But at evening, as the combat was about to end for the day,\nbehold, Barman threw a stone at his antagonist with such force that\nKobad, in receiving the blow, fell lifeless from his horse.\n\nAnd then was Karun furious! Bringing forward his whole army, therefore,\nhe at once advanced in fearful charge to avenge right speedily the death\nof his brother. Then seeing this, Afrasiab himself advanced, and an\nencounter ensued which was fierce and terrible.\n\n         \u201cLoud neighed the steeds, and their resounding hoofs,\n         Shook the deep caverns of the earth; the dust\n         Rose up in clouds and hid the azure heavens\u2014\n         Bright beamed the swords, and in that carnage wide,\n         Blood flowed like water. Night alone divided\n           The hostile armies.\u201d\n\nBut the next morning the battle was renewed, and from dawn to set of sun\nthe terrible conflict raged. Now the carnage was so great that blood\nflowed like water, and heads fell from their trunks like unto autumn\nleaves, kissed by the soft south winds; and the clamor and confusion\nwere so mighty that earth and sky seemed blended in one.\n\nHowever, of all the events of that dreadful day none was more terrible\nthan when King Nuder himself charged from out his army to meet the\nvaliant Afrasiab. Now not only did the two combatants hurl javelins at\neach other, and fight until their swords were hacked like unto saws, and\ntheir spears were shivered, but they even closed with each other like\ntwo serpents, so deadly was the struggle. But finally, as night was\ncoming on, Afrasiab began to prevail, and the King had hard work to\nescape with his life.\n\nSo when the javelins cast long shadows upon the plain at even-tide, the\nTartar host had won the day, and many a famous Persian chief lay dead\nupon the battle-field. Howbeit, King Nuder and Karun escaped, securing\nthemselves by falling back unto the White Fort.\n\nBut, that same night, Afrasiab despatched one of his noted chiefs with a\nbody of horsemen unto Iran for the purpose of intercepting and capturing\nthe shubistan of Nuder; and Karun, hearing of this important move, was\nall on fire to pursue the enemy and frustrate their object, wishing not\nto see the helpless women and children of the King\u2019s household in the\nhands of the enemy. So, supported by a strong volunteer force, he set\noff at midnight, and as fate would have it, it happened that at dawn he\nfell in with a detachment of the enemy under Barman, who was also\npushing forward into Persia.\n\nSo, considering this unusually fortunate, straightway Karun, in revenge\nfor his brother Kobad, sought out the champion and dared him to single\ncombat. And so great was his fury that, throwing his javelin with the\nmight of a Deev, he hurled Barman violently from his horse, so that he\nlay upon the ground stunned. Then Karun, quickly dismounting, severed\nthe head of the giant, and hung it at his saddle-bow. And this being\naccomplished, he attacked and defeated the whole Tartar company, being\nin full possession of the field when joined by King Nuder.\n\nBut now Afrasiab came up, and so again was the battle renewed. Now from\nmorning until evening the conflict raged so fiercely that the ground\ncould not be seen for the dead, and in the end the Persians suffered a\ngreat defeat. But, most unfortunate of all, King Nuder again fell into\nthe hands of the Tartar chief, and long they fought, but finally\nAfrasiab succeeded in grasping his royal opponent by the girdle and,\nfurious, dragged him from his foaming horse, and carried him off a\nprisoner.\n\nBut worse was to come, for when Afrasiab learned of Karun\u2019s valorous\ndeed, and that as a consequence, not only Barman, but many of the\nbravest of his warriors were slain, in a fit of rage, he slew his royal\nprisoner, and also many of the thousand brave warriors who fell into his\nhands with Nuder; and Persia was without a King.\n\nAnd presently it came to pass that Afrasiab himself sat down upon the\nthrone of light, proclaiming himself lord of Iran. And not only this,\nbut he required all the people to do homage unto him, and to pour gifts\nbefore his face. But the people would not listen unto his voice, and in\ntheir distress they sent messengers unto Seistan, asking counsel of the\ngreat Pehliva. Then Zal, hearing of the sad plight of Iran, cast aside\nhis sorrow for Saum, his father, and replied thus unto the messengers:\n\n\u201cO Men of Iran, verily all my days have I feared no enemy save only old\nage, and now it is come upon me; for my back is bowed, and I can no\nlonger wield the sword as in former years, but, thanks unto Ormuzd, the\nold stump hath put forth a noble shoot, and, therefore, my son Rustem\nwill do all that can be done to succor Iran from her foes, for he is\nstrong and courageous, and is now ready and longing for battle.\nWherefore, be of good cheer!\u201d\n\nThen Zal, dismissing the messengers, called before him his son and said\nunto him:\n\n\u201cO Hero of the House of Saum, verily thou art strong as an elephant, and\nthy courage is as that of the lion who defendeth her young.\nNevertheless, O my son, thy lips still smell of milk, and thy heart\nshould be going out after pleasure instead of battle, for thou art yet\nbut a youth. But alas! the times are perilous, and Iran looketh unto\nthee for succor; so the time is come when I must send thee forth to cope\nwith heroes, both thou and Rakush thy steed! And, armed with thy\ngrandsire\u2019s famous club for thy mace, I mistake me if thou spreadest not\nconsternation among the Tartar host. What sayeth the proud son of Zal?\u201d\n\nNow at this Rustem smiled. Then drawing near unto his father he said:\n\n\u201cO my noble father, with my grandsire\u2019s mighty club I slew the King\u2019s\nwhite elephant. Hast thou forgotten that? And also how I took the\nenchanted fortress? Verily, I know that I am young, but it would be a\ndisgrace if I were to be afraid of Afrasiab and his warriors, and\nverily, I am not afraid. For, seated upon Rakush, and armed with my\ngrandsire\u2019s mace and helmet, my heart telleth me that I shall not\ndisgrace the house of Saum the Hero. Give me thy blessing, therefore,\nand send me forth. Then shall Persia be delivered from her foes.\u201d\n\nNow Zal\u2019s heart laughed within him for very gladness when he heard these\nwords of manhood from his son, and immediately preparations were made to\ntake the field, a large army being raised and equipped by Rustem.\n\nBut, though Afrasiab heard of the preparations being made by Zal and\nRustem to come out against him, the news disturbed him not at all, for\nhe said:\n\n\u201cVerily, why should we fear? The son is but a boy, and the father is\nold; therefore, it will be simply play to vanquish these heroes, so let\nus feast and be merry!\u201d\n\nSo they feasted, hearing not as they made merry over their wine the\nsteady tramp, tramp of the approaching army, which daily drew nearer,\nand of whose might they dreamed not.\n\nNow it was the time of roses, when Zal led forth his host against the\noffspring of Tur, and the meadows smiled with verdure, filling all the\nair with fragrance. At the head of the mighty multitude marched Rustem,\nthe flag of Kavah floating o\u2019er him gloriously. But White-haired Zal was\nnot at his side, for he marched in the midst of the men, while Mihrab\nand Gustahem led the two wings. Also there followed after Rustem a\nnumber like the sands of the sea, and the sounds of cymbals and drums\nmade a noise like unto the great day of judgment. So marched they until\nthey came near unto the Tartar camp. Then, assembling his veteran\nchiefs, Zal said unto them:\n\n\u201cO my Brave Warriors, valiant in fight! Behold, we have here a great\narmy; we have also daring chiefs and wise counsellors; but we suffer a\ngreat disadvantage because that we have no King. But rejoice and be not\ndismayed, for a Mubid hath revealed unto me that at Mount Alborz there\nyet liveth one of the royal race of Feridoun, unto whom belongeth the\nthrone; and that he is a youth wise and brave, and a lover of justice\nand truth.\u201d\n\nHaving thus spoken unto the chiefs, behold, Zal next addressed himself\nunto Rustem, and he said:\n\n\u201cMy son, I pray thee depart at once for Mount Alborz, neither tarry by\nthe way. And when thou art come unto the mountain, do homage unto Prince\nKaikobad, and say unto him that lo! the army is asking for its King. We\nshall expect thy return with the Prince within fourteen days.\u201d\n\nSo, with great joy, Rustem leaped upon the back of Rakush, and rode off\nat full speed. Now he had gone but a short distance when a number of\nTartars who had posted themselves upon the road, seeing the young hero\ngalloping toward them, attacked him. But Rustem, club in hand, fell upon\nthem with fury, striking many to the ground, and driving the rest before\nhim, so that they returned unto Afrasiab full of terror.\n\nMeanwhile, Rustem, tarrying not, rode on until he was come unto Mount\nAlborz, unto a spot where he beheld a splendid palace standing in a\nbeautiful garden whence came the sounds of running waters. Trees of tall\nstature uprose therein, and under their spreading shade, beside a\ngurgling fountain, there was placed a throne upon which sat a youth of\nsingular beauty. And circled round about him were nobles, girt with red\nsashes of might, and they paid homage unto the youth.\n\nNow beguiled by the charm of the place, which was really a paradise as\nto perfume and beauty, Rustem drew rein for a moment, and when those\nwithin the garden beheld it, they came out unto him, saying courteously:\n\n\u201cO noble youth, thou appearest to have ridden fast and far! Descend from\noff thy horse, therefore, and drink a cup of wine with us, for we would\ngreet thee as our guest.\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, thanking them, refused the courtesy, saying unto them in\nexplanation:\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, O gracious Pehliva, my errand is one that demandeth\nhaste. For lo! the borders of Iran are encircled by the enemy, and in\nevery house there is mourning because that the throne is empty of a\nKing. Wherefore, I may not stay to taste of wine.\u201d\n\nHearing this, the nobles no longer sought to detain Rustem, but said\ngraciously unto him:\n\n\u201cVerily, if thou art on thy way unto Mount Alborz, brave youth, tell\nunto us thy mission, for we are of those who guard its sides.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, satisfied as to their integrity, replied unto his\nquestioners:\n\n\u201cBehold! I seek upon Mount Alborz a King of the pure royal race, a youth\nwho reareth high his head. His name is Kaikobad, and if ye know aught of\nhim, I pray that ye give me tidings as to where I may find him.\u201d\n\nNow at this the youth upon the throne arose, and said unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cSayest thou, O Pehliva, that thou seekest Prince Kaikobad? Verily, he\nis well known unto me, and if thou wilt graciously enter this garden,\nand rejoice my soul with thy presence, surely I will give thee tidings\nconcerning him.\u201d\n\nSo Rustem, at this promise, quickly dismounted from off the back of\nRakush, and hastened to where the nobles were congregated by the\nfountain. Then the youth who had called unto him took his hand and led\nhim unto the steps of the throne, and, pouring out wine, he drank to his\nguest, giving also unto Rustem. Then this ceremony being ended, he said:\n\n\u201cO Valiant One! Why seekest thou Kaikobad? At whose desire art thou thus\nsent forth?\u201d\n\nThen Rustem replied:\n\n\u201cO Prince, I bring unto Kaikobad good tidings, for the nobles of Iran\nhave chosen him to be their King. And lo! my aged father, Zal, hath sent\nme with all speed to pray the young King to hasten unto his own, that he\nmay lead the host against the enemies of Iran.\u201d\n\nNow the youth listened attentively unto Rustem; then, smiling, he said:\n\n\u201cO Son of the White-haired Zal! Rejoice, for thy quest is ended, since\nthou beholdest in me Kaikobad of the race of Feridoun.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, bowing his head, kissed the ground before the Prince,\nsaluting him as Shah. And Kaikobad, calling for a cup of wine, touched\nit with his lips in Rustem\u2019s honor. Then Rustem also drank, crying\nloyally:\n\n\u201cMay the Shah live forever! May he bring destruction unto the enemies of\nIran, and reign gloriously for a thousand years!\u201d\n\nAnd now music rent the air, and shouts of joy from the nobles, because\nthat the King was come into his own. But when silence was once more\nrestored, the young Shah opened his mouth and said:\n\n\u201cO Nobles of Iran, hearken unto my dream, which is now come true, and\nyou will know why I called upon you this day to stand in majesty about\nmy throne. Behold, last night in my sleep, suddenly from out the blue I\nbeheld two falcons, white of wing, flying toward me by way of Iran; and\nin their beaks they bore a sunny crown which they placed upon my head.\nAnd lo! here is Rustem, come out unto me this day like a white bird; and\nhis father, the nursling of a bird, hath sent him, while the sunny\ndiadem is the crown of Iran.\u201d\n\nNow all marvelled at the dream, and Rustem said:\n\n\u201cSurely, O King, thou art chosen of Ormuzd, and blessings will be\nshowered upon Iran while thou art seated upon the throne of light! But\nsince there is now need for haste, I pray thee let us tarry no longer,\nfor the enemy is at the door.\u201d\n\nSo Kaikobad swung himself upon his steed of war, and in yet the same\nhour they set out with their followers, toward Iran. And they rode day\nand night without stopping until, having left the glorious hills far\nbehind them, they were come unto the green plains, already clad in all\ntheir spring beauty. Whereupon, being come unto the outposts of the\nenemy, Kaloun, the great Tartar champion, came out to attack them, and\nwhen the King saw him and his ugly-looking followers, he was for giving\nbattle. But Rustem said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of Iran, truly it becometh not thy greatness to honor such a\nfoe. And, moreover, my horse and my club, with God on my side, will be\nenough, I think, to settle this handful of the enemy.\u201d\n\nNow so speaking, and waiting not for reply, Rustem gave Rakush the rein,\nand made a dash for the Tartars; and fearful was the onslaught! For\ncoming up with the enemy, the hero, catching one trooper from his horse,\nstruck another with the man as if he were a club, dashing out his\nbrains. Then one by one he tore the riders from their saddles, dashing\nthem to the ground with such force as to break their skulls, and necks,\nand backs. And finally it came the turn of the great champion also to\nfeel the wrath of Rustem. Reaching out his hand, therefore, quickly he\ncaught hold of Kaloun\u2019s spear, tore it from him, and with it struck him\nfrom his saddle. Then as he lay upon the ground, Rakush trampled upon\nhim until he was naught but a mass of clay. Now when the remaining\nTartars saw their chief treated in this fashion, they thought that a\ndemon had broken his chain, and was riding about with a club and a lasso\nfastened unto his saddle; so being filled with terror, they turned their\nbacks and fled.\n\nThen, having given the enemy somewhat to report unto Afrasiab, Rustem\nrode back unto the King, and they continued their journey. And that\nnight, in the darkness, Rustem led the \u201cHope of Iran\u201d safely through the\nenemy\u2019s line within the tents of Zal. And after this, seven days they\nfeasted and counselled together, but on the eighth day the crown of Iran\nwas placed upon the head of Kaikobad, who mustered the army and led it\nforth against the Tartar host.\n\nAnd then, what a conflict! Fierce and terrible it raged for days, and\nmany were the deeds of valor performed by both Iranian and Turk. But the\nmen of Turan prevailed not, though Afrasiab made one terrible onslaught\nin which so great was the clamor and confusion that it seemed as if\nheaven and earth had closed in deadly conflict, the result of which\nwould be victory for the enemy. Now the spectacle was magnificent,\nawe-inspiring, and terrible. For, what with the clattering of hoofs, the\nshrill roar of the trumpets, the rattle of the brazen drums, and the\nvivid glitter of spear and shield, there was produced a scene of\nindescribable tumult and splendor, while the neighing of the steeds of\nbattle, the cries of dying men, and the blood which flowed like water,\ntestified to the deadly work being done by the Tartar King, who beheld\nthe crown of Iran just within his grasp.\n\nBut the bravery of Afrasiab upon that dreadful day was as nothing beside\nthat of Rustem. Seemingly everywhere on the field at the same time, so\nterrible was the destruction which he caused that, verily, you would\nhave said he was war incarnate. Now his power was that of a hungry lion\nwhich causeth all men to flee; neither could his strength be broken, for\nhis shadow extended for miles, and, unaided, he performed deeds of\nprowess of which no hero e\u2019er dreamed, so that from this time forth men\nnamed him Tehemten, which meaneth \u201cthe strong-limbed.\u201d But behold! when\nthe conflict had lasted for some time, as the battle ebbed for a moment,\nRustem said unto Zal:\n\n\u201cO my father, where think you hideth Afrasiab? What dress doth he wear,\nand what is his standard? for verily I see him not! Why doth he not\nstand forth that I may meet him in single combat?\u201d\n\nThen Zal, laying a detaining hand upon his son, said gravely:\n\n\u201cListen, O my son, and stick not thy hand in the lion\u2019s jaws! For truly\nthis young Tartar, Afrasiab, rageth in the conflict with the fury of the\nlion and the crocodile; yea, he fighteth in the saddle like a\nsharp-fanged dragon; and in his wrath, as he wieldeth his bright\nscimitar around him, he staineth the earth with blood. Beware of him,\ntherefore, for black is his banner, black his coat of mail and the plume\nupon his helmet, and behold, woe followeth ever in his train.\u201d\n\nNow, hearing this, Rustem quickly loosened his father\u2019s detaining hand,\nsaying unto him earnestly:\n\n\u201cYea, and black is his heart also, O my father, for he murdered his\ngentle brother. Dragon or Demon, therefore, I fear him not, for Heaven\nis not his friend. Let him come forth, therefore, and soon we shall see\nunto whom Ormuzd giveth the victory.\u201d\n\nThen away galloped Rustem, and as he rode he shouted his terrible\nbattle-cry which caused the enemy to flee before him like fire before\nthe wind. Now noting the havoc caused by the youth, Afrasiab,\nastonished, said unto his chiefs:\n\n\u201cO Men of Turan, what dragon is this who scoureth the plain, causing my\nwarriors to flee before him? Verily, his claws need trimming!\u201d\n\nWhereupon, the nobles, surrounding Afrasiab, said eagerly:\n\n\u201cWhat! Hast thou not then heard? Yonder roaring lion is Rustem, the\nmighty son of Zal, and verily, his power is that of a thousand Deevs!\nSeest thou not the club that he wieldeth with such deadly force? Lo, it\nis that of Deev-fighting Saum, his grandsire, and the youth seeketh\nrenown, even as that illustrious Pehliva. And much we fear, O Afrasiab,\nthat if his power be not speedily broken he will carry all before him.\u201d\n\nNow, having heard this report, Afrasiab galloped straight unto the front\nof his army where, being seen by Rustem, he was at once challenged to\nsingle combat. With a fierce cry of joy, then, the warriors closed, and\nlong and fearful was the struggle. At last, however, Rustem deftly\ncaught Afrasiab by the girdle, and dragged him from his saddle,\nintending to carry him thus captive unto Kaikobad as a trophy of his\nfirst day\u2019s fighting. But, what with the weight of the King, and\nRustem\u2019s mighty arm, the leather of the girdle broke, and Afrasiab fell\nheadlong to the ground, whereupon he was immediately surrounded and\nrescued by his warriors, but not before Rustem had snatched off his\ncrown, which together with the broken girdle he bore off in triumph.\n\nMeanwhile, Afrasiab, having been mounted by his chiefs upon a swift\nhorse, succeeded in making his escape, owing to the great confusion, and\nhis army was left to shift for itself. As a consequence, in the general\nengagement which now took place, it fared ill indeed with the enemy, for\nthe Persians, fired by the example of Rustem, performed prodigies of\nvalor, many a brave hero on this field fighting his last fight for Iran.\n\nBut, among them all, no one could compare with Rustem. On that\ntremendous day, with sword and dagger, battle-axe and noose, he cut, and\ntore, and broke, and bound the brave, slaying and making captive with\nhis own hand as many as a whole army. It is even said that at one fell\nswoop more than a thousand fell before his life-destroying sword, and\nthat, witnessing this feat of supernatural power, the Tartar hordes fled\nin dismay, their black banners trailing in the dust, and with no sound\nof trumpet or drum to indicate the course of their flight.\n\nSo, in this sad plight, the conquered Tartar legions pursued their\nnoiseless retreat unto their own land. But the Persians, when they\nbeheld the enemy vanish as the mist, fell slowly back unto the capital,\nwhere the victory was celebrated with great pomp and splendor, Kaikobad\nrewarding the valor of Rustem by appointing him captain-general of the\narmies under the title of the \u201cChampion of the World,\u201d and also giving\nunto him a golden crown, carrying with it the privilege of giving\naudience while seated upon a golden throne.\n\nBut alas for Afrasiab! With a heavy heart he returned unto his father,\nin bitter humiliation communicating unto him the misfortunes which had\novertaken him. And he said:\n\n\u201cO my father, verily we acted not wisely in provoking this war. For lo!\nthere hath arisen in Iran, from the race of Saum the Pehliva, a youth\nwho cannot be matched anywhere, either in strength or valor or\nprowess\u2014for hath he not utterly subdued thy legions? Yet now he is but a\nmere weanling! I ask you, therefore, to consider what is likely to come\nto pass when he reacheth his full vigor?\n\n\u201cNow well thou knowest, O my father, that thy son is no weakling, but a\nhero desiring to possess the world, and of established valor; yea, the\nstay of thy army, and thy refuge in danger, yet before this young dragon\nof war his power is as nothing, as thou shalt hear.\n\n\u201cFor behold! when in the midst of battle he beheld my standard, like a\ncrocodile he sprang to the fight. Verily, thou wouldst have said that\nhis breath scorched up the plain, so fiery was he! Then long we fought,\nbut suddenly seizing me by the girdle, he caught me from my saddle with\nsuch mighty force that hadst thou seen him thou wouldst have said he\nheld no more than a fly in his grasp. Then broke my golden girdle, and\ndown I fell ingloriously upon the dusty ground; and this was well, for\nquickly then was I rescued by my body-guard and spirited away. But\nknowing well my prowess, O my father, and how my nerves are strung, thou\ncanst conceive the wondrous strength, the marvellous power which sunk me\nthus to nothing.\n\n\u201cAnd now I say unto thee, haste to make peace with Iran, else Turan is\nlost, for verily the hero liveth not who can stand against this mighty\nman of valor.\u201d\n\nPoshang listened unto this bitter tale with sorrow and dismay,\nastonished, too, to hear the fierce and valiant Afrasiab speak so\nhopelessly of the undertaking. Well he knew, therefore, that he must sue\nfor peace, and tears of exceeding bitterness fell from his eyes, as,\ncalling unto him a scribe, he dictated unto Kaikobad the Shah a letter,\nin which he said unto the great King:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Shelter of the Universe, in the name of Ormuzd, the great\nruler of sun and moon and earth, greeting from the meanest of thy\nsubjects, who sayeth unto thee: Wherefore should we seek the land of our\nneighbor, since in the end each will receive in heritage a spot no\nlarger than his body? Let the Jihun, therefore, be the future boundary\nbetween Turan and Iran, and lo! not one of my people shall pass over its\nwaters; nay, not even in their dreams! Then shall the two nations live\nat peace, and all will be well in the lands.\u201d\n\nNow Kaikobad smiled at this wily letter; nevertheless, he replied unto\nPoshang, saying:\n\n\u201cO Tartar King, well thou knowest that Persia sought not this war, but\nAfrasiab, who thought to subdue a masterless land, to satisfy his own\nambitions, thus following in the footsteps of Tur, his grandsire. For,\neven as he robbed Iran of gentle Irij, so Afrasiab hath taken from it\nNuder the Shah; and from thee, O King, thy noble young son whom he so\ncruelly stabbed! Nevertheless, since Kaikobad loveth peace rather than\nwar, he agreeth to thy proposals of peace; but see to it well that\nAfrasiab crosseth not the Jihun.\u201d\n\nSo peace was made between Iran and Turan, and so Rustem won his first\nlaurels as a warrior.\n\n\n\n\n                  RUSTEM\u2019S SEVEN LABORS, OR ADVENTURES\n\n\nListen unto the tale of the seven adventures of Rustem, encountered\nwhile rescuing a foolish Shah from the consequences of his folly.\n\nNow the foolish one was not the glorious Kaikobad who reigned\nbeneficently over Iran for twice fifty years, but his son Kaikous, who,\nwhen his father exchanged the palace for the tomb, seated himself upon\nthe throne of light, at first exercising many of the princely virtues of\nhis illustrious predecessors. But alas! as his riches increased and his\narmies grew stronger, he became filled with self-admiration and pride,\nindulging more and more in the fascinations of the wine cup, until in\nthe midst of his luxurious feasting with his warriors and chiefs, he,\nlike the great Shah Jemshid, beheld no one but himself in the world.\n\nThen it came to pass that one day as the vain Shah sat in his trellised\nbower in the garden of roses, drinking wine, boasting, and making merry\nwith his friends, a Deev, disguised as a minstrel and playing sweetly\nupon his harp, presented himself before the King\u2019s chamberlain, desiring\naudience. And he said:\n\n\u201cThou beholdest before thee, O Servant of the King, a singer of sweet\nsongs, come unto thee from Mazinderan, desiring to pay homage unto the\ngreat King of Kings. Admit me, therefore, I pray thee, into the arbor of\nflowers, for in my throat are gay singing-birds which will make the\nbower a paradise of joy.\u201d\n\nSo the chamberlain, beguiled by the charm of the youth, hastened at once\nunto the King to beg audience for him. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Shelter of the Universe, at the gate is a minstrel with his harp. And\nlo! in his throat he hides a flock of singing-birds fresh from the\ngardens of paradise. He hath come hither desiring to prostrate himself\nbefore the most illustrious of all the Shahs of Iran, and he awaiteth\nthy commands, being naught but the dust at thy feet.\u201d\n\nSo the King, pleased with this flattery, and with no suspicion of guile,\ncommanded that the musician be brought before him. Then the youth, being\nadmitted, and having performed obeisance, warbled forth unto the monarch\nwords of deep cunning, for his song was of the enchanted land of the\nGenii:\n\n                 \u201cNow thus he warbled to the King\u2014\n                 Mazinderan is the bower of spring,\n                 My native home; the balmy air\n                 Diffuses health and fragrance there;\n                 So tempered is the genial glow,\n                 Nor heat nor cold we ever know;\n                 Tulips and hyacinths abound\n                 On every lawn; and all around\n                 Blooms like a garden in its prime.\n                 Fostered by that delicious clime.\n                 The bulbul sits on every spray,\n                 And pours his soft melodious lay;\n                 Each rural spot its sweets discloses,\n                 Each streamlet is the dew of roses;\n                 The damsels, idols of the heart,\n                 Sustain a most bewitching part.\n                 And mark me, that untravelled man\n                 Who never saw Mazinderan,\n                 And all the charms its bowers possess,\n                 Has never tasted happiness!\u201d\n\nNow as the King\u2019s great desire was to drain the cup of happiness to the\ndregs, no sooner had he heard the minstrel\u2019s lay of this enchanting land\nthan straightway he became inflamed with the desire to possess it for\nhis own. Turning, therefore, unto his warriors, he at once declared that\nthe glory of his reign should be the conquest of this wonderful country.\nFor, he said:\n\n\u201cVerily it behooveth a great Shah to be a hero among men, and the world\nshould be his footstool. Now in wealth, and power, and splendor, I,\nKaikous, surpass not only the glorious Jemshid, but all my predecessors,\nand I say unto you that my prowess shall also be greater, for verily I\nmean to be master of Mazinderan which hath ever resisted the might of\nthe greatest of the Shahs of Iran. Too long, O my nobles, have we\nabandoned ourselves to feasting, but now I bid you prepare for battle,\nfor presently I will lead you into the enchanted land of the Genii, thus\ncausing the glory of Kaikous to mount even unto the stars.\u201d\n\nAlas! the nobles, when they heard these words of vanity and folly, grew\npale with dread, for they had no desire to invade the country of the\nDeevs. But knowing the temper of the Shah, no one was brave enough to\nutter protest, though the hearts of all were full of misgivings and\ntheir mouths of sighs. But among themselves, when they could speak\nopenly, they said one unto another:\n\n\u201cWhat folly is this! And what calamity will it bring upon us, unless, by\ngood fortune, the King forgetteth in his cups this wild undertaking!\nWhy, even the great Jemshid, whom the Genii and the Peri and the very\nbirds of the air obeyed, never dreamed of trying to conquer the Deevs of\nMazinderan, before whom the sword hath no power and wisdom is of no\navail! And the great Feridoun, though he was the wisest of Kings, and\nskilled in all the arts of magic, never cherished such an enterprise!\nTruly, Kaikous is mad!\u201d\n\nSo they talked in their anger and perplexity; and finally they sent\nforth a wind-footed dromedary and a messenger unto Zal, the Wise One of\nIran, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Gracious Pehliva, once again is Iran in danger and hath sore need of\nthee. Therefore, though thy head be covered with dust, tarry not to\ncleanse it, but come quickly unto us, for verily the Evil One hath\nstrewn mischievous seed in the heart of the Shah which threatens a\nbitter harvest, and we look unto thee to speak wise words of counsel\nunto him that this calamity may be averted.\u201d\n\nSore distressed by the words of the messenger, Zal shook his head\nsorrowfully, for he had not dreamed that this leaf on the royal tree\nwould so soon show signs of canker. Nevertheless, he spoke words of\ncomfort unto the messenger, saying:\n\n\u201cThe great Kaikous is, I fear, puffed up with vanity, being not yet\ntried by either the cold or the heat of the world. And alas! I fear me,\nif what thou sayest be true, that the sun must revolve yet oft above his\nhead ere he learneth the wisdom of the great; for unto true wisdom alone\nis it given to know when to strike and when to withhold the hand.\nVerily, he is like a child with a sword who thinketh the world and all\ntherein must tremble, if he but upraiseth it. He will learn better with\nexperience. I will not abandon him, therefore, to his folly, but will\ngive him the best advice that I can. Then if he be persuaded by me,\nwell; but if not, Rustem shall safeguard the army for the sake of the\nwelfare of Iran.\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, Zal quickly girt about him his red sash of\nmight, took in his hand his great mace and hastened unto the court,\nwhere, being received with great honor and kindness, he proceeded to\nunburden his heart, entreating the Shah not to give his warriors and\ntreasure unto the wind by undertaking the useless journey into\nMazinderan.\n\nBut Kaikous, arrogant and self-willed, only smiled at the warnings of\nthe white-haired old warrior, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Pillar of Iran, while I despise not thy counsel, yet thy words shall\nnot divert me from my purpose, for in thy arguments, one thing thou\nforgettest: that I, Kaikous, am bolder of heart, and my power and wealth\ngreater than any of the Shahs of Old. Yea, and I ask you, who among them\nhad such warriors as thyself, and Rustem, thy glorious son? But verily,\nI shall not need any of the house of Zal in this war, since thy heart is\nnot set upon glory. Thou and Rustem, therefore, can guard the kingdom\nwhile I go forth to soul-appalling conflict, which I fear not,\n\n                \u201cFor what are all the Demon-charms,\n                That they excite such dread alarms?\n                What is a Demon-host to me,\n                Their magic spells and sorcery?\n                One effort, and the field is won;\n                Then why should I the battle shun?\n                Lo, when I reach the Demon fort,\n                Their several heads shall be my sport!\u201d\n\nThus spake the King in his pride and vanity, and Zal, seeing that words\nwere useless, bowed his head low in the dust before the monarch, saying\nunto him:\n\n\u201cMay the great Shah never have cause to recollect the warning voice of\nhis servant with repentance or sorrow! May his glory shine on undimmed\nforever!\u201d\n\nNow when he had so spoken, Zal departed, and all the people mourned for\nthey saw that Kaikous was wholly given over unto folly, and their hearts\nmisgave them.\n\nBut not so was it with the King, for ere the week had run its course,\nthe great army of Iran was set in motion, while at its head rode the\nvainglorious Kaikous, confident, self-satisfied, merry, his magnificent\nretinue of richly caparisoned horses and camels making the earth tremble\nbeneath their tread. So they marched, each night pitching their tents\nand passing the hours in revel, until at last they were come near unto\nthe land of enchantment. Then Kaikous, calling before him Gew, one of\nthe bravest of his warriors, said unto him:\n\n\u201cO Valiant One, choose, I pray thee, two thousand of the bravest men,\nand the boldest wielders of the battle-axe, that ye may break down the\ngates of Mazinderan. In thy progress, burn and destroy everything of\nvalue, and when thou hast taken the city, spare no dweller of the place,\nneither man, nor woman, nor child, for all are Deevs.\u201d\n\nSo Gew advanced, and when he was come unto the city, he found it indeed\narrayed in all the splendor of Paradise, even as the minstrel had sung;\nfor beauty, and verdure, and fragrance filled all the senses with\ndelight, while gold, and jewels, and treasure of priceless value\nglittered and gleamed, and massed itself everywhere. And in all the\nstreets, too, were beautiful maidens, richly adorned, with faces as\nbright as the moon, and cheeks tinted with the hue of the pomegranate\nflower by the beautiful Houri of Paradise. But Gew, knowing that all\nthis was the work of enchantment, was not in the least beguiled. So soon\nclubs rained down upon the people like hail, and the city that resembled\na garden was changed into a desert, and all the dwellers therein\nperished at the hands of the enemy; neither was mercy shown unto any.\n\nMeanwhile, as this terrible work of slaughter and destruction was being\nperformed by his brave warriors, the valiant Kaikous, at a safe\ndistance, was encamped in splendid state upon the plain, indulging in\nrevelry and the wildest dreams of a glorious victory. When the news of\nthe destruction of the city and of the great treasure hidden within its\npalaces was brought unto him, therefore, wild with elation, he sprang to\nhis feet, and holding his wine cup high, cried exultantly:\n\n\u201cHail to the glorious Kaikous, who hath overcome even the Deevs of\nMazinderan! Aye, and blessings upon the sweet singer who warbled unto\nhim of this glorious land of treasure! May his life\u2019s tree put forth\nmany green leaves; may it blossom in the garden of Paradise!\u201d\n\nThus spake Kaikous; and his warriors, too, rejoiced at the thought of\nthe limitless treasure soon to be theirs. So on the following day the\nwhole army pressed forward to join Gew and his warriors in Mazinderan,\nand for seven days they ceased not from plundering, neither was there an\nend to the gold and jewels which they found. And in their greed they\nsorrowed not for the beauty laid waste, or the woe which they had\ncaused, but, like madmen, they spent their days in plundering and their\nnights in revelry.\n\nBut retribution was at hand, for now the news of the havoc being wrought\nby the Persians pierced even unto the ears of the distant King of\nMazinderan, who at once despatched a messenger unto the Great White\nDeev, the most powerful and dreadful of all the master magicians of the\nEast, entreating him to come at once unto the rescue, lest the whole\nland perish under the feet of Iran. Then the dreadful White Deev uprose\nin his wrath until he appeared like unto a snow-capped mountain in his\nfury, roaring like the River Nile, until all the earth trembled, and he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cThinks this puny, childish Shah to pit himself against the master\nmagicians of the East, that he thus invadeth our land? Verily, the\nimbecile shall pay dearly for his folly!\u201d\n\nSo it came to pass that on this same day, when the night was fallen, a\nwonderful cloud, heavy and dark, spread itself over Kaikous and his\narmy, wrapping them in a tent of blackness. Then from out the\npitch-black sky the wrathful Deev caused it to rain stones and javelins,\ncausing a terror and confusion like unto the great day of judgment. Nor\ncould the men of Iran protect themselves against this strange attack,\nsince all was the work of magic. So the dead piled up, and the cries of\nthe wounded swelled into a horrible dirge, while the horror of it all\ndrove many to madness. And not only this, for behold, when the day\ndawned after this night of horror, lo! the King, and all those who had\nnot fled, or been killed by the hailstones and javelins, were\nstone-blind.\n\nThen followed for the sightless monarch and his followers seven terrible\ndays of anguish as, moaning and lamenting, they sat helpless among the\nruins of Mazinderan. Yea, the great Kaikous wept bitterly in his terror,\nand the army with him, until so awful became the cry that it reached\neven unto the Seven Mountains where dwelt the great White Deev, arousing\nhim from his mid-day slumber. Then suddenly his voice, loud as a clap of\nthunder, fell upon the ear of the wretched Kaikous. And he said:\n\n\u201cVain Monarch! Thou thoughtest in thy folly to conquer the land of the\nGreat White Deev, who from the gorgeous vault of heaven can charm the\nstars. Thou fool! Now there thou liest, struck down like a rotten trunk,\nand upon thine own head alone resteth this destruction. Verily, thou\nhast attained unto Mazinderan, which was thy heart\u2019s desire, wherefore\nbe now content!\u201d\n\nBut alas! The Shah and his unfortunate companions were not soon to know\ncontent, since they were now turned over into the charge of twelve\nthousand Genii whose duty it was to keep them in prison, withholding\nfrom them wine and all good cheer, but giving unto them each day just\nenough food to keep them alive, that their suffering might be prolonged,\nfor they gloried in their wretchedness.\n\nNow thus dwelt Kaikous in the land after which his heart had yearned,\nuntil the eyes of his soul being opened, in genuine repentance, he bowed\nhimself in the dust, casting black earth upon his head and acknowledging\nhis fault. Then, casting about in his mind how they might obtain\nrelease, finally, after many weary moons, the King succeeded in sending\na messenger unto Zal of the white hair. And he said:\n\n\u201cO my Great Pehliva, hearken unto the voice of thy sovereign who crieth\nunto thee in penitence and woe! Verily, I have sought what the foolish\nseek, and found what they find, and I deserve not thy help, since I\nturned a deaf ear unto thy words of wisdom; yet for my companions\u2019 sake,\nI beseech thee to gird thy loins and come quickly unto us, or we perish\nin our misery.\u201d\n\nThus humbled himself the great Shah, but Zal, when he received the\nmessage, was cut to the heart that the pride of Iran should be thus\ntrailed in the dust; and he wrung his hands bitterly, crying out against\nthe folly which was to cost the land so dear. Nevertheless, he quickly\nsent for Rustem, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO my glorious son, word hath just reached me that the King is held with\nhis companions blind and captive in the dragon\u2019s den. As for me, I am\nold and feeble, a warrior bowed with the weight of two centuries, no\nlonger able to fight against the Deevs. But thou art young and thy soul\nrejoiceth in battle. Gird about thee, therefore, thy leopard\u2019s skin,\nsaddle Rakush, and deliver the King from out the hands of the Genii,\nthus winning for thyself immortal fame.\u201d\n\nNow Rustem smiled as he heard his father\u2019s words, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO my silver-crowned father, verily thou knowest that Rakush and I are\nspoiling for battle, and though of old the mighty went not forth to\nfight the powers of darkness, being not so weary of the world as to walk\nwillingly into the mouth of a hungry lion, yet with God\u2019s help will I\novercome these wicked Deevs, and gird our army anew with the red sash of\nmight, since the glory of Iran demandeth it.\u201d\n\nThen Zal blessed his son, speaking unto him long and earnestly as to the\narduous task before him. And he said:\n\n\u201cI understand, O my son, that two roads lead into this land of\nenchantment, both of them difficult and dangerous. The King went by the\nlonger way. It is the safest, but since it behooveth vengeance to be\nfleet, choose it not. But the other way, though by far the shorter, is\nbeset by baleful evils, and is surrounded by darkness. Still it will be\nwisest, I think, to go by this road, for though difficult, it will have\nan end, and Rakush will carry thee quicker than a bird can fly. Go,\ntherefore, my son, and may Ormuzd return thee safe unto my arms. If,\nhowever, it be the will of Heaven that thou shouldst perish by the hand\nof the great White Deev, why, who can escape his destiny? Verily, soon\nor late Death\u2019s door swings wide for every child of Ormuzd, and thrice\nblessed is he who leaveth behind him in the world a trail of glory.\u201d\n\nWhen Rustem had drunk in the noble words of his father, he embraced him\ntenderly, feeling his strength to be sufficient even for the Great White\nDeev. Then he commanded that Rakush, the fleet of foot, be brought unto\nhim. But alas! when he would have departed, Rudabeh uttered bitter cries\nthat her boy should be sent to fight alone and unaided the wicked Deevs,\nand in her sorrow she would have hindered him. But Rustem suffered it\nnot, making light of her fears and comforting her with his voice and\narms. So finally, embracing him, Rudabeh let him depart, but her heart\nyearned after him, and her eyes were wet with tears yet many days after\nhis departure, and she prayed continually unto Ormuzd, that Serosch the\nAngel of Pity keep nightly watch over his slumbers.\n\nSo, with only his faithful steed for company, but brave of heart, Rustem\nset out upon his perilous journey; and, as if recognizing the urgent\nneed for haste, Rakush caused the ground to vanish under his feet, his\nspeed being so great that he accomplished two days\u2019 journey in one. But\nat last, evening having fallen, the young hero of the world, finding\nhimself weary and hungry, decided to stop for the night.\n\nNow the plain upon which Rustem chose his camping-ground was filled with\nherds of gor, which made it easy for him to secure his evening meal,\nsince there was no escape for the swiftest beast when Rustem was mounted\nupon Rakush. Soon, therefore, with his lasso, he succeeded in snaring a\nwild ass, which he quickly roasted and ate. Then, his hunger appeased,\nthe young warrior prepared for himself a couch among the reeds, and, his\nmace by his side, he lay down to sleep, fearing neither wild beast nor\nDeev, while Rakush grazed contentedly near by.\n\nBut, unfortunately, in the rushes near the young hero\u2019s couch was hidden\nthe lair of a fierce lion, and after Rustem had fallen asleep the hungry\nbeast, attracted by the odor of the gor\u2019s flesh, returned unto his\nhaunt; and then a pair of fiery eyeballs moved stealthily nearer and\nnearer unto the dying fire. But when at last within the circle of light,\nwhat was the lion\u2019s astonishment to behold, lying peacefully asleep upon\nthe rushes, a man as tall as an elephant watched over by a noble\ncharger!\n\nNow the king of the forest was hungry, not having been successful in his\nhunting, so as he gazed his heart rejoiced at the thought of the fat\nmeal in store for him. But, being a sagacious beast, he said unto\nhimself:\n\n\u201cSince I am very, very hungry, I must take no chance of allowing this\ndelicious morsel to escape my lips. Consequently, first I will subdue\nthis gentle-looking steed; then I can feast upon the rider at my\nleisure.\u201d\n\nSo, suddenly the huge beast bounded from the underbrush, falling upon\nRakush with great violence. But the faithful steed was not caught\nnapping, for while apparently unconscious of the approach of danger, he\nhad at once scented the foe, and was ready for the attack. What was the\nlion\u2019s astonishment, therefore, to find himself received with a terrific\nand well-aimed kick that sent him back into the bushes more quickly than\nhe had come forth! And not only that, but before he could recover from\nhis amazement, like a flash of light Rakush was upon him, striking him\non the head with his fore-feet, tearing him with his sharp teeth, and\nbattering and trampling him like a Demon. Yea, so furious was his rage,\nthat he was still stamping upon the lifeless mass when Rustem awoke!\n\nThen the Hero, seeing the dead lion, which was truly of a monstrous\nsize, knew at once what had happened, and calling Rakush, he rebuked\neven while he caressed him. And he said:\n\n                \u201cAh, Rakush, why so thoughtless grown,\n                To fight a lion thus alone?\n                For had it been thy fate to bleed,\n                And not thy foe, my gallant steed!\n                How could thy master have conveyed\n                His helm, and battle-axe, and blade,\n                Unaided to Mazinderan?\n                Why didst thou fail to give the alarm,\n                And save thyself from chance of harm,\n                By neighing loudly in my ear;\n                But though thy bold heart knows no fear,\n                From such unwise exploits refrain,\n                Nor try a lion\u2019s strength again.\u201d\n\nNow having thus exhorted Rakush, Rustem again composed himself to\nslumber, and rested undisturbed until the morning light had tinted the\ndistant mountain peaks with rose and amber. Then having broken his fast,\nhe saddled Rakush, and pursued his perilous journey, thanking God that,\nowing to the faithfulness and bravery of his steed, the first adventure\nhad terminated happily.\n\nBut alas! he had now to accomplish the most difficult part of his\njourney, for the way led across a waterless desert so hot that not even\nthe birds could fly over it. Now the morning hours were endurable, but\nwhen the noon-tide sun poured down upon their heads its pitiless rays,\nmaking of the sand living fire, then horse and rider became tortured\nwith the most maddening thirst, and nowhere could water be found.\n\nAt this crisis Rustem dismounted, since he was no longer able to keep\nhis place upon the back of his brave steed, but, nevertheless, for some\ntime longer he continued to struggle forward, supported by his spear.\nFinally, however, his strength became broken and, utterly exhausted, he\nsank upon the earth, his body prostrate upon the burning sand, his\ntongue and throat parched with thirst. Then in his agony, his soul\nlifted itself up in a mighty cry unto the Almighty for protection\nagainst the evils which surrounded him, for he feared that his hour was\ncome. But not so, for behold! even as he prayed, there passed before him\na well-nourished ram, which was at once hailed by the hero as a\nharbinger of good. For he said:\n\n\u201cSurely an oasis must be somewhere near, or how could this sheep so bear\nupon it the impress of the drinking-place!\u201d\n\nRising up quickly, therefore, Rustem followed the ram\u2019s footsteps,\nholding the bridle of Rakush in one hand and his sword in the other, and\nbehold! it led him unto a fountain of water, clear and cool, in the\nshade of a clump of trees. Stooping down, therefore, Rustem drank\ngreedily until his thirst was quenched, giving also unto Rakush, and\nbathing him in the waters. Then being refreshed, he looked about for the\nram, but lo! it had vanished. So then Rustem knew that Ormuzd had\nwrought a wonder for his sake, and falling upon the ground, he gave\nthanks unto the All-Merciful One. And so full was his heart of\nthanksgiving that he also blessed the ram, saying:\n\n\u201cO Beast of God, wherever thou art, may no harm come unto thee forever!\nMay the grass of the valleys and of the desert be always green for thee!\nMay the spear-point be blunted and the bow be broken of him who would\nhunt thee, or do thee harm! For verily, without thy guidance, Rustem\nwould have perished in the desert, and the heroes of Iran would have\nbeen left without succor in the hands of the cruel Deevs.\u201d\n\nAnd now the Mighty One, being hungry, killed another gor, of which he\nate almost the whole. Then having bathed in the fountain, as the shades\nof night were coming on he gladly sought a resting-place among the\nstunted herbage. But before lying down he said unto Rakush:\n\n                  \u201cBeware, my steed, of future strife,\n                  Again thou must not risk thy life;\n                  But should an enemy appear,\n                  Ring loud thy warning in my ear.\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, with a sigh of thankfulness that his second\nadventure had terminated thus happily, Rustem threw himself down upon\nhis warrior\u2019s couch, and being fatigued, soon sleep wrapped him about,\nholding him fast until the bright constellations in the tropical sky\npointed to the hour of midnight.\n\nThen he was awakened unto a new horror, for you must know that in this\npart of the desert there lived a monstrous dragon, eighty yards in\nlength, and so fierce that neither elephant, nor demon, nor lion ever\nventured to pass by its lair. Yea, so terrible was it that not even the\nbirds dared fly across that part of the desert, for with its poisonous\nbreath it could bring down even the eagle from the sky. Imagine, then,\nhow this scourge of the desert opened wide his snaky eyes with\nastonishment when, emerging from the forest at the turn of the night, he\nbeheld a man slumbering softly beside his lair!\n\nBut, as usual, Rakush was on the alert. Consequently, as he caught the\ngleam of beady eyes, and scented the poisoned breath of the dragon, he\nquickly stepped nearer to his unconscious master, stamping with his\nhoofs upon the ground, beating the air with his tail, and neighing\nloudly. Now all this noise so startled the dragon that he quickly drew\nback into the forest, and as a consequence, when Rustem awoke he could\nsee nothing disquieting, for of course the monster had vanished. Seeing\nno cause for alarm, therefore, he was angry at being needlessly\ndisturbed, and rebuked Rakush for his nervousness, saying:\n\n\u201cRakush, thou thunderer! I fear me the sun hath turned thy brain. Quiet\nnow, quiet! for to-morrow will bring for us another hard day\u2019s journey.\u201d\n\nSo, having thus somewhat calmed his excited steed, once more Rustem gave\nhimself up to slumber, but not for long! For, though the darkness became\nthicker and more impenetrable, in a short time the watchful horse once\nmore caught the gleam of baleful eyes, and again he ran with all speed\nunto his master, tearing up the ground and neighing angrily. So a second\ntime was Rustem awakened and a second time also did the dragon vanish\nere the eyes of the hero beheld him. Then was Rustem angry, and in his\nimpatience he spake sharply unto Rakush, chiding him for thus disturbing\nhis slumbers by causeless alarms. And he said unto his brave steed:\n\n                \u201cWhy thus again disturb my rest,\n                When sleep had softly soothed my breast?\n                I told thee if thou chanced to see\n                Another dangerous enemy\n                To sound the alarm; but not to keep\n                Depriving me of needful sleep,\n                When nothing meets the eye nor ear,\n                Nothing to cause a moment\u2019s fear!\n                Now if again my rest is broke,\n                On thee shall fall the fatal stroke,\n                And I myself will drag this load\n                Of ponderous arms along the road;\n                Yea, I will go, a lonely man,\n                Without thee to Mazinderan.\u201d\n\nAlas, poor Rakush! grieved and wounded by the unjust reproaches of his\nmaster, with drooping head he drew quickly back; but as Rustem wrapped\nhis leopard\u2019s skin about him, and a third time slept, softly he drew\nnear once more, standing a tireless watcher by his side. Then the\ndragon, seeing that the hero slept, once more came forth, prepared to\nfall upon him, and Rakush was sore distressed, for he knew not how to\nact. But as his love for his master was great, taking courage, once more\nhe stamped the earth and woke him.\n\nThen Rustem sprang up in a rage, but Ormuzd who watcheth ever over his\nchildren, at this moment caused the eastern sky to flush with a rosy\nglow, in the light of which the hero beheld the prodigious cause of\nalarm. Pausing not, therefore, he quickly drew about him his armor, and,\nunsheathing his sword, rushed forward to meet the ugly monster. But to\nhis surprise, as he advanced, the dragon spoke, and he said:\n\n\u201cVain creature, what doest thou here? Verily, the mother that bare thee\nshall weep, for I will tear thy soul from out thy body, and thy name, if\nthou hast one, shall be blotted from the book of life, for no man hath\never yet saved himself from my claws.\u201d\n\nUttering this terrible threat, the dragon belched forth fire and roared\nhorribly, but Rustem, no whit deterred, continued to advance, saying\nproudly:\n\n\u201cHideous monster! Thinkest thou to terrify me with thy smoke and noisy\nwords? If so, thou errest. For behold! I am Rustem, son of the\nwhite-haired Zal, and there is naught upon earth that I fear, for I come\nof a race of heroes.\u201d\n\nNow hearing these bold words, the dragon laughed, for he held them to be\nthe vain boasts of a stripling; and again he vomited forth fire and\npoison. Then he fell upon Rustem, and dreadful was the shock, and\nperilous unto the hero, for the vile creature wound himself around and\nabout his body, threatening to crush him with his writhings, and you\nwould have said that the end of the valiant one was at hand, so dreadful\nwas the dragon\u2019s embrace.\n\nBut at this perilous moment, Rakush, beholding the contest to be\ndoubtful, laid back his ears and proceeded to take a hand in the battle.\nAnd being wise, he fell upon the enemy from the rear, with his keen\nteeth, furiously biting and tearing away the dragon\u2019s scaly hide, just\nas he had torn the lion. Now this gave unto the pinioned hero his\nopportunity, and, quick as thought, he severed the ghastly head,\ndeluging all the plain with horrid blood. And lo! as the hideous coils\nunclasped, the amazement of Rustem was truly great as he gazed at the\nmonstrous form which extended endlessly before him; and he wondered not\nthat for centuries it should have been known unto men as the scourge of\nthe desert.\n\nGiving thanks unto the Omnipotent, therefore, that it had been\nvouchsafed unto him to rid the world of so great a pest, after bathing\nRakush at the fountain, he sprang into the saddle and started out upon\nhis fourth adventure.\n\nNow all that day Rustem travelled across the plain, arriving at sunset\nin the land of the magicians, and as here all was enchantment,\neverything was most beautiful. The feathered palms along the way nodded\ntheir heads lazily, coquetting with the soft south wind, while the\nbananas flaunted their silken flags around the ripening fruit, and on\nthe ground, in rich profusion, lay, temptingly, rose-apples and citrons.\nA crystal stream flowed along between sloping banks of luxurious\nfoliage, and in the woods the glorious nightingale chanted joyously unto\nthe nodding flowers.\n\nAnd lo! in this beautiful wilderness, upon the sight of the hungry\nadventurer there suddenly appeared a daintily-spread table, where the\nrichest tropical fruits and sweets lay beside a roast of venison, while\nthe cups were filled with purple wine. Now seeing, thus unexpectedly, in\nthe green and shady vale, all this good cheer awaiting him, Rustem\u2019s\nheart sang with delight, for he suspected not that it was the evening\nmeal of certain magicians who had made themselves invisible at his\napproach.\n\nSo, hastily dismounting, the weary warrior unsaddled Rakush, bidding him\ngraze and drink. Then seating himself at the table, he partook freely of\nthe dainty fare, his spirit laughing with pleasure at finding in the\nwildwood such an excellently-appointed table. Indeed, so gay in spirit\nwas he that, his hunger being satisfied, he took up the lyre which he\nsaw lying by the flagon of wine, and chanted a lively ditty about his\nown wanderings and the exploits which he most loved; and ever and again\nthere echoed the refrain:\n\n                \u201cOh, the scourge of the wicked am I,\n                And my days still in battle go by;\n                Not for me is the red wine that glows\n                In the reveller\u2019s cup, nor the rose\n                That blooms in the land of delight;\n                But with monsters and demons to fight.\u201d\n\nAlas! though Rustem dreamed it not, as he sang his voice reached the\nears of a famous enchantress, who quickly changed herself into a\nbeautiful maiden with a face of spring, lovely as only enchantment could\nmake her, as you shall hear. For her complexion was like shell-tinted\nivory; her lips like the pomegranate and her cheek like its flower; her\nsoft, dark eyes were curtained with long, sweeping lashes, and her\neyebrows were arched like a fringed bow; her lovely form, scarcely\nconcealed by the misty, oriental robes which she wore, was a joy to\nbehold, and so sweet was she that, at her coming, all the air was\nperfumed with the delicate fragrance of a spring garden.\n\nBut though conscious of a new sensation of delight, at first Rustem did\nnot realize that he was no longer alone. As the bewitching maiden drew\nnearer, however, singing softly Rustem\u2019s refrain, and holding out her\nbeautiful hands in greeting, then indeed did his heart pulse strangely,\nfor never had he beheld such dazzling loveliness. And, moreover, resting\nherself at his side, and turning her radiant eyes upon him, his charming\nguest now crooned into his ear a strange song of enchantment which\ndisturbed while it yet delighted the hero.\n\nRemembering the duties of hospitality, however, as the music ceased, the\nenraptured warrior extended unto his beautiful companion a glass of wine\nin welcome, bidding her drink in the name of Ormuzd. But behold! as the\nhero named the name of God, suddenly the wicked sorceress changed color,\nbecoming in the twinkling of an eye as black as charcoal. Then Rustem\nknew her for a witch, and quick as the wind he snared her in his lasso,\ncrying unto her:\n\n\u201cThou wicked creature, show thyself at once in thy true shape, for I\nwould not destroy the innocent.\u201d\n\nNow at these words of the Hero, immediately the witch was changed into a\ndecrepit, leering old creature whose whole being showed her wickedness\nof heart. Therefore, with a single blow of his sword, Rustem severed her\nin twain. But behold! as he would have swept the vile clay from his\npath, it vanished, and the low, mocking laugh of the fiend was heard in\nthe distance, showing that not even the sword had power to hurt her. And\ngone, too, was the dainty table with its tempting viands and poisoned\nwine; for the magicians, when they beheld the valor of Rustem and\nrealized that he was under the protection of God, dared not come forth\nto contend with him. So in this fourth adventure, also, was the son of\nZal victorious. Nevertheless, he tarried not longer in this spot, for it\nhad become hateful unto him.\n\nContinuing his journey, therefore, Rustem pressed rapidly forward until\nthe following morning, when lo! he was come unto the land of darkness,\nwhere the sun never shone, neither did moon nor star ever lighten up the\nawful, impenetrable gloom. Now here he paused, not knowing what new\ntrial the darkness might conceal. But presently, lifting up his heart\nunto Ormuzd for protection and guidance, he gave unto Rakush the rein,\nand plunged boldly forward into the gloom. But ah, the horror of it! for\nthere was no path, and so for many long hours they stumbled about in the\npitch blackness, constantly on the alert against unknown danger, and not\nknowing whither their steps might lead them. But finally, thanks unto\nthe All-Merciful One, the intense darkness lightened, and they emerged\ninto a most beautiful country where the sun was shining brightly and the\nearth was covered with waving grain.\n\nAnd here, being tired after the long, hard travel, Rustem dismounted,\ntook off his cuirass of tiger-skin and his helmet, and bidding Rakush\nfind pasture where he would in the fertile fields, he himself lay down\nto sleep, his shield beneath his head and his sword and mace by his\nside.\n\nYea, and while the tired Rustem slept, his faithful horse grazed upon\nthe growing corn, storing up strength for future prowess. But alas! a\ndisturbing element soon entered upon this scene of peace and\ncontentment. For the keeper of the pasture returning unto the field, and\nbeholding a strange horse destroying and devouring his corn, became\nfilled with rage, so that running unto the spot where the weary warrior\nwas couched, he flung at him reproaches and evil words, at the same time\nbeating the soles of his feet with a stick. Then, having roused him, he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cSon of Satan! Why allowest thou thy demon steed to rifle our\ncorn-fields? Verily, if thou wouldst keep thy soul in thy hulking body,\nup and away, both thee and thy beast, else it will be the worse for\nthee!\u201d\n\nNow for just one second, after being thus rudely awakened, Rustem gazed\nquietly at the keeper. Then, without uttering a single syllable, good or\nbad, he sprang up, seized him by the ears, and wrenched them from his\nhead. And lo! the mutilated wretch, surprised and dismayed at this\ntreatment, gathered up the severed members and fled howling unto his\nmaster, Aulad, who was the ruler of all this fertile country. Bursting\ninto his presence, therefore, his ears in his hand, the keeper bawled:\n\n\u201cMaster, Master! Behold, out in the fields there is a great black demon\nand his steed, a veritable son of Satan, clad in a tiger-skin cuirass,\nand an iron helmet! And alas! alas! not recognizing him as a demon, thy\nfaithful servant attempted gently to remonstrate with him because that\nhis horse was trampling and devouring the corn, when, wouldst thou\nbelieve it? without a word, suddenly he leaped upon me, tore my ears\nfrom my head, and then calmly lay down to sleep again. And lo! here are\nmy ears in my hands.\u201d\n\nNow as it happened, when the keeper burst upon Aulad with his shocking\ntale, the great warrior was about to go hunting with his chiefs; but\nbeing informed of this most surprising deed of violence, he became so\nfilled with wrath that at once he called together his fighting men, and\nhastened unto the place indicated by the keeper, swearing vengeance upon\nthe perpetrator of the evil deed, be he man or demon.\n\nBut Rustem was prepared for the invaders, since, seeing the approach of\nAulad and his warriors, he had donned his armor, mounted upon Rakush,\nand now rode boldly forward, his soul filled with joy at the thought of\nbattle, even though it was to be one against a hundred. And, indeed, so\ngigantic and fearsome looked he, with the spirit of the fight upon him,\nthat Aulad himself questioned, as he drew near, whether his antagonist\nwas man or demon. Nevertheless, he shouted unto him angrily:\n\n\u201cSon of Perdition, what is thy name? And why comest thou here to disturb\nour peace? Verily, thou shalt pay dearly for lopping off my keeper\u2019s\nears, and thy demon steed also for trampling my crops.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, heeding not the puny threats of Aulad, thundered forth\ndisdainfully, his words striking like cannon-balls:\n\n\u201cThou Worm! Verily, if thou shouldst hear my name, it would freeze the\nblood in thy veins, causing thy heart to stand still with terror. And\nthough thou art come out against me with a host, behold how I shall\nscatter them! Yea, they shall fall beneath my sword like unto leaves in\nan autumn gale, and the earth shall be watered with their blood.\u201d\n\nAnd this was no idle threat, for, having thus spoken, Rustem drew his\nsword, and fastening his lasso securely to his saddle-bow, dashed at the\nfoe as a lion into the midst of a herd of oxen, and dreadful was the\nhavoc! Now, with every blow of his sword he cut off a warrior\u2019s head,\nhis arm working as by magic, until he had beaten down or scattered the\nwhole company. And lo! as Aulad saw what was come to pass, he wept and\nfled in dismay. But he was not to escape, for Rustem, pursuing him,\nthrew his lasso about his neck, so that the world became dark unto\nAulad. Then, having bound him, the hero said unto his captive:\n\n\u201cO Pinioned One, listen unto the voice of a wise counsellor who sayeth\nunto thee: Verily, if thou wilt faithfully point out unto me the caves\nof the White Deev and his warrior chiefs, and wilt guide me to where the\nShah and his men are imprisoned, saying unto me how I can deliver them\nfrom their bondage, then, as I live, thy reward shall be the kingdom of\nMazinderan, for I myself will place thee upon that throne. But beware,\nif thou deceivest me, for in that moment thy worthless blood shall dye\nthe earth.\u201d\n\nNow having listened unto the voice of Rustem, Aulad was glad, and he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cStay, O Mighty Warrior, and be not wroth, for verily thy desires shall\nbe fulfilled! Behold, a hundred farsangs from this spot is where Kaikous\ngroaneth in bondage, but it is yet another hundred farsangs unto the\nmountain pass where dwelleth the Great White Deev. Here, between two\ndark and lofty mountains, in two hundred caves, immeasurably deep, his\npeople dwell. But dangerous is the way, for the passes are guarded by\nlions and magicians, and a stormy desert lieth full before thee, which\nnot even the nimble deer hath ever passed. Then a broad stream two\nfarsangs wide will obstruct thy path, and upon its banks thou wilt\nbehold a mighty host of demon warriors who ever guard the passage unto\nMazinderan.\n\n\u201cO Mighty One, verily thou art terrible in battle; but for all thy\nstrong arms and hands, thy keen, life-destroying sword and thy giant\nclub, I fear me thou wilt find the White Deev a terrible enemy. For lo!\nlike unto a reed the mountains tremble, if the Terrible One but raiseth\nhis voice. And moreover, even if by the help of Ormuzd thou shouldst\nconquer this mighty chief of all the master magicians, behold, in the\ncity of Mazinderan thou wilt be pitted against thousands of demon\nwarriors, and not a coward among them all. War-elephants have they, too,\nby the hundreds, and they rage in battle with the fury of the crocodile,\nwhile every demon chief fighteth in his saddle like sharp-fanged\ndragons.\n\n\u201cAnd now, I ask thee, O valorous chief, canst thou, alone and unaided,\nyet hope to overcome these fearful sons of Satan and all the obstacles\nthat block the way?\u201d\n\nNow hearing all this, Rustem answered simply unto Aulad, and he said:\n\n\u201cO Timorous One, show me but the way and thou shalt see what a single\nman, who putteth his trust in God, can do, even though pitted against\nthe powers of darkness.\u201d\n\nSo Rustem mounted once more upon Rakush and rode forward upon his sixth\nadventure; and Aulad, having been loosened from his bonds, ran in front\nof him to show the way. Now for a whole day and a night they sped like\nthe wind, neither did they halt until they were come near unto the spot\nwhere Kaikous had fallen into the power of the evil Deevs. And here,\nabout midnight, suddenly they heard a great beating of drums and saw\nmany fires blaze up. Then Rustem said unto Aulad:\n\n\u201cI pray thee, good Aulad, what meaneth this piercing clamor, and the\nwatch-fires blazing up to right and left of us?\u201d\n\nThen the guide, starting up, replied unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One, behold, yonder is Mazinderan! And verily it seemeth unto\nme that Arzang, the most powerful chief of the Great White Deev, must\nhave arrived to-night, else why these sounds of greeting!\u201d\n\nBeing satisfied, therefore, as to the cause of the disturbance, Rustem\nlay calmly down once more and slept soundly until dawn. Then having\nbound his guide unto a tree to keep him safe, the hero donned his\nhelmet, and also the magic tiger-skin to defend his broad chest, and\nwith his grandfather\u2019s club hanging safe at his saddle-bow, he rode\nboldly forward unto the city of Deevs. And behold! when he was come near\nunto the camp of Arzang, he uttered a cry that rent the mountains\u2014that\nterrible battle-cry which from this time forth was to strike terror to\nthe heart of many a valiant foe!\n\nNow upon hearing this mighty cry of a human voice, surprised, the great\nArzang issued hastily from his tent, ready and anxious to attack this\nbold invader of his camp. But Rustem, setting spurs unto Rakush,\ngalloped forward like the wind, seized the mighty chief, and dangling\nhim in his grasp like a puny worm, behold, in the twinkling of an eye he\nhad wrenched off the ugly black head and cast it, all gory, far into the\nranks of the shuddering Deevs, who, beholding the fate of their chief,\nand dismayed at the sight of Rustem\u2019s mighty club, now fled in the\nwildest confusion, fathers trampling their sons in their eagerness to\nescape. But as by a hungry lion they were pursued, hundreds of them\nbeing put to the sword. And lo! the fear of Rustem was great in the\nland.\n\nBut the hero of this mighty adventure, having ceased from pursuing the\nscattered Deevs, paused not. Quickly returning unto his guide,\ntherefore, he commanded that he now lead the way unto the prison-house\nwhere Kaikous and his companions pined in bondage. So Aulad led on as\nbefore, and behold! when they were come unto Mazinderan, Rakush neighed,\nand neighed so joyously that the sound of it pierced even unto the ears\nof the captive monarch who, hearing it, exclaimed rapturously unto his\ncompanions:\n\n\u201cDance! Dance for joy, O my comrades! for surely our evil days are\nended. Listen! Hear ye not the voice of Rakush? Yea, it is the voice of\nRakush, for so neighed he in the days of old when he and his master\nfirst tasted the joys of battle in the war against Afrasiab.\u201d\n\nAlas! the Persians, when they heard the words of the King, shook their\nheads sorrowfully, thinking that grief had distraught his wits, for they\nheard not the neighing of Rakush, neither could the monarch convince\nthem. Imagine their delight, therefore, when Rustem presently appeared!\nVerily, so wild with joy were these poor blind warriors at the prospect\nof release, that Rustem himself shed tears of gladness, giving thanks\nanew unto Ormuzd for protecting and guiding him hither. Then having\nrelated unto them the story of his wonderful progress and adventures,\nthe King, embracing him, said:\n\n\u201cO Beloved of Ormuzd! Truly there is none like unto thee for prowess;\nnay, not even the great Saum, thy glorious grandsire, ever equalled\nthee! But enough of sweet words! for, if we are to be delivered from our\nbondage, not a moment must be wasted.\n\n\u201cBehold, it is borne in upon me, O my Pehliva, that when the Great White\nDeev shall hear of the fall of Arzang, his favorite chief, he will\nsurely come forth from out his mountain fastness, bringing with him such\na multitude of evil ones that not even thy great might will enable thee\nto stand before them. Go, therefore, at once unto the Seven Mountains\nand conquer the hideous monster before he heareth of thy coming.\n\n\u201cAnd alas! I must send thee forth alone upon this dangerous adventure,\nfor we cannot help thee\u2014being all of us blind; yet is this new\nenterprise far more difficult than any thou hast had to encounter, and\nthe odds are tremendous against thee. For the way lieth over the Seven\nMountains, all of them guarded by troops of Genii, and if thou art\nsuccessful in passing over them, then thou wilt see before thee a deep,\ndark cavern, more terrible, I have heard, than the pit of eternal\ndarkness. Now the entrance is guarded by horrible monsters, and in its\ndepths dwelleth the Great White Deev who is both the terror and the hope\nof his army. And alas! our hope is he, too. For a Mubid hath revealed\nunto me that the only remedy for our blindness is to drop into our eyes\nthree drops of the White Deev\u2019s blood.\n\n\u201cGo forth, therefore, O Hero of Might, slay the Deev, and bring back\nunto us the blood of his heart. Then shall the tree of gladness blossom\nonce more in Iran, and the name of Rustem be blazoned among the stars.\u201d\n\nNow thus exhorted, once more the son of Zal vaulted into the saddle,\nRakush carrying him like the wind, while Aulad showed unto him the way.\nSo they sped, and when they were come unto the Seven Mountains, having\npassed through difficulties many and sore, behold, not only the summits,\nbut all the caverns, were crowded with myriads of companies of Deevs,\nfierce, black, and horrible beyond belief, seeing which, Rustem said\nunto Aulad:\n\n\u201cBehold, the time of conflict hath come! Say unto me, therefore, how I\nmay vanquish this innumerable host of evil ones.\u201d\n\nThen Aulad, shaking his head doubtfully, replied unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One! Verily thou hast one hope, and but one. I counsel thee,\ntherefore, that thou tarry here until the sun be high in the heavens,\nfor at noonday, when it beateth fierce upon the earth, the Deevs are\nwont to slumber. Then when they are drunk with sleep, fall suddenly upon\nthem, for thus victory may be thine, if so the stars decree.\u201d\n\nSo Rustem, taking Aulad\u2019s advice, halted by the roadside until the sun\nwas at its highest. Then binding his guide securely, he drew forth his\nsword, and uttering his thunderous battle-cry, he rushed upon the hordes\nof evil Deevs, slaying first the few waking sentinels, and then rapidly\ndestroying the slumbering fiends. Nor was there noise or confusion, for\nas each black one awoke, so suddenly he received his death blow that he\nhad no time to give the alarm; and so swift and terrible was Rustem in\nhis work of slaughter that few escaped his fury. And harmless were those\nwho did, for at once they fled screaming into the deepest caves of the\nmountain, leaving the champion victorious. Then Rustem, having thus\ndispersed the guards, advanced fearlessly unto the lair of the Great\nWhite Deev.\n\nBut alas! alas! Never in all his imaginings had the hero dreamed of a\nplace so gloomy, and foul, and awesome. And as he stood at the mouth of\nthe cave, looking down, down into the black recesses, dismal as the pit\nof eternal darkness, for a time he doubted as to what he should do. But\nas he was void of fear, presently he decided to go forward.\n\nNow the air of the cavern was murky and heavy with evil odors, and as\nRustem advanced he could not see his path. But, though he knew that\ndanger lurked on every side, and that at any moment he might have to\nencounter the evil genius of the place, as well as the powers of magic,\nhis heart quaked not. Nay; not even when at last there loomed up before\nhim from out the darkness a monstrous shape which filled the whole\nbreadth of the huge cavern, did he tremble or draw back. Yet well he\nknew by the thunderous snoring that this was no huge, snow-capped\nmountain, but the Great White Deev taking his noonday nap.\n\nBold as a lion, therefore, Rustem advanced, shouting his piercing\nbattle-cry, for he scorned to take advantage of his adversary while he\nslept. But verily he knew not what he did, for upon being thus suddenly\naroused from slumber, the wrath of the Great White Deev was terrible.\nUttering a hideous shriek that made the blood run cold, quickly he\ncaught up from the ground in his mammoth hand a stone as big as a small\nmountain, and pausing not, with flaming eyes and foaming lips he\nadvanced, hurling it with all the force of his powerful arm straight at\nthe head of Rustem. But in vain; for quick as light it was dodged by the\nhero. Nevertheless, now for the first time Rustem felt a thrill of fear,\nso malignantly awful appeared the Deev.\n\nNevertheless, summoning all his strength for a mighty effort, in return\nfor the stone the son of Zal dealt the oncoming monster such a powerful\nstroke with his sword as to cut off one of his feet. Now this so\ninfuriated the Deev that, mad with pain, he sprang at Rustem like a wild\nelephant, and they grappled in a struggle the shock of which caused the\nvery mountains to tremble. And though having but one foot, the monster\nwrestled hot and sore, tearing from Rustem\u2019s body great morsels of\nflesh, so that all the earth was crimsoned with his blood. Indeed, so\nterrible was the struggle that the hero said within himself:\n\n\u201cVerily, if I escape to-day, I shall live forever!\u201d\n\nHowbeit, in spite of his doubts, Rustem defended himself mightily,\ninflicting such terrible injuries upon his antagonist that his mad fury\nbecame as that of the raging crocodile; while the mutual havoc wrought\ncaused rivers of sweat and blood to run down from the bodies of both\ncombatants. So cool-headed was Rustem, however, and so telling every\nblow, that the Great White Deev said unto himself:\n\n\u201cAlas! Alas! Even if I succeed in delivering myself from out the claws\nof this sharp-toothed dragon, verily, I greatly fear that never again\nshall I see Mazinderan!\u201d\n\n[Illustration: Mad with pain, he sprang at Rustem like a wild elephant.]\n\nNow this thought nerved anew the arm of the mighty Deev, imparting unto\nhim such furious strength and courage that Rustem could not stand before\nit. Then feared he that his hour was come, but lifting up his heart unto\nOrmuzd, and putting forth all his strength, suddenly he caught the huge,\ngasping Deev in his arms, and by a supreme effort hurled him over the\nface of the cliff into the yawning chasm below. Yea, and so fearful was\nthe force of the fall that straightway his soul was driven from out his\nbody, the lifeblood oozing from his crushed and mangled form, which had\nmade of the valley a plain. Stooping down, therefore, Rustem severed the\nugly head, fastening it unto his saddle-bow. Then he also tore out the\npulseless heart which was destined to restore sight unto the King and\nhis helpless warriors, and this being done, quickly he returned unto\nMazinderan.\n\nSo,\n\n               \u201cThe champion brought the Demon\u2019s heart\n               And squeezed the blood from every part,\n               Which dropped upon the injured sight,\n               Made all things visible and bright;\n               One moment broke that magic gloom,\n               Which seemed more dreadful than the tomb.\u201d\n\nNow thus was the foolish Kaikous saved from perpetual blindness, and as\nhe beheld once more the glories of the world, so great was his joy, as\nwell as that of his warriors, that verily they shouted and danced like\nchildren, being unable to contain themselves for happiness. Yea, seven\ndays the Shah and his warriors feasted together in thanksgiving, and\ncontinually they exalted Rustem, mighty slayer of the Great White Deev.\n\nBut the days of feasting having passed, behold, there came unto the tent\nof Rustem, Aulad the guide, and he said:\n\n\u201cO Champion of the World! Verily, I behold upon thy brow the crown of\nvictory; but my body, alas, beareth the marks of thy bonds. Respect,\ntherefore, I pray thee, the promise of reward made unto me. For a hero\nshould ever be bound by his word.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, smiling, replied unto the suppliant:\n\n\u201cA faithful guide hast thou proven thyself, O Aulad, well worthy of\nreward; and verily thou shalt have it. But first, this country must be\nthoroughly purged of the magicians that encumber it, else uneasy will be\nthy seat upon the throne of Mazinderan, where surely one day I will\nplace thee. Wherefore, be of good cheer!\u201d\n\nSo now it came to pass that Kaikous, after consulting with Rustem,\ndictated unto the King of Mazinderan, the last of the great magicians, a\nletter. And he made not many words, but said:\n\n\u201cO King of Mazinderan! Where is now the great chief Arzang? Where the\nGreat White Deev? Enviest thou them their fate? If not, then it\nbehooveth thee, O King, to appear right speedily before the Great Shah\nKaikous, to pay homage and tribute unto him, else shalt thy life be even\nas theirs.\u201d\n\nNow the King, when he received this communication, was both angry and\ntroubled, for he feared that the sun of his glory was about to set.\nNevertheless, he concealed his distress from the messenger, showing unto\nhim his vast resources, and sending by him an arrogant answer unto the\nShah. And he said:\n\n\u201cO vain Monarch, famed for thy folly, thinkest thou that I am one unto\nwhom the foolish can say, \u2018Come down from off thy throne, and do homage\nunto me\u2019? Verily, my hundred war-elephants say unto thee, nay! Prepare,\ntherefore, for battle, for surely I will bring such destruction upon\nIran as shall cause to pale the havoc wrought by Rustem and thy warriors\nat Mazinderan.\u201d\n\nThus in his pride wrote the King of the magicians unto Kaikous who,\nlosing no whit of the insolence of the message, became very angry\nindeed. As for Rustem, when it was told unto him he was so indignant\nthat every hair upon his head started up like a spear, and he said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, if it please thee, graciously permit thy Pehliva\nto go forth with yet another writing which shall be as keen as a sword\nand as threatening as the giant club of Saum the Mighty. Perchance the\nKing may then give ear unto reason.\u201d\n\nSo once more the Shah wrote:\n\n\u201cO King of Mazinderan! Verily, I say unto thee that if within three days\nthou changest not thy robe of arrogance for one of humility, then truly\nit shall be changed for thee into a shroud. Yea, and the ghost of the\nGreat White Deev shall call the vultures to feast upon thy severed head,\nhung from the walls of thine own Mazinderan.\u201d\n\nAlas! when the King of the magicians learned that Kaikous was sending\nunto him yet another messenger, he bade the flower of his army go forth\nto meet him. Then Rustem, when he beheld them draw nigh, laid hold of a\nhuge tree with great spreading branches that grew by the wayside, and\ntwisting it mightily, tore it from the earth, roots and all, brandishing\nit in his hands like a javelin. Now all who witnessed this amazing feat\nof strength were filled with wonder, and Rustem, beholding their awe,\nlaughing, flung the tree among them, saying:\n\n\u201cGreetings from the great Shah of Iran!\u201d\n\nThen forth from the great host of the King there stepped one of the\ngiants of Mazinderan, and he begged to grasp the hand of the mighty one\nin congratulation. So Rustem extended his hand, and the giant pressed it\nmightily, hoping thus to wring off the valorous member. But so feeble\nwas his grasp that the champion could but smile, for well he knew his\npurpose. When, however, it came his turn, he caught the giant\u2019s hand in\nhis with a grip so mighty that all the bones and sinews cracked, and in\nagony he fell fainting from his horse.\n\nNow beholding the fate of the giant, quickly one of the nobles hastened\nunto the King to report what had befallen his champion. Then, mortified\nand angry, at once the monarch summoned into his presence his most\nvaliant and renowned chieftain, Kalour by name, and directed him to\npunish, signally, the warrior who had thus presumed to triumph over his\nheroes. And he said:\n\n\u201cGo, O Mighty One, and show unto this insolent Persian thy prowess.\nCover his face with shame, and return not unto me until thou hast\nretrieved the honor of the magicians.\u201d\n\nThen Kalour, who was the strongest Deev of his tribe, said proudly unto\nthe King:\n\n\u201cLord of the World, I go. And verily I will force the tears of pain from\nout the eyes of this upstart!\u201d\n\nSo Kalour rode quickly forth, and when he was come unto Rustem, he\nstretched unto him his mighty hand, wringing that of the hero with the\nstrength of a dragon. Now the hand turned blue in the cruel grasp, but\nRustem neither flinched nor gave sign of pain. But when, presently, he\nwrung the hand of Kalour, behold, blood issued from the veins, and the\nnails fell off, dropping unto the ground like withered autumn leaves.\n\nAlas for Kalour! Bowed with shame, and his sight clouded by bitter\ntears, slowly he turned and rode back unto the King, showing unto him\nhis hand. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Glorious King, truly the path of humiliation is not pleasant to\ntread! Nevertheless, it seemeth unto me wiser to make peace than to\nattempt to fight with this elephant-of-war whose strength is such that\nneither man nor Deev can stand against him. Pay the tribute, therefore,\nand accept their terms; otherwise, this sharp-toothed dragon will\nutterly destroy our land and people.\u201d\n\nNow the King was loath to sue for peace. Nevertheless, when the\nElephant-bodied arrived at the gates the monarch received him\ngraciously. But alas! having read the letter of Kaikous, his face became\nblack with anger, and verily his voice was like rattling thunder as he\nsaid unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cMad! Stark mad! is this prating monarch; else never would he dare\naddress such words unto me. But verily he forgetteth that if he is\nmaster of Iran, I am lord of Mazinderan, and never will I submit unto so\npetty a monarch, whose only weapon seemeth to be haughty words. Go,\ntherefore, and say unto thy master that the King of Mazinderan scorneth\nto accept peace at the hands of a monarch whose only crown should be the\ncap and bells of a trick elephant. Verily, war shall it be between us\nnow\u2014war to the finish!\u201d\n\nSo Rustem returned with this dire message unto Kaikous, and soon both\nmonarchs were preparing for battle, the King of Mazinderan gathering\nabout him an army of horsemen and foot-soldiers and war-elephants which\ncaused the earth to groan as they marched forth unto the meeting-place.\nAnd behold! when the two armies were drawn up in battle array,\nimmediately there stepped forth from out the ranks of the magicians a\nchampion who challenged the men of Iran to single combat. Huge, black,\nand ugly, he advanced arrogantly, brandishing a great club in his hands,\nand he cried in a voice of thunder:\n\n\u201cHo, dogs of Iran! Pray, slink not so together, but come forth and show\nwhether there be any prowess among you!\u201d\n\nNow at first, this insolent challenge remained unanswered; for the\nPersians, being unaccustomed to fighting with Deevs, feared the giant\nmagician\u2019s power of sorcery. Then Rustem, seeing this, gave unto Rakush\nthe rein, and galloping up to the King, he said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, graciously permit me to meet this arrogant\nmagician that I may show unto thy army how little availeth the power of\nsorcery when brought to bear against the strong arm and the stout heart\nof a true child of Ormuzd.\u201d\n\nSo, being given permission, Rustem rode boldly forth, and meeting the\nchampion in full sight of both armies, he thundered forth:\n\n\u201cO Son of Satan! Behold, thy tomb yawneth at thy feet! For thy folly\nmaketh it necessary that I quickly blot thy name from out the book of\nthe living.\u201d\n\nBut the champion, brandishing his mighty club, replied fearlessly:\n\n\u201cVain Boaster, flee, for behold, my club maketh mothers childless!\u201d\n\nHowbeit, Rustem fled not. Instead, he advanced quickly, shouting in a\nvoice which rivalled that of the Great White Deev:\n\n\u201cTremble, thou Son of Perdition! For behold, thou hast now to do with\nRustem the Mighty!\u201d\n\nNow when the magician heard this dread name, at once he turned to flee,\nfor he had no desire to fight the champion of the world. But his\ncowardice availed him naught, for Rustem, raising his lance, pierced him\nthrough and through his coat of mail, lifting him thus from his saddle.\nThen holding him poised in the air for a moment, even as a bird which a\nman hath run through with a spit, suddenly he dashed him with contempt\nlifeless to the ground. And, this being done, slowly he turned, and rode\nquietly back unto the army, leaving the Deevs thunderstruck at the sight\nof so much strength and prowess.\n\nBut now Kaikous gave the signal, and there began a battle the like of\nwhich hath seldom been fought. For seven long days it lasted, and what\nwith the screams of the Deevs and the shouts of the warriors, the\nclanging of trumpets and the beating of drums, the groans of the dying\nand the screams of the elephants-of-war, earth was turned into a\npandemonium as hideous as war could make it. But still victory leaned\nunto neither side.\n\nThen Kaikous, fearing defeat, on the eighth day clothed himself in the\nrobes of humility and prostrated himself before Ormuzd, beseeching that\nthe kingdom of light might triumph over the kingdom of darkness. And not\nin vain; for behold! when evening was come, the army of Mazinderan was a\npower no longer to be dreaded. For lo! Death had waved his magic sceptre\nover the field, and thousands of Deevs lay, as if enchanted, taking\ntheir last long sleep.\n\nAnd now at last Rustem, who all day had been trying to pierce unto the\nKing of Mazinderan, spied the monarch, surrounded by his few remaining\nchiefs and a great host of war-elephants. Immediately, therefore, he\nchallenged him to single combat. So the King consenting, with a cry like\na lion\u2019s roar, Rustem charged him with his spear, dealing him such a\nmighty blow that at once he fell heavily to the ground. Quick as light,\nhowever, he regained his feet, and fiercely they fought together, both\nwith sword and javelin. But presently once more Rustem gained the\nadvantage. Then raising his lance to strike, he cried:\n\n\u201cPerish, Thou Wicked Magician! for little will thy sorcery help thee\nnow.\u201d\n\nThen it came to pass that Rustem dealt a stroke of tremendous power\nwhich would certainly have slain the King; but behold, in the twinkling\nof an eye, he had changed himself, before the eyes of the whole Persian\narmy, into a great mass of rock! And now was it Rustem\u2019s turn to marvel,\nfor never in all his battles with the Deevs had he witnessed the like.\nBut at this moment Kaikous came up, and beholding Rustem, he said:\n\n\u201cO Glory of the Battle-field, why standest thou thus spellbound, gazing\nat this rock?\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, awakening from his astonishment, replied unto the King:\n\n\u201cWhat! Sawest thou not, O Lord of Iran, the feat of magic but now\nperformed before our eyes? Alas! this mighty rock is the King of\nMazinderan who, fearing the sword of Rustem, hath thus put himself out\nof our power. But verily he shall not so escape me.\u201d\n\nNow in this predicament Kaikous thought a moment; then he commanded that\nthe rock be taken up and placed before his throne. So the mighty\nwarriors of the King who were most noted for their strength meshed the\nmass of rock with strong cords, being unable to raise it from the\nground, and tried to draw it forward. But even so, not all the combined\nstrength of the heroes could move it a jot. Then Rustem, the\nelephant-limbed, determined that his prey should not escape him, bent\nhis sturdy back, and grasping the rock in his mighty arms, swung it\nlightly unto his head, where, poising it easily, without difficulty, he\nbore it across the plain. There, throwing it down before the King\u2019s\ntent, he cried:\n\n\u201cO cowardly Magician! Verily, if thou comest not immediately forth, with\nmy mace will I grind this stone into powder, and scatter in unto the\nfour winds!\u201d\n\nThen the King of Mazinderan, seeing that his trick was useless, quickly\nmade himself visible, frowning as black as a thunder cloud. But Rustem,\nsmiling, led his captive at once unto the Shah, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Lord of Iran! Behold, I bring unto thee this piece of rock whom fear\nof my mace hath brought unto reason.\u201d\n\nNow the King wasted not many words with the magician, for when he saw\nhow wicked of aspect he was, with the neck and tusks of a wild boar, he\nknew him to be unworthy a throne. Therefore, calling unto him the\nexecutioner, he bade him slay the evil Deev, cutting his body into a\nthousand pieces.\n\nAnd behold, the magicians being destroyed, Kaikous, after making haste\nto secure their wealth, which was very great, distributed honors and\nrewards upon every warrior for his heroic services, giving unto Aulad\nthe throne of Mazinderan. But unto Rustem the Shah gave gifts the like\nof which you have never dreamed. Now there was gold and jewels, brocades\nand silks, horses and camels, youths and maidens, perfumes beyond price,\nand carvings of ivory. And last of all, there was a letter, written upon\npages of silk, in ink made of wine and aloes and amber and the black of\nlamps, naming Rustem the Champion of the World, and giving unto him anew\nthe kingdom of the south.\n\nBut the praise and gifts of the Shah were as nothing unto Rustem in\ncomparison with the welcome home which he received. Now the whole city\nturned out to meet him, and when he arrived at the palace such an\novation was given him as seldom awaiteth a returning hero. And sweeter\nthan all unto Rustem, was the wonderful love and pride which beamed upon\nhim from the eyes of Silver-crowned Zal as he related unto him the\namazing adventures of that marvellous march into Mazinderan.\n\n\n\n\n                           RUSTEM THE PEHLIVA\n\n\nBehold, it is chronicled in the Book of the Shahs, that Kaikous and his\nfolly parted them not company, even after his chastening experience at\nMazinderan. Consequently, almost immediately after having wrought his\nseven great labors, once more Rustem was called upon to perform the\nservices of a Pehliva. And of this you shall hear.\n\nNow it came to pass that Kaikous, appropriating unto himself the glory\nwhich resulted from the marvellous conquest of Mazinderan, became so\ninflated with pride that the day came when he found his capital too\nsmall for him. Therefore, he decided to bless the eyes of his people by\na triumphal journey through his dominions. So with a magnificent train\nof warriors, nobles, and slaves, and with the music of trumpets and\ncymbals and drums, he travelled through the land. And behold! wherever\nthe great Shah passed, men did homage unto him. For, verily, the lamb\ncannot wage battle with the lion.\n\nBut since in the Book of Fate it is written that not even unto a\ngorgeous Eastern potentate, with the world for his footstool, can life\nremain forever one long, bright f\u00eate day, so soon there sprang forth\nthorns in the Shah\u2019s fair garden of roses. For lo! the King of\nHamaveran, desiring to throw off the yoke of Persia, took this\nopportunity to stir up a powerful revolt in Syria, which suddenly\nbrought unto an end the vainglorious parade of the Shah.\n\nReturning unto his capital, therefore, Kaikous quickly mustered his\narmy, leading them forth against the rebels, who, after an obstinate\nresistance, were overpowered and obliged to ask for quarter. Now\nforemost in laying down his arms, and asking pardon of the Shah, was the\nKing of Hamaveran, unto whom Kaikous granted it joyously. For behold! it\nhad become known unto him that behind his curtains this King had hidden\na daughter of rare loveliness. As a condition of peace, therefore, the\nShah demanded this Moon of Beauty for his wife.\n\nAlas! when the King of Hamaveran learned of the desire of the Shah, his\nheart was filled with bitterness, and he murmured exceedingly that\nKaikous, who had the world at his feet, should have the power to take\nfrom him his one treasure. Nevertheless, he called before him Sudaveh,\nhis fair daughter, and unburdening his heart, bade her counsel him how\nhe should reply unto the Lord of the World, who desired her for his\nwife. And he said:\n\n\u201cFair Pomegranate Flower, well thou knowest that thou art my heart\u2019s\nsolace and delight, since I have but thee. In the garden of the Shah,\nhowever, bloom many fair flowers. There thou wilt be but one, while here\nthou hast no rival. Now losing thee, I lose the light of my eyes. Yet\nhow can I stand against the great King of Kings?\u201d\n\nNow unto this touching appeal, Sudaveh, who was ambitious, and unto whom\nthe thought of becoming the queen of the most powerful sovereign in the\nworld was not at all unpleasant, replied coldly:\n\n\u201cIf there be no remedy, O my father, why not smile in the face of\ndestiny?\u201d\n\nBut alas! though the King assented to what he now saw were the wishes of\nhis daughter, he could not smile, for his heart was smitten with sorrow.\nNevertheless, an alliance was soon concluded according to the forms of\nthe land, and after seven days of feasting, Sudaveh was sent unto the\ntents of the Shah, robed in garbs of splendor, and accompanied by a\nmagnificent train. Now the Princess was borne upon a litter, and was\nattended by six hundred slaves, while as to her dowry\u2014it required two\nthousand horses and camels to carry it.\n\nSo went Sudaveh unto the King, and as she descended from her litter,\nglowing with beauty, Kaikous, beholding her, was struck dumb with\nadmiration and rapture. And so impatient was he to possess this rare\nloveliness, that the marriage rites were performed at once, after which\nhe raised Sudaveh unto the throne as his Queen. Then were they glad in\neach other, and wist not that sorrow knocked at the door.\n\nBut though this royal bridal pair were happy, the King of Hamaveran,\nbrooding day by day over his wrongs in his lonely palace, became more\nand more miserable, until finally he determined to try to regain his\ndaughter unto himself, since thus only would there be for him any joy in\nliving. And since he knew that only by stratagem could he hope to\naccomplish his design, behold, when Sudaveh had been gone but seven\ndays, the King sent forth an invitation unto his new son-in-law,\nentreating him to make glad the heart of his father by feasting within\nhis gates.\n\nNow when Sudaveh was informed of this message, at once she urged her\nroyal bridegroom to decline the invitation, for she divined that her\nfather meant no good by the proposal. But Kaikous, who on account of his\neasy victory had formed a poor opinion of the courage of the Syrians,\nwould not give ear unto the warnings and counsels of Sudaveh, for his\nsoul loved feasting and homage, and he did not dream that the King would\ndare, anew, to attack the Persians.\n\nWherefore, the King and his nobles rode gaily forth unto the court of\nHamaveran, where they were received most graciously. And verily the\nheart of Kaikous was glad, for the banquet was a royal one, and behold,\nthey feasted and made merry without ceasing for many days. And not only\ndid they banquet, but in his desire to do honor unto his guest, the King\ncaused priceless gifts to be rained down continuously upon Kaikous,\nflattering him with sweet words, and cozening his vanity. Nor was his\ngenerosity less great unto the nobles, for unto them also he gave gifts,\npraising their courage and darkening their wits with sweet wine.\n\nBut when at last the wily King saw that all suspicion and distrust had\nbeen lulled to sleep by the bounteousness of his hospitality, then, like\na flash of light out of a clear sky, came the reckoning. For suddenly,\nas Kaikous reached forth his hands to grasp yet richer gifts, in the\ntwinkling of an eye, he and his chief warriors were seized from behind,\nbound with strong chains, and thrown into the dark dungeon of a\nfortress, whose head touched the sky and whose foot was planted in the\nocean, there to repent at leisure this second disastrous plunge into\nfolly.\n\nAnd now was the King of Hamaveran glad as, having seen his captives\nsafely hidden away in the fortress, he at once sent forth a strong force\nof warriors unto the camp of Kaikous, charging them, with the speed of\nthe swift dromedary, to return his heart\u2019s delight unto his arms. But\nalas for the King\u2019s hopes! For beholding the approach of the warriors,\nand the veiled women who accompanied them, at once Sudaveh surmised what\nhad happened, and so great was her distress that she tore her hair in\nanguish, crying aloud against the treachery of her father. Yea, and not\nonly that, for when she was led into his presence, she reproached him\nbitterly, swearing that not even he should part her from her lord,\nthough the path to him led but unto a tomb.\n\nNow as the King listened unto the scathing words of his daughter, he\nshed bitter tears of disappointment and anger. Then, furious that she\nshould prefer the glory of the Shah to the love of a father who lived\nbut to serve her, angrily he drove her from his presence, commanding\nthat she be placed in the same prison as her foolish lord. But this\ndistressed not Sudaveh, who went to the dungeon with a light heart, for\nshe loved her husband, and seated by his side, she served and comforted\nhim, thus lightening the weight of his captivity.\n\nBut alas for Iran! For once more the King\u2019s folly left an empty throne,\nwhich immediately attracted the avaricious eyes of her foes. And of\nthese, not only was there the angry King of Hamaveran, but also Afrasiab\nwho, hearing that Kaikous was once more paying the penalty of his\nfollies by being enchained in a Syrian dungeon, straightway forgot\nhunger and sleep in his fierce desire to be first upon the ground.\nBursting over the borders, therefore, with an immense Tartar horde at\nhis back, he defeated the Syrians, and took possession of the land, men,\nwomen, and children falling into bondage at his hands. Then Iran, the\nkingdom of light, became under his sway, the kingdom of darkness, and\nterror and distress reigned throughout the land.\n\nAnd now as ever, in their troubles, did the Persians appeal for counsel\nand aid unto the great house at Seistan; and not in vain. For, though\nRustem was angered at the Shah whose folly had thus once again\nendangered the throne, yet was he also grieved for the vanished glory of\nIran and for the distress of the people. So, for his country\u2019s sake, and\nbecause of the oath which his grandsire, Saum the hero, sware unto\nFeridoun, that he and his house would support and uphold the glory of\nthe Shahs forever, he put aside his anger, and forthwith sent a secret\nmessenger, a man subtle and wise, unto Kaikous, bidding him be of good\ncheer, since his Pehliva would surely deliver him from out the claws of\nthe Syrian lion.\n\nBut in addition to this, Rustem sent forth yet another messenger unto\nthe King of Hamaveran, summoning him to yield up the royal prisoner he\nhad won by treachery, or prepare for the destruction that awaited him\nwhen Rustem the Mighty should appear at the head of an invincible host,\nto wreak vengeance upon his head. Now this threat troubled the King of\nHamaveran, for he knew somewhat of Rustem\u2019s power. Nevertheless, he sent\nback reply that never again should Kaikous step forth from his dungeon.\nYea, and he threatened Rustem with the same fate, if he came forth\nagainst him, which answer caused Rustem to smile and say:\n\n\u201cVerily, either this King is in his dotage, or else the Evil One hath\nfilled his head with smoke. On, my men! On to Hamaveran!\u201d\n\nSo the army of Seistan set forth, and behold, so mighty of mien was\nRustem, with his strong arms and his lion\u2019s chest, his great mace and\nhis redoubtable charger, that when the army of Hamaveran caught sight of\nhim, lo, their hearts quickly departed from out their bodies, and they\nfled from before his face in terror, returning unto the King without\nhaving struck a blow.\n\nThen was the King filled with dismay, and in his terror of defeat, at\nonce he sent swift runners unto his neighbors, the Kings of Egypt and\nBerber, soliciting their aid\u2014which being gladly given, it came to pass\nthat three kings and their immense armies were drawn up against the\npower and resources of one man. Indeed so great was the combined forces\nthat they stretched for two leagues in length, and you would have said\nthat the handful of Rustem had no chance against them.\n\nBut the hero was not dismayed. On the contrary, his soul was full of\ncourage, the great numbers dismaying him not, for he said:\n\n\u201cWhat mattereth it even though there be a hundred thousand men pitted\nagainst us? With Heaven our friend, soon will the foe be mingled with\nthe dust.\u201d\n\nNow having thus inspired his men, Rustem caused the trumpets to sound,\nand with a great shout he fell upon the armies of the Kings, like unto a\nflame that darteth hungrily, driven by a fierce wind. And verily so\ngreat was the havoc wrought by Rakush and his master that the ground\nquickly became a crimson stream, while everywhere rolled horrid heads,\nsevered from the bodies of the enemy.\n\nBut of all the chiefs, the King of Hamaveran was the first to fall back\nwith his legions before the sword of Rustem. Quickly, however, the King\nof Berber advanced to fill his place, for he was ashamed of his\ncolleague\u2019s cowardice. But alas! receiving a slight blow from Rustem\u2019s\nmighty hand, terrified, he turned to flee, hoping thus to escape his\nfury. But in vain, for quickly throwing his noose, the champion caught\nand dragged him from his horse, making him prisoner. And this being\naccomplished, it now became the turn of the King of Egypt to feel the\npower of Rustem. Before his charge like that of an angry dragon down\nwent this last of the Kings, and with him forty of his principal chiefs,\nfor verily against such battle fury only the lion-hearted could hope to\nstand.\n\nSo ended this day of ill-fortune for the King of Hamaveran, who\nbeholding at sunset the overthrow of his allies, and all the horrible\ncarnage wrought by the champion, knew that as well might the lamb\ncontend with the lion as he with this sharp-fanged dragon-of-war.\nQuickly, therefore, he sent a swift messenger unto the great Pehliva,\nsoliciting a suspension of the fight, and offering to deliver up\nKaikous, and all the men and treasure that were his, if clemency were\nshown him.\n\nNow to this acknowledgment of defeat, Rustem replied:\n\n                  \u201cKaikous to liberty restore,\n                  With all his chiefs, I ask no more;\n                  For him alone I conquering came;\n                  Than him no other prize I claim.\u201d\n\nSo Kaikous was liberated from his prison, and Sudaveh with him, together\nwith all the illustrious heroes imprisoned with them in the mountain\nfortress. And so great was their joy that continually they sang the\npraises of Rustem, the King\u2019s Pehliva, who so quickly had caused light\nto shine upon a dark place and hope to spring up where despair had been.\nAnd not alone were the Persians in extolling their hero, for behold! the\nthree Kings were so impressed with the mighty prowess of Rustem that\ngladly they sware a new allegiance unto the Shah, marching with the army\nupon its return journey into Iran, in order to go out against Afrasiab.\n\nAnd the army, thus made strong, behold, when the Shah was come safe home\nagain unto his land, he sent a message unto Afrasiab, commanding him to\nquit the country he had so unjustly invaded. Yea, and he twitted the\nKing upon his previous adventure with Rustem, saying unto him:\n\n              \u201cHast thou forgotten Rustem\u2019s power,\n              When thou wert in that perilous hour\n              By him o\u2019erthrown? Thy girdle broke,\n              Or thou hadst felt the conqueror\u2019s yoke.\n              Thy crowding warriors proved thy shield,\n              They saved and dragged thee from the field;\n              By them unrescued then, wouldst thou\n              Have lived to boast thy prowess now?\u201d\n\nAlas! thus reminded of past humiliations, Afrasiab replied scathingly\nunto the King, and he said:\n\n\u201cO thou, whose folly hath become a proverb, verily the words which thou\nhast written are not becoming unto a monarch such as thou, who didst\ncovet Mazinderan, and whose lightness of head hath twice endangered thy\nlife and throne. But truly thou doest well to boast of thy Pehliva,\nsince without the Elephant-limbed the boasted power of Kaikous would\ncause little alarm unto his foes. As for Rustem, Afrasiab feareth him\nnot, neither that the sceptre of Iran will be wrested from his grasp,\nfor behold! the great Pehliva hath no time to fight with heroes, being\nfully employed in extricating his glorious sovereign, the mighty\nKaikous, from the predicaments into which his folly ever leadeth him.\u201d\n\nNow the Shah\u2019s reply unto this insolent message was an instant call to\nwar. And, as it had been with the Syrians, so now was it with this new\nfoe, for the havoc wrought by Rustem in his battle fury caused such\nterror and consternation that all the Tartar chiefs fled before him in\ndismay\u2014upon seeing which, the spirit of Afrasiab boiled over like unto\nnew wine. Riding along the lines, therefore, he tried to rally his\nchiefs for yet another charge by fair promises, saying unto them:\n\n\u201cO my brave Tartars, whosoever shall deliver into my hands, alive,\nRustem the Pehliva, him will I reward with a kingdom and an umbrella.\nYea, and the hand of my daughter will I also bestow upon him, and he\nshall sit upon a throne of splendor!\u201d\n\nSo, inspired by these alluring promises, once more the men of Turan\ngirded themselves for resistance. But alas! it availed them naught, for\nsoon Rustem watered the earth with their blood. Then Afrasiab, beholding\nhow the breath of this fierce dragon-of-war snuffed out the life of his\nheroes, himself dashed forward to cope with the champion. But even his\nbravery was unavailing, and soon he was glad to retreat, the remnant of\nhis army following forlornly after him, leaving Rustem in full\npossession of the field.\n\nThen was the Shah glad, and gave thanks unto his Pehliva, through whose\nprowess once more he was safely seated upon the throne of light. And,\nturning his back upon folly, for many moons he busied himself as a\nbuilder, erecting mighty towers and palaces, so that the whole land was\nmade fair at his hands.\n\nBut alas! in the midst of his useful activities, one day there appeared\nbefore Kaikous a beautiful youth about whose head was twined a wreath of\nroses. And behold! after presenting unto the Lord of the World the fair\nflowers, and extolling the glory of his achievements, the youth,\nconcluding, said:\n\n                   \u201cO Monarch of the earth and sea,\n                   Thou art great as king can be,\n                   Boundless in thy majesty;\n                   What is all this earth to thee,\n                     All beneath the sky?\n                   Peris, mortals, demons, hear\n                   Thy commanding voice with fear;\n                   Thou art lord of all things here,\n                     But\u2014thou canst not fly!\n\n                   That remains for thee; to know\n                   Things above, as things below,\n                     How the planets roll;\n                   How the sun his light displays,\n                   How the moon darts forth her rays;\n                   How the nights succeed the days;\n                   What the secret cause betrays,\n                     And who directs the whole!\u201d\n\nNow when Kaikous heard these words of guile, immediately his mind became\nfilled with smoke, even as Iblis had designed, and forgetting that it is\nnot given unto man to mount unto the skies, from this time forth he\npondered without ceasing how, without wings, he might ascend unto the\nstars to inquire into their secrets. And finally, in his perplexity, he\nconsulted his astrologers, who, after much thought, suggested a possible\nway of accomplishing his desires.\n\nSo it came to pass that presently an eagle\u2019s nest was robbed of its\nyoung, the eaglets being reared with great care, until they became large\nand strong of wing. Then a framework of aloe-wood was prepared, at each\nof the four corners of which was fixed, perpendicularly, a javelin,\nsurmounted upon the point with the flesh of a goat. And this being done,\nthe four young eagles, who longed for the sun, were bound unto the\ncorners of this cunningly-devised chariot, and Kaikous, with great pomp,\nseated himself in the midst thereof, a goblet of wine in his hand, while\nall the people shouted, \u201cBah! Bah!\u201d in admiration.\n\nAnd behold! the eagles, excited by the smell of the flesh so pleasing\nunto them, desired after it exceedingly, being hungry, so, with a mighty\nflapping of wings, away they flew upward, bearing the aloe-wood chariot\nand the graciously-smiling Kaikous up, far up, into the glorious blue,\naway from the sight of his wondering subjects. But alas for the eagles!\nfor though they struggled sore, the meat was always just beyond their\ngrasp. Nevertheless, being continually urged to new effort by the whip\nof hunger, on they swept, ascending higher and higher into the clouds,\nand conveying the astonished King far beyond the borders of Iran.\n\nBut though the Shah now became filled with terror, he knew not how to\nguide his novel steeds, and so, breathless, he sat, all desire for new\nworlds to conquer forever quenched in his quaking breast. And finally\nthe climax came, for, after long and fruitless exertions, the strength\nof the eagles being spent, they ceased to struggle. And lo! as they\nrested on quiet wing, down from the sky, like a pricked balloon, tumbled\nthe chariot of the glorious Kaikous, and great was the shock thereof as\nit kissed the earth.\n\nAnd now, indeed, was the plight of the presumptuous Shah a sorry one,\nfor, battered and bruised, he awoke from unconsciousness to find that\nthe eagles had borne him unto the desert of Cathay, where there was no\nman to succor him and no tender hands to minister unto his needs. So he\nsuffered hunger and thirst, loneliness and despair; yea, and\nmortification of soul, that yet again in his folly he had become a\nlaughing-stock unto his enemies and a source of shame unto Iran. Then in\nhis trouble he prayed unto Ormuzd, confessing himself unworthy his\nthrone and people, and continually for many days he watered the desert\nwith his tears of penitence.\n\n[Illustration: And finally, in his perplexity, he consulted his\nastrologers.]\n\nMeanwhile, when the news of this new calamity in which Kaikous had\nwantonly involved himself was made known unto Rustem, at once he set out\nwith an army to seek him, but he was angry and shamed in his soul. So\nwhen the Shah was brought safely back, indignantly he upbraided him,\nsparing neither words nor reproaches. And he said:\n\n\u201cVerily, never hath the world seen the like of Kaikous for foolishness!\nOne would say, from his actions, that his head was void of all save\nwind, and that a mad-house were fitter for his occupancy than a throne.\nNow all her days will it be a reproach unto Iran that a King once sat\nupon her throne, so puffed up with vanity and pride that in his folly he\nmounted into the sky, thinking to visit the sun and moon and stars, thus\nwresting from the heavens the secrets of the Almighty. Truly such mad\nadventures are unworthy the great King of Kings, whose forefathers ruled\nso gloriously and added such lustre unto the crown of Iran!\u201d\n\nAnd behold! of all the faithful service rendered unto the great Shah by\nhis loyal Pehliva, these scathing words were far from the least. For,\nlistening unto them with chastened spirit, the vanity of Kaikous all\nevaporated, leaving him humble and ashamed. Yea, so true was his\npenitence that when Rustem left him, for forty days and nights did he\nlie in the dust before God, shut away from the eyes of men. And when\nfinally he seated himself once more upon the throne of light, verily he\nruled the land with wisdom, liberality, and justice, for Kaikous and his\nfolly had parted company.\n\n\n\n\n                            RUSTEM\u2019S ROMANCE\n\n\n              Listen, my children, and you shall hear,\n              Of the wondrous love of a maiden dear,\n              For a mighty warrior, the pride of his day,\n              Who loved, and married, and rode away,\n                For this is the romance of Rustem.\n\nBehold, it is written, that never in the Garden of Kings bloomed there a\nfairer flower than Tamineh, only Princess of the house of Samengan.\nFresh and sweet as a nosegay of lilies and pinks, this beauteous\npomegranate flower, with her laughing dark eyes, her blue-black curls,\nand her soft, velvety voice was indeed a joy to behold, and many there\nwere who loved her.\n\nBut alas! the Princess was wilful, as well as fair, and so, though she\nhad many suitors from far and near, she was attracted by none of them.\nFor lo! her eye was fixed and her heart was set upon a bright,\nparticular star, blazing away with more than heavenly splendor, in far,\nfar-off Persia. So, when her father would have married her unto this or\nthat great Prince, half laughing, half earnest, she would say:\n\n\u201cNay, nay, my father! One man only will I marry, and that is Rustem, the\nhero whose mighty prowess is exceeded only by his grandeur of soul.\u201d\n\nNow as it happened, the King of Samengan was feudatory unto Afrasiab,\nthe deadly enemy of Iran, and though the two countries were now at\npeace, the probability that Rustem, the great Persian Pehliva, would\never visit the small kingdom of Samengan, or even so much as hear of the\nbeautiful Tartar Princess, seemed most unlikely; therefore, when Tamineh\nthus spoke of Rustem, the King chided, saying unto her:\n\n\u201cFoolish child! Verily, as well mightst thou cry for the moon as to set\nthy heart upon so distant and so bright a star. For lo! the southern\npalm stretcheth forth not its arms unto the northern pine; neither doth\nthe lion mate with the gazelle. Cast, therefore, O Pearl of my Heart,\nthis hero from thy thoughts, since only grief and pain can it bring unto\nthee, forever to dream of the unattainable.\u201d\n\nBut this Tamineh could not do, for Rustem had become a part of her life,\nboth waking and dreaming, as you shall hear. For it happened that the\nPrincess had for her nurse a Persian woman, Fatima by name, who loved\nnothing so well as to talk of the great champion of her country, so that\nfrom childhood up had the Tartar maiden heard the wonder tales of her\nhero. Yea, the most beautiful part of every day unto her, as far back as\nshe could remember, was the twilight hour, when, seated at her nurse\u2019s\nfeet, her head pillowed in her soft lap, for hours she would sit\nspellbound, listening eagerly unto Fatima as she related the mighty\ndeeds of Rustem: How, when only eight years old, he slew the King\u2019s\nwhite elephant; of the capture of the magic fortress; of his wonderful\nmarch into Mazinderan; of Rakush; and of all his daring deeds as a\nwarrior.\n\nAnd behold! Fatima had also other things to relate of her hero: tales\nillustrating his beautiful tenderness, loyalty, and greatness of soul.\nAnd as the Princess grew older, these stories appealed more to her than\nthe wonder tales or the deeds of prowess; but all was listened to with\neagerness and delight by the infatuated Tamineh, who, thus fed upon\nromance, grew into a tall, beautiful maiden with never a thought for any\nman save Rustem the Mighty.\n\nBut though it seemed most unlikely that the Princess would ever behold\nher hero, lo! it was written in the stars to the contrary. And that\nwhich is written, shall it not surely come to pass? So, at least,\nbelieve the Persians, and so happened it unto Rustem and Tamineh.\n\nFor presently it came to pass that upon a certain morning Rustem, in\nfar-away Persia, awoke from his slumbers unrefreshed, after a restless\nnight of dreaming. Concluding, therefore, that his muscles were in need\nof exercise, there being no enemies to fight, the hero resolved to go\noff upon a long hunting trip. So, filling his quiver with arrows, he\nsaddled Rakush, and set out for the beautiful wilds that border upon\nTuran.\n\nNow, arrived at the hunting-ground, Rustem found good sport, for the\nplain was covered with great herds of wild asses that roamed at will\nfrom the sullen grandeur of the uplands to the fairer vales below.\nSetting spurs to Rakush, therefore, gaily the hero pursued them through\nwood and glen, and often did his quivering darts pierce the glossy skin\nof the dangerous game. Yea, and oft too, did his lengthy lasso unfurl,\nring upon ring, snaring the wily beasts for his club. So long he hunted,\nuntil finally, night drawing on, he said unto Rakush:\n\n\u201cEnough, My Beauty, enough! for to-morrow will be another day.\u201d\n\nSo, his hunting done, straightway the hero proceeded to light a great\nfire. Then, making a young tree serve as a spit, he ran it through the\nbody of a nice fat gor, hung it over the fire, and roasted it for his\nmeal. And behold, being deliciously done, hungrily he tore it joint from\njoint, ate of it his fill, and broke the bones for the marrow. Then,\ntired with his long day\u2019s sport, the weary hunter sought the shade of a\nthicket, and lay down to sleep, fanned by the plumes of the glorious\npalms above his head, and lulled to rest by the cooing doves and\nsunbirds that fluttered through their swinging crowns. Yea, and watched\nover by faithful Rakush who wandered never far from his sleeping master.\n\nNow while Rustem peacefully slept, the hand of Fate was busy weaving\ninto the pattern of his life some new threads. For, on this eventful\nday, a traveller on his way to Samengan had beheld the Mighty One\nhunting. So it came to pass that having arrived at the court, he told\nthe astonishing news, which spread until it reached the ears of Fatima,\nwho at once rushed to inform her young mistress. Now at first, Tamineh,\nupon hearing this story, was incredulous, but having summoned the\ntraveller into her presence, her doubts were soon dispelled, for he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cGracious Princess! Behold, as I crossed the great salt plains upon the\nborder of the kingdom this day, I encountered a solitary huntsman,\nmounted upon a magnificent charger, and towering in his saddle like a\ngiant among men. More like unto a god than mortal man, surely this could\nhave been no other than Rustem, the Champion of the World, and his\nfamous war-horse Rakush; for verily there exist not two such mighty\nheroes in the world!\u2014of that I am certain.\u201d\n\nThus spake the traveller, and being dismissed, Fatima, all excitement,\ncried eagerly unto her mistress:\n\n\u201cO Rose of the World, rejoice! for behold, thy hero draweth near, and\nyet thine eyes may be gladdened by his coming! For surely no man could\nsee the Mighty Rustem and mistake him for another, since as the\ntraveller sayeth, in all the world there are no two such; nay, nor\nmethinks in heaven either!\u201d\n\nNow hearing these words, the heart of Tamineh leaped and rejoiced like\nunto that of a gay singing-bird, as, embracing Fatima, she exclaimed\njoyously, her soft, dark eyes shining like stars:\n\n\u201cFatima, Old Dragon! Listen and admire. For, behold, thy Bright\nPomegranate Flower hath determined to gaze upon this glorious Persian\nSun, and if it withereth all her gay petals! and the stars decree that\nthou must help her.\u201d\n\nBut Fatima, hearing these words, quickly repented of her impetuosity,\nfor right well she knew the wilfulness of her mistress, and she feared\nunto what it might lead. Therefore she replied unto Tamineh:\n\n\u201cPearl of my Heart! be not foolish; for how is it possible for thee to\naccomplish the desire of thy heart? The great Rustem is travelling\nnorth, and it is not probable, either that he will visit our Court, or\ndelay his journey. How then canst thou hope to see him?\u201d\n\nNow thus questioned, for a time Tamineh was silent. But, being a young\nwoman of some resource, she was not to be dismayed by obstacles which\nmight have deterred smaller souls, for had she not all her life been\nhoping against hope for just this opportunity? And now that it had come,\nwas she to sit quietly down, allowing it to pass by unimproved? Verily,\nnay! For some minutes, however, the Princess did sit down, thinking\nhard. But presently, springing gaily to her feet, a mischievous light\nsparkling and dancing in her wonderful dark eyes, she cried:\n\n\u201cKiss me, Fatima, kiss me! for verily thou beholdest before thee the\nhappiest Princess in the whole, wide world. Soon I shall see, and\nperhaps win the hero of my dreams, and thou, too, methinks will rejoice\nonce more to behold thy country\u2019s champion. Now let not thine eyes pop\nout of thy head, Old Dragon; neither be thou dismayed, for I shall not\ngo forth unto the great Rustem, but he shall come unto me. For, look\nyou! the plan is quite simple, since we have only to take captive\nRakush, when the hero will come quickly enough to recover his glorious\nsteed.\u201d\n\nAlas! the proposition of stealing Rakush was unto Fatima as daring and\nawful an idea as the thought of stealing Rustem himself, but realizing\nthat it was useless to oppose her young mistress, she replied not, save\nby a deep groan.\n\nIgnoring the groan, however, the Princess continued:\n\n\u201cListen now, my dear old Fatima, for verily the plot is a famous one!\nBut it must be carried out to-night, before Rustem hath departed, else\nwill it be too late. Now methinks that not by strength but by stratagem\nmust Rakush the terrible be captured. Therefore, when darkness covereth\nthe land to-night, we will send forth six wily herdsmen, mounted upon\nlight, swift horses, spurring them on to the enterprise by offering them\nprincely rewards if successful. They must be, of course, men expert with\nthe lasso, and they must entrap, without harming, Rakush while Rustem\nsleeps, returning with him unto the royal stables before dawn.\u201d\n\nThus elaborated Tamineh her plan unto Fatima, who, relieved that it\nthreatened no danger to the Princess, nevertheless protested loudly,\ntearing her hair and clothes, weeping and lamenting bitterly. But of\ncourse she ended by doing the will of her mistress, as did also the men\nchosen, for well they knew that any service faithfully performed would\nbe liberally rewarded by the Princess Tamineh.\n\nMeanwhile, little dreamed the mighty Rustem, as he soundly slept on his\nbed of moss that night, after his famous day\u2019s hunting, of the filmy web\nthat this bright-eyed Princess was securely weaving about him. Yea, and\neven intelligent Rakush, though he slept not, little suspected that for\nlong seven dark figures had stealthily stalked him through the night.\nFor the Tartar warriors who followed him, knowing quite well that no\neasy task was involved in carrying out the commands of their Princess,\nproceeded most cautiously.\n\nFinally, however, advancing stealthily, the seven clever ones tried to\ntake their prize, unawares, by throwing a lasso over his head. But in\nvain; for the noise of the uncoiling lariat piercing unto the ear of\nRakush, dexterously he avoided the cruel cord, standing with ears alert\nand pawing feet of anger. Now for a second thus he stood; then having\nlocated his enemy, like a lion he sprang upon them, striking two of the\nfoe dead with a single stroke of his forefeet, and savagely biting off\nthe head of a third. Thus three of the company were safely disposed of,\nand the brave Rakush was not yet taken. Nor would he have been; for\nnever yet had man or Demon entrapped or overcome the glorious steed; but\nfor the sake of the beautiful Princess, the stars decreed it. So\npresently, after a hard fight, the four succeeded in entangling him with\ntheir lassos, and thus it came to pass that just before the day dawned\nthe proud war-horse of Rustem was led, gagged and blindfolded, into the\nstables of the King of Samengan.\n\nAnd behold, when the Princess Tamineh from her balcony at last beheld\nthe famous war-horse loom up along the shadowy road, so great was her\njoy that, regardless of the fact that Rakush was tossing his head,\nstamping his hoofs, and snorting protests like an angry dragon, she\nwould have flown down to welcome him with soft caress, had not the\nfaithful Fatima urged that such a step might undo all that had been\naccomplished.\n\nBut though the dawn brought joy unto Tamineh, its message unto Rustem\nwas that of sorrow. For behold! when he called unto Rakush no answering\nneigh rang out the glad reply. Thinking, however, that his steed had\nperhaps but strayed beyond the sound of his first gentle call, the hero\nquickly came out into the open, calling unto Rakush in a voice of\nthunder; but still there came no answer. Then was the heart of the\nMighty One troubled, for well he knew that his faithful steed had not\nwillingly strayed away. Now in his dismay he said unto himself:\n\n\u201cWhat a dilemma! for now must I go on foot, carrying my quiver and my\ngreat club, this heavy helmet and coat of mail, and my life-destroying\nsword. And seeing me thus, how the Tartars will scoff, saying among\nthemselves: \u2018Behold the Mighty Rustem! While he slept, some one must\nhave stolen his horse!\u2019 Now thus shall I be put to shame before my\nenemies, that which never yet hath happened unto Rustem.\u201d\n\nThus communing with himself, busily the hero searched for some trace of\nhis missing steed, and not in vain, for at last he detected the\nfootprints of a scuffle down by the stream that murmured at the foot of\nthe shady glen. Here great hoof-marks pointed out the field of battle,\nthe ground being ploughed up upon all sides, indicating how desperately\nthe mighty steed had resisted his wily captors. Then farther on could be\ntraced the steps of Rakush between two other horses, closely followed by\na third, which plainly said unto Rustem that his faithful companion had\nbeen stolen.\n\nAnd now, boiling over with rage and sorrow, the heart of Rustem beat to\nbut one refrain: Vengeance! Vengeance upon the captors of Rakush!\nPausing not, however, quickly he followed the traces of his horse\u2019s\nhoofs, and lo! they led him unto the gates of Samengan. Then Rustem,\nperceiving whither the footprints led, sware unto Heaven a great oath,\nand he said:\n\n\u201cBy the sun and moon and stars, I swear that if aught of harm hath come\nunto Rakush through this King or his people, verily the thief shall pay\nfor it with his head!\u201d\n\nMeanwhile, knowing naught of the capture of Rakush, as Rustem approached\nthe shining turrets of the city, great was the astonishment of the King\nand those about him when they beheld the manner of his coming.\nNevertheless, they hurried forth to greet their distinguished guest, the\nKing saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO glorious Pehliva, never hath Samengan been so honored in a guest, and\nlo! her King sayeth unto thee, \u2018Welcome.\u2019 But how happeneth it that the\nmighty Rustem cometh unto us afoot and unattended? If misfortune hath\nbefallen, behold! we are all at thy service!\u201d\n\nBut unto this courteous greeting Rustem replied coldly, relating briefly\nunto the King all that had come to pass. Then becoming more angry as he\ntalked, once more the hero sware that many heads should quit their\ntrunks if his charger were not returned unto him right speedily, void of\nharm.\n\nThen the King, seeing that Rustem was beside himself with anger, spake\nwords of comfort unto the hero, for he knew how dear unto him was his\nglorious steed. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Hero of Heroes! Be not so disturbed in thy spirit, for verily anger\nprofiteth nothing. It is by charming that one lureth the serpent from\nhis hole. As for Rakush,\n\n              If still within the limits of my reign,\n              The well-known courser shall be thine again.\n              For Rakush never can remain concealed\n              No more than Rustem on the battle-field.\n\n\u201cTake courage, therefore, and be of good cheer, for soon thy glorious\nother self shall be restored unto thee, and all will be well. As for the\nthief, when detected he shall be placed in thy hands, to slay or to\nspare, according to thy good pleasure. But as for Rustem!\u2014for this one\nnight, at least, he must tarry at Samengan as our honored guest.\u201d\n\nSo, being satisfied with these promises, Rustem put away all suspicion\nfrom his mind, and became the King\u2019s guest. Then all day they feasted\nand made merry, beguiling the hours with wine and sweet words. Nor could\nthe King sufficiently honor his guest, though he encompassed him with\nmusic and song, and waited upon him with his own hands, as though he\nwere his slave. And behold! when night was fallen the monarch himself\nled Rustem unto a couch perfumed with musk and roses, bidding him\nslumber peacefully until morning, when he should again be made glad in\nRakush, his steed.\n\nNow thus delightfully couched, Rustem slept dreamlessly until the star\nof morning stood high in the arch of heaven. Then suddenly there fell\nupon his ear the murmur of soft womanly voices which caused the hero to\nstart up in confused amazement. Seeing nothing, however, he closed his\neyes again, for he thought that he had dreamed.\n\nBut though his conclusion was natural, the hero dreamed not, for\npresently the heavy curtains were drawn softly aside, and there stepped\nwithin the chamber a slave bearing a lamp perfumed with amber. And\nfollowing after, her veil but half concealing her lovely face, Rustem\nbeheld the fairest maiden his eyes had ever gazed upon. Now for a moment\nthe lovely vision lingered upon the threshold, poised like a frightened\nbird for hasty flight, the rich color suffusing her olive cheek, her\ndark eyes beaming beneath their splendid lashes, and her pomegranate\nmouth, flower-soft and sensitive, slightly parted. Then gaining courage,\nslowly she advanced toward the hero, and as she moved, fragrance was\nscattered from her robes, and her long black ringlets, musk-perfumed,\nseemed unto Rustem as fateful as the warrior\u2019s kamund. Yet, though\nenchanted, the warrior sighed, for again he thought he but dreamed.\n\nBut even as he would have settled himself once more unto slumber,\nbehold, like music upon his ear fell the soft voice of Tamineh, bidding\nFatima retire to the distant window. Now this fully awoke the young\nwarrior, who, springing quickly from his couch, gazed in astonished\ndelight at his enchanting visitor. Then Tamineh spoke in the soft,\nvelvety tones she could use so effectively when she chose. And she said:\n\n\u201cMy Lord Rustem, thou beholdest before thee the Princess Tamineh,\ndaughter of the King, and she hath come thus into thy presence because\nthe need is urgent. For she would crave thy pardon for a great wrong\nwhich she hath done unto thee, and which, she heareth, carrieth with it\na fearful penalty.\u201d\n\nNow amazed at this most surprising confession poured forth from tempting\nlips, moulded for love\u2019s recompense alone, for a second the valiant\nRustem was silenced by the wonder and unexpectedness of it all. Quickly\nrecovering himself, however, he replied unto the maiden:\n\n\u201cThou, Fair Princess! Thou hast done me a wrong? Truly, I know not what\nwrong thou canst have done me, unless it be the mischief wrought by thy\nbright eyes since they have shone so radiantly upon me. It is true, my\nheart whispers unto me that thy wondrous beauty hath caught me in its\nsnare, but if that be thy sin, it carrieth with it a delightful\npenalty\u2014one which thou needst not fear.\u201d\n\nNow this reply, so unlike that of a mighty warrior, caused a roguish\nsmile to play about the fascinating lips of the Princess Tamineh, who,\ncasting upon the speaker one bright, admiring glance from her sparkling\neyes, then modestly dropped them, replying demurely unto this gallant\nspeech:\n\n\u201cWho knoweth, My Lord, but that, perchance, I would gladly add that\ntheft unto the other! But greatly I fear that thou wilt consider my\nfirst offence the greater. For it was I, and none other, who had stolen\nfrom thee Rakush, thy steed of battle, who even now slumbereth\npeacefully in the royal stables.\u201d\n\nSo spake Tamineh, and though, as we know, her words were true, yet was\nit long before she could persuade the master of Rakush that she did not\njest. When she finally convinced him, however, so great was his joy in\nknowing Rakush safe and unharmed, that, behold, he forgot to be angry\nwith the thief. But, after all, who could blame him? for the thief was\nvery fair, and she confessed with a voice that rivalled the magic notes\nof the bulbul chanting unto his mate. And besides, the master of Rakush\nhad it in his heart to ask a great boon of the Princess, and this time\nhe remembered that not by anger, but by charming, one lureth a bird from\nthe bush. So, smiling, he said unto Tamineh:\n\n\u201cFair Princess, behold, thou standest before thy judge, convicted of two\nserious crimes. Two conditions must thou fulfil, therefore, if thou\nwouldst obtain thy pardon. First, the judge must be allowed to gaze upon\nthe face of the fair culprit, else how can he administer suitable\npunishment? And second, he must be informed as to the motive of the\ntheft, for that puzzle hath yet to be unravelled.\u201d\n\nNow at this embarrassing sentence, the lovely Tamineh stood silent\nbefore her judge, looking indeed like a culprit fostering half a desire\nto flee. But presently, rallying her forces, she replied bravely unto\nthe Mighty One, though her soft voice trembled and she looked not up:\n\n\u201cMy Lord Rustem, though news unto thee\u2014since thou art a mighty warrior\u2014I\nsuppose it is yet true that every maiden hath her hero. Now it is owing\nto Fatima, there, who is a Persian, that I have mine: a hero of whose\nfame and valorous deeds I have dreamed my life long, whose like ne\u2019er\nwas and ne\u2019er will be again, whose glory reacheth even unto the stars.\nAnd thou must know also, O Mighty One, that every maiden longeth to gaze\nupon the face of the only hero in the world for her. That is why I stole\nthy horse. And now, since thou knowest my utmost guilt, findest thou my\ncrime too great for pardon?\u201d\n\nBut unto this plea, for some minutes, Rustem replied not, for\npersistently his heart kept singing: \u201cThe only hero in the world for\nher! The only hero in the world for her!\u201d Now praise was no new thing\nunto the Champion of the World, but never before had it been offered\nwith such subtle charm. And besides, with joy the warrior recognized\nthat here was a spirit akin unto his own in its dauntlessness and\nlongings after the best. Drawing near unto the Princess, therefore, \u201cThe\nOnly Hero in the World\u201d said unto her softly:\n\n\u201cFair Pomegranate Flower, one of the conditions, truly, thou hast\nfulfilled; but the other must be met also; for verily my eyes are hungry\nfor full sight of lips that can murmur words so sweet to hear!\u201d\n\nBut the Princess, drawing closer the long white veil which half\nconcealed her face, stepped quickly back, saying proudly unto the eager\nRustem:\n\n\u201cNay, nay, my Lord! That is a privilege I grant only unto the man who\nweddeth me.\u201d\n\nNow saying this, slowly the Princess moved toward the curtains, as\nthough she would go. But Rustem, detaining her, cried out impetuously:\n\n\u201cO Pearl among Women, stay! for verily my heart hath wakened and calleth\nunto thee for its mate. Only consent, therefore, and to-morrow will we\nbe wed.\u201d\n\nBut, though these words sounded unto Tamineh like a p\u00e6an of victory, she\nreceived them coldly; for well she knew that no man\u2014least of all a\nwarrior\u2014careth for what he can win too easily. And then it was that\nRustem, in whom contradiction ever roused a fiery purpose to obtain his\nwill, vowed again and yet again that he could not live without her; that\nhe would wed but her, and that before the morrow\u2019s sun had set; that\nfrom henceforth honor and praise and glory would be as ashes unto his\nlips, unless shared with his Moon of Beauty.\n\nSo now, having thus aroused desire, softly the Princess drew aside her\nveil. Then before the enraptured Rustem had wakened to the danger, like\na gay humming-bird, swiftly away she flew, leaving in his hands her\nveil, which he in his eagerness had seized lest she hide that lovely\nface again too soon. And as she fled, like chimes of bells there floated\nback the sound of merry laughter, which but fanned the flame glowing\nalready so brightly in the awakened heart of the hero left gazing so\nruefully upon love\u2019s only token\u2014the dainty, fragrant, cruel film of\nlace. Now regarding it tenderly, the warrior smiled and said:\n\n\u201cBehold, the gay young Singing-bird hath flown, leaving her pretty wing\nin the too rough hand of her captor! But, by the sun and moon and stars,\nI swear that yet shall she be mine, for mighty in love shall Rustem be\nas well as in deeds of valor.\u201d\n\nConsequently, when morning dawned, and the hero once more beheld the\nKing, ceremoniously he asked Tamineh\u2019s hand in marriage. Yea, and the\nmonarch of Samengan listened unto him gladly, for was it not Rustem the\nMighty who sued! And did he not know but too well the heart of his Moon\nof Beauty! So that very day was the marriage bower crowned with roses\nand decked with white lilies, while the royal abode was flooded with\nmusic and sunshine to grace the glad wedding of the Princess Tamineh.\nAnd when all was over, verily it seemed unto Rustem and his pretty\nSinging-bird as if the world, like some vast tidal wave, had rolled\naway, leaving them alone with their happiness upon the golden shores of\nthe Land of Delight.\n\nNow thus it was that Tamineh, Princess of Samengan, obtained her heart\u2019s\ndesire. And behold! for one bright summer month she tasted such\nhappiness as is seldom vouchsafed, even unto the children of Ormuzd.\nWandering in the myrtle groves, or strolling together in the shady\nforest, the Princess now heard from the hero\u2019s own lips marvellous tales\nof adventure, and, the days passed for both like a happy dream. But\nalas! In the Book of Fate it is written that pure happiness is not for\nmortals, and so, when one bright moon had run her course, relentlessly\nsorrow\u2014joy\u2019s sombre twin\u2014invaded this Land of Delight.\n\nAnd behold! not suddenly, but with stealth, the invader drew nigh,\nattacking first the hero of battles. For gradually Rustem became\nrestless, and impatient with his life of inactivity, longing intensely\nfor the excitement of warfare and adventure to which he was accustomed\nand for which he was formed. For alas! Nature, in giving unto him his\ngiant frame and mighty muscles, his valorous heart, and his soul that\njoyed, above all else, in battle, had planned and destined the mighty\nson of Zal to shine through all the ages\u2014not as a lover, but as the type\nof the perfect warrior.\n\nNow slowly this truth was brought home unto Tamineh, as she noted the\never-increasing restlessness of her hero, which even she could not\nalways still, though she knew that he loved her tenderly. And though she\nspake not of it, her heart became burdened with sorrow, for she knew\nthat the time was now not far off when Rustem would go back unto his own\npeople and life, perhaps forgetting her in the more powerful attractions\nof war, while she must needs love him forever.\n\n[Illustration: The days passed for both like a happy dream.]\n\nAnd alas! Tamineh was right in her surmise, for it needed only the rumor\nthat war had again broken out in Persia to cause Rustem to buckle on his\nsword and armor with joy at the prospect of battle. Then hastily seeking\nthe King, he said unto him:\n\n\u201cO Royal Cypress, long have I rested in the shade of thy glorious land,\nbut now I must say unto it farewell. For behold! duty calleth me back\nunto Iran, and it is well, for verily my sword hath rusted too long in\nits scabbard, and Rakush neigheth with longing to bear me once more in\nthe thick of the fight.\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, the hero opened his arms and took unto his heart\nTamineh, the Peri-faced, bathing her cheeks with tears and covering her\nhair and eyes with kisses; also he whispered unto his Singing-bird sweet\nwords of enchantment. But alas for Tamineh! Clinging unto the neck of\nher hero, bitterly she wept, crying unto her beloved:\n\n\u201cO Light of my Life! I fear that thou goest from me forever, and how\nshall I live without thee?\u201d\n\nBut, kissing away her tears, Rustem spake unto Tamineh brave words of\ncomfort, telling her that he would surely return unto her when his\nfighting was over, laden with fresh laurels to lay at her feet. And he\nbade her be strong and dauntless of spirit, as was seemly for a\nwarrior\u2019s bride, since even for this was it that he loved her. And last\nof all, taking from off his arm an onyx bracelet, upon which was\nengraved the image of a Simurgh, he gave it unto Tamineh, saying:\n\n\u201cPearl of my Heart, listen! If while I am away, God should send unto us\na daughter, fasten this amulet under her curls. If, however, a son\nshould be sent to gladden our hearts, then let him wear it upon his arm,\nas his father hath worn it, for it will protect him from the powers of\nevil, being the badge of Rustem and of Zal.\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, hastily Rustem threw himself upon the back of\nRakush, and the wind-footed bare him swiftly away from out the sight of\nTamineh, unto whom the world suddenly became dark, so blinded were her\neyes with tears.\n\nThen with leaden feet passed the days for the Princess Tamineh. Howbeit,\nas time passed on, news came from the Mighty Rustem of fresh victories,\ntogether with a present of three great rubies of priceless value and\nthree wedges of finest gold. But alas! the letter said no word of the\nhero\u2019s return, only of more battles and victories to come. And Tamineh,\nreading between the lines, sighed bitterly, taking no pleasure in the\nrubies and gold.\n\nBut a great joy was in store for Tamineh, for one night as she sat\nsorrowfully upon her balcony, suddenly she heard a flutter of mighty\nwings, and behold, there was dropped into her lap a priceless treasure\u2014a\nbabe whose mouth was filled with smiles, and who in feature resembled\nhis glorious sire. Then was Tamineh comforted, and because of his smiles\nshe called her babe Sohrab, which meaneth Sunshine.\n\n\n\n\n                            SOHRAB THE YOUTH\n\n\nNow if we are to believe what the old chronicles tell us, never, I\nsuppose, since the world began was there born a more lovable babe than\nSohrab, the son of Rustem. When he came unto his mother, behold, his\neyes and mouth were still alight with the sunshine of Paradise, and,\ninstead of crying, he kicked and crowed with delight, trying thus to say\nunto Tamineh that he was glad to leave even the Garden of the Blessed to\ncome unto her.\n\nAnd truly the babe was a joy to behold! for in addition to all the gay\nloveliness of Rustem\u2019s bright Singing-bird, from his illustrious father\nhe had inherited the splendid physique of the noble house of Zal.\nFollowing after Rustem, too, he grew so rapidly that when he was a month\nold he had the limbs of a yearling child; at three years he learned\nexercises of arms; at five he was bold as a lion; and at ten there was\nnot a hero in the whole country who dared wrestle with him.\n\nSo, practising all the exercises of an athlete and a warrior, the boy\ngrew up tall, dark, and straight as a young cypress, with limbs like\nunto an elephant, heart bold as a lion\u2019s, and his foot as swift as that\nof the wild stag; yet withal, so simple, gay, generous, and lovable,\nthat from his proud grandsire, the King of Samengan, down to the meanest\nsubject in the realm, he was admired and adored by all\u2014while as for his\nmother, unto her he was the very breath of life, filling every sleeping\nand waking thought.\n\nNow Sohrab had inherited from Tamineh one trait which drew them very\nclose together. For behold! whatever the day\u2019s occupation, and no matter\nwhat else tempted, at the evening hour the boy always sought his mother\nupon the balcony, where, seated at her feet, his bright head pillowed in\nher lap, he spent the happiest hour of his day listening unto the\nmarvellous hero tales that poured like magic from her lips. For Tamineh,\nwishing her boy to be steeped in the legends of his father\u2019s land,\ngladly related unto him the wonder tales of the Persians, all of which\nfound an answering echo in the eager young soul of her listener. For\nverily Sohrab could not have been the son of Rustem without longing for\nbattle and adventure.\n\nAnd of course in all these stories the Hero of Heroes was Rustem the\nMighty, unto whom the fair narrator did full justice. For Tamineh loved\n\u201cThe Only Hero in the World for her!\u201d still, though he had never\nreturned unto her; and so, as her hand strayed in mute caress through\nthe thick, dark locks of Sohrab\u2014who was, alas, love\u2019s only legacy unto\nher!\u2014she told of all the Champion\u2019s wondrous deeds of valor with such\nfire and passion that the cheeks of both glowed with the tremendous\nstress of it. Yea, and Sohrab never wearied of these tales, begging to\nhave them repeated again and again; and, as a consequence, he grew up\nwith the thought that never had the world known such a mighty Pehliva as\nRustem the Persian.\n\nAnd Rakush, too, delighted the boy\u2019s soul\u2014Rakush the dauntless who\ncarried the great hero of his country so gallantly through the thickest\nof the fight; Rakush the lion-slayer; Rakush who neighed for joy at the\nbattle\u2019s roar; Rakush who feared neither man, nor dragon, nor Deev;\nRakush the gentle, who loved to eat sugar from his master\u2019s hand.\n\nNow listening unto all these inspiring tales, Sohrab determined deep in\nhis soul that one day he, too, would be a great hero\u2014yea, even the\nChampion of the World, as Rustem, leading his armies on to victory, and\nperforming such deeds of valor as should bring fame and glory unto\nTuran, his land, and pride unto the heart of his mother, whose cheek\u2014he\npromised himself\u2014should flush one day as she related his brave deeds,\neven as now when she spoke of Rustem, the Hero of Heroes. For did he not\nintend that the name \u201cSohrab\u201d should go ringing down the ages as the\nsymbol of courage, generosity, loyalty, high endeavor, and chivalrous\ndeeds? Yea, he would try hard; then, perhaps, one day the great Rustem\nmight hear of him, and it might even happen that he would meet him face\nto face.\n\nThus the lad dreamed, not knowing that Rustem was his sire, for Tamineh\nhad not revealed unto him his lineage. And alas! neither was it known\nunto Rustem that God had blessed him with a noble son. For, at the birth\nof Sohrab, the gentle mother, fearing that if the truth became known\nunto the great Persian chieftain, at once he would send and take the boy\nfrom her to train him up as a soldier to fight against her country, had\nsent word by a messenger who travelled unto Persia that a little\ndaughter had been born unto him in Samengan. And behold! so little were\ndaughters prized in the East at that time that Rustem never asked to see\nthe child, and so remained in ignorance as to Sohrab.\n\nFor, although the years passed, Rustem was so busy fighting, that he\nnever came back unto Samengan. But for Sohrab, therefore, the whole\nepisode would have seemed unto Tamineh as naught but a blissful dream.\nIn her beautiful, high-spirited boy, however, the Princess was consoled,\nfor she knew that in him she possessed forever the best of Rustem\u2014the\nhero\u2019s heart, the dauntless spirit, the enduring soul\u2014that which she had\nmost loved in her hero. So gradually the warm, living presence of\ndreamy-eyed Sohrab, whose arms loved to linger round his mother\u2019s neck,\ncaused Tamineh to think of Rustem as a glorious warrior, but also as\nquite apart from her life.\n\nNevertheless, the Great Pehliva was the tie that bound this mother and\nson so closely together\u2014for was he not the ideal of each? And often\u2014yea,\nvery often!\u2014the wish sprang up in the heart of Tamineh that Rustem might\nbehold his glorious son. But alas! when she remembered that as a\nconsequence, her boy might be taken from her, her heart grew weak and\nshe held her peace.\n\nSo the years passed by, bringing naught but joy unto Sohrab, until he\nwas grown into a strong, manly, courageous youth of seventeen, who could\nride, joust, tilt, hunt, and use both sword and spear better than any\nwarrior in the whole kingdom of Samengan. Then one day he sought his\nmother, saying unto her:\n\n\u201cMother, think it not strange, but I care not for a wonder-tale\nto-night; for much I have been thinking lately, and this once I would\nquestion thee of other things. And first, thou must know that but to-day\nPiran-Wisa hath told unto me that in the arts of war and of prowess he\ncan teach me no more. So now I would hear of my race and lineage. Now of\ncourse I know that I am nobly born, for I feel it in all my being; but\nwhat shall I say unto men when they ask me the name of my sire? for\nverily I know it not.\u201d\n\nNow hearing these words of spirit, Tamineh smiled, because that his fire\nand pride were like unto that of his father; but she sighed also, for\nshe scented in these words of manhood the loss of her boy. Nevertheless,\ndisguising her sorrow, she replied gaily unto Sohrab and she said:\n\n\u201cSo thou art tired of thy mother\u2019s wonder stories, art thou? And\ndesirest to speak of other things! Ah, but one more tale must thou hear,\nmy Stately Young Cypress\u2014one that I have been saving for thee right\njealously for many days; one that will be unto thine ears sweeter than\nthe song of yonder bulbul as he chanteth so entrancingly unto his mate.\nNay, do not kiss me now, but cuddle down close to my side, and listen\nunto thy mother\u2019s love song. It will not detain thee long!\n\n\u201cWell, once upon a time in the glorious springtime of the world, Ormuzd\nthe Blessed, in the fair gardens of Paradise, conceived in his heart the\nthought of fashioning and sending forth into the world a hero who should\nbe mightier and more illustrious than any of the sons of men. So, long\nhe thought, and shaped, and wrought, for he planned a perfect hero, and\nhis task was not easy. But finally, the beautiful Peri of Paradise\nhaving kissed dimples into the soft skin of the babe, curl into his\nhair, and the pomegranate bloom into his cheeks,\u2014even as they must have\ndone unto thee, O Beauteous One, before they sent thee forth unto me\u2014all\nwas pronounced finished, and the Blessed One smiled at his work,\npronouncing it good, for, behold, in this wondrous creation, not a thing\nwas there that marred, all bearing the stamp of perfection.\n\n\u201cNow they loved this babe in Paradise, and so it lingered there awhile.\nBut, since not for this was it created, at last, reluctantly, the\nBlessed Ormuzd, summoning unto him the Wondrous Bird of God, tucked the\nlaughing little one safely under her golden feathers, and sent it forth,\nbidding the tender mother-bird carry her treasure safely unto the house\nof White-haired Zal, in Persia.\n\n\u201cAh, now my Young Cypress raiseth high his head, and I perceive that he\nhath guessed the name of my hero! But listen, for my tale is but just\nbegun!\n\n\u201cAnd alas! it runneth not now so pleasantly, for Iblis, who hateth\nperfection, even as he hateth Ormuzd the Blessed, beholding this\nwondrous babe, in its cradle murmured over it vile words of magic. And\nhaving wrought his spell, maliciously he smiled, and said:\n\n\u201c\u2018Behold, now art thou perfect no longer, though thou appearest the\nsame. And though a mighty warrior thou shalt be, truly, a heavy price\nshalt thou pay. For behold! all the days of thy life the tender joys of\nthe heart shall be little known unto thee, though thy deeds shall be\nglorious!\u2019\n\n\u201cNow this explaineth perfectly, doth it not? why thy great hero, Rustem,\njoyeth above all else in the roar and tumult of battle. It may also\nwhisper unto thy heart other things, even as it hath unto thy mother,\nwhose hero is also thy hero, and whose deeds of valor thrilled her\nmaiden heart even as they now call forth such responsive echo in thine\nown.\n\n\u201cBut though thine ear hath been delighted with many an adventure of\nRustem, thou hast yet to hear, methinks, of a certain great hunting\nexpedition upon which the hero lost his horse, but won a bride. For, be\nit known unto thee, my Sun-kissed Cypress, that a certain wicked\nPrincess of Samengan, Tamineh by name, in order to behold the face of\nher hero, audaciously caused the redoubtable Rakush to be stolen, thus\nluring the mighty Rustem unto the Court, where for one happy month the\nlove of his lady succeeded in blotting out from his heart all desire for\nbattle and bloodshed. Then, alas, War, the true mistress of his life,\nonce more regained her dominion! And so, seventeen long years ago, he\nbade good-by to his gay young Singing-bird, and never again hath he\nreturned unto Samengan.\n\n\u201cBut though her hero returned not, behold, the Princess was not left\ncomfortless. For Ormuzd the Blessed, who ever keepeth a watchful eye\nupon his own, beholding the sad heart of the forsaken one, unperceived\nof Iblis, once more fashioned a perfect hero and sent him forth, this\ntime unto the house of Tamineh. Now this beautiful babe seemed made of\nthe essence of sunshine, and so, soon it came to pass that unto the\nlonely Princess he became the very light of her eyes and the joy of her\nlife; yea, the very breath of her heart! for whom had she beside?\n\n\u201cAnd so the wonder tale revealeth that the proud Young Cypress, who\ngazeth with such shining eyes into those of his mother, is the noble\nshoot of a mighty tree whose shadow extendeth over the earth, and whose\nfame shall be sung by the Children of Ormuzd as long as the world lasts.\n\n\u201cAnd now, the tale being finished, if the promising Hero of Noble Race\nwill graciously raise his fair head, not unto the stars, but unto his\nmother\u2019s lips, much she would like to greet him!\u2014ere the word is of\nother things.\u201d\n\nNow thus it was that Tamineh told unto Sohrab the story of her love, and\nhaving revealed unto him all things concerning his father, she charged\nhim to keep secret what he had heard, lest Afrasiab, the enemy of\nRustem, should slay the son because of the father, or lest Rustem should\nsend for his son, thus bringing grief unto the heart of his mother.\n\nBut Sohrab, in the pride of his youth, with flashing eyes and uplifted\nhead, replied proudly unto his mother. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Pearl among Mothers, verily my heart telleth me that this is a secret\nthat cannot long remain known unto but two! For doth not the fame of\nRustem, my noble father, even now fill the whole world with glory? And\nam not I his son? And shall not the son of Rustem also be glorious?\nVerily, thou mayest not think it, since as yet I am only a youth, but,\nmother, there is that within me which whispereth that one day I, too,\nshall do valiant deeds! Yea, and the day is not now far distant. For\nlisten, O my mother!\u2014\u2014\n\n\u201cSoon will I put myself at the head of an innumerable army of Tartars,\nand with them to aid me it will not take long to deprive that foolish\nKaikous of his head and throne; for verily he is not fit to rule over a\ngreat country like Persia! Then will I place upon the throne of light\nthe true monarch of Iran, even Rustem the Mighty. And behold! this being\ndone, my father and I will, together, make war against Afrasiab, and I\nwill possess myself of his throne. For, since Rustem is my father and I\nam his son, verily I will not suffer that there be any Kings in the\nworld but him and me! For unto us belong the crowns of might. And dost\nthou know what thou wilt be then, O my Glorious Mother? Why, Queen of\nthe whole world! And when that day shall come, as it surely will, then\nthy cheek shall flush with pride not only for the Mighty Rustem, but\nalso for Sohrab, thy son. For, having subdued the wicked and the\nfoolish, with wisdom and gentleness will we reign, so that all the world\nshall be glad because of the house of Zal.\u201d\n\nNow taking the ardent young speaker in her arms, Tamineh kissed his\nflushed cheeks and bright eyes again and again for answer, realizing\nwith sorrow that the time was nigh when she must let her bold young\neaglet go forth to try his wings. But though her heart was heavy, she\nspake brave words of wisdom unto Sohrab, promising that when the time\ncame for him to go forth, she herself would buckle on his sword.\n\nSo all was yet well in the house of Tamineh. But lo! that night the\nAngel Serosch, in her sevenfold flight around the world, beheld Sohrab\u2019s\nyouth vanish from him forever, leaving in its place an aspiring hero,\nwhose one desire was to behold the face of his glorious sire and to\nperform brave deeds like unto his.\n\n\n\n\n                     SOHRAB AND THE WARRIOR MAIDEN\n\n\nBehold! among the many legends of Sohrab, the son of Rustem, it is\nchronicled that with no one was he a greater favorite than with the\nfamous Tartar general, old Piran-Wisa. And his interest in the child\nmanifested itself in a practical way, for whenever he came unto\nSamengan, he put the lad through military exercises, teaching him thus\nthe tactics of war.\n\nNow at the time when Sohrab learned of his lineage the Kurds and Tartars\nwere carrying on a fierce war against the Persians, and so eager was he\nnow to acquire experience in battle, that finally he persuaded\nPiran-Wisa to secure him a command in the army of Afrasiab. And this was\nnot difficult of accomplishment, for already had the fame of the great\nstrength, and skill, and bravery of Sohrab pierced unto the ears of the\nKing, who gladly accepted his services, scenting in him a mighty\nchampion, later on, for his army.\n\nSo, having received his commission, Sohrab knelt before his grandfather,\nthe King of Samengan, promising to keep untarnished the sword and shield\nwhich that monarch had presented unto his grandson, as his first gift of\nmanhood. And the King blessed the youth, giving unto him also the\nnoblest charger in the royal stables. Then Tamineh buckled on his sword,\nand bound about his wrist the amulet of the house of Zal, speaking\nnaught but brave words unto her son. And so, proud and happy, they sent\nhim forth.\n\nAfter this, it is recorded that brave Sohrab fought in many battles,\nconducting himself with so much wisdom and valor that all men spake his\npraise. But notwithstanding his victories and growing fame, the youth\nwas not content. For, in the thick of battle, as in his quiet hours of\ndreaming, one great wish ever possessed his soul\u2014to meet his father, the\nMighty Rustem, face to face, and win his word of praise.\n\nSo, pondering ever his great desire, Sohrab knew no peace until finally\nhe decided to go in search of his father; and having arrived at this\ndecision, straightway he sought out his grandsire, beseeching his\ncounsel and aid. Now the King of Samengan, rejoicing in the courage and\nprowess of Sohrab, having listened unto his desire, quickly opened unto\nhim the doors of his treasury, pouring forth gold without stint, for he\nloved the boy tenderly. And as a sign of his good pleasure, he also, at\nthis time, invested his grandson with all the honors of a King.\n\nAs for Tamineh, beholding that her son\u2019s charger now quivered beneath\nhis weight, quickly she commanded the guardians of the herd that they\nlead forth all the royal horses before Sohrab that he might choose him a\nwar-steed worthy this glorious enterprise. But alas! one and all bowed\nthemselves beneath his weight, even as they had when tested by the\nMighty Rustem, when he chose his steed of battle. But presently there\ncame before Sohrab one who told of a beautiful foal\u2014sprung from Rustem\u2019s\nglorious Rakush\u2014clean-limbed, strong, and beautiful, which, having\ntested, Sohrab declared perfect. In his joy, therefore, he cried out\ngaily unto his mother:\n\n\u201cFair Queen of the World! Behold, the brave sons of Rustem and of Rakush\ncrave thy blessing ere they go forth in search of laurels and a sunny\ncrown to grace thy glorious tresses\u2014one of which thy hero craveth that\nhe may seem in truth to carry thee ever near his heart.\u201d\n\nAlas! Tamineh, as she gazed at her splendid son, longed neither for\nlaurels nor a crown, but only to joy in his glorious presence\nforever\u2014for such is the way of mothers. Nevertheless, meeting banter\nwith banter, graciously she allowed that one dark lock be severed from\nher abundant tresses, and she smiled as she noted the admiration and\nlove exhibited by the nobles and warriors who flocked so gladly to\nSohrab\u2019s standard. Yea, and deep in her heart she longed to be a youth\nthat she, too, might follow this glorious young leader, watching over\nhis safety in the capacity of devoted body-guard.\n\nAnd well if this might have been! for, though Tamineh suspected it not,\non this expedition, much Sohrab was to need the offices of a wise,\ndevoted, and loyal companion, since he had enemies who, even as he\nrecruited his army, were plotting his destruction. Indeed yes, and of\nthese Afrasiab was the instigator, for upon hearing the news of Sohrab\u2019s\nintention, straightway he called unto him Human and Barman, two of his\nmost doughty chieftains, and said unto them:\n\n\u201cO my Pehliva, listen unto my voice, for verily I have a plan which\nshall rid us of all our enemies. For behold! it is known unto me that\nSohrab is sprung from that great disturber of our progress, Rustem the\nMighty, who suspecteth not that he hath a son. It must be hidden from\nhim, therefore, who it is that cometh out against him, for these two\nchampions will surely meet in battle, and it may be that the young lion\nwill kill the old one. Now if that shall come to pass, behold, Iran,\ndevoid of Rustem, will fall an easy prey into our hands; and when that\nshall have happened, it will be an easy matter to take Sohrab by\nstratagem and slay him. If, on the other hand, however, Rustem should\nslay his son, then would his heart be devoured with grief, so that he\nwould trouble his enemies no more.\u201d\n\nSo spake Afrasiab unto his chiefs, and having poured out all his guile,\nhe bade them quickly gather together a great army to join the ranks of\nSohrab, and depart unto Samengan. And behold, they bare with them gifts\nof great price to set before the face of Sohrab, and they carried unto\nhim also a letter from the King, filled with words of honey. And the\nletter said:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Stripling, whose equal existeth not in all the world,\nbehold, the King laudeth thy valorous resolve to bring Iran unto thy\nfeet, and he sendeth unto thee a mighty army that right speedily Turan,\nIran and Samengan may be one land, and all the world at peace.\u201d\n\nSo Sohrab, thus encouraged by the King, and unsuspicious of his guile,\ncaused the cymbals of departure to be sounded, and the army set forth\nupon its tour of conquest. Now the track of this youthful conqueror was\nmarked by desolation and destruction, but behold, he marched on unstayed\nuntil he was come unto the White Fortress, which was the key to the\nheart of Persia.\n\nNow the governor of this stronghold was Gustahem the brave, an old and\nfamous warrior, but now, alas, so feeble that he could assist in the\ndefence of the fort only by his counsel. He had under him, however, a\nyoung captain, Hujir by name, who was known unto the enemy as a very\nbrave and powerful champion, so the White Castle was considered\nimpregnable. Believing themselves to be secure, therefore, when Hujir\nbeheld from afar a dark cloud of armed men, with gallant Sohrab at their\nhead, immediately he donned his armor and rushed forward to challenge\nhim, crying arrogantly:\n\n\u201cHalt, thou Stripling! for if thou venturest one step nearer, verily I\nwill lop off that towering head of thine, and give thy soft, baby flesh\nunto yon hungry vultures for food.\u201d\n\nBut behold! this fierce menace deterred not for a single second the\nonward course of Sohrab, who, hesitating not, boldly charged the\nchampion, quickly o\u2019ercoming him. For, though Hujir fought bravely, in\nthe hands of Rustem\u2019s mighty son he was naught but an infant. Seeing\nhimself at the mercy of the invader, therefore, humbly the vanquished\nhero begged for quarter, and Sohrab, who was young and tender of heart,\ngranted unto his adversary his life, binding him with cords and sending\nhim captive unto Human.\n\nHowbeit, though successful in this encounter, Sohrab was to face another\nadversary upon this eventful day\u2014one powerful in a fashion of which he\ndreamed not. For behold, it is chronicled that in the Fort there also\ndwelt the lovely daughter of Gustahem, a war-like maid, skilled in\nathletic sports, and famed for her exploits in many a battle. Now the\nname of the maiden was Gurdafrid, and beholding the overthrow of Hujir,\nher heart was filled with anger and shame.\n\nSo, filled with fury, quickly the warrior-maiden clothed herself in\nburnished mail, hiding her glorious tresses under an iron helmet. Then,\nmounting her fiery steed, she rode boldly forth from out the gates of\nthe White Castle, fiercely challenging the enemy to produce a champion\nworthy to meet her in combat, that thus the fate of the Fort might be\ndecided.\n\nBut behold! none answered the challenge, for all thought that they gazed\nupon a mighty warrior, not knowing that the burnished steel hid naught\nbut a woman with quickly-beating heart. Seeing that none of his warriors\ndesired to take up the challenge, therefore, once more gallant Sohrab\nstepped gayly forth, crying:\n\n\u201cMethinks I see before me another wild ass for my lasso. Come forward,\nPuny One, for verily Hujir is lonely in his captivity.\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, with a smile of exultation Sohrab rode forward\nto his second encounter; and the maid, at his approach, let fly a storm\nof arrows, attacking him first from one side, then from the other. Yea,\nthe missiles fell thick like hail, whizzing about the hero\u2019s head so\nthat he could not defend himself, and behold, he was angry and ashamed,\nfor was not the whole army gazing upon his discomfiture?\n\nNevertheless, it was a pretty sight to watch the maid! For, as she\nrapidly wheeled her horse from side to side, now retiring and now\nadvancing, smiting her shield with her spear to frighten the hero\u2019s\nhorse, and raining her shower of arrows, verily she seemed the\npersonification of dexterity and skill, and it looked as if the\noverthrow of Sohrab was at hand.\n\nBut, though for a time the contest was doubtful, the advantage was not\nto be always upon the side of the maiden. For Sohrab, mortified and\nenraged, advanced with fury, regarding not the arrows. But think not\nthat he dismayed Gurdafrid a whit! Nay, for when she saw him approach,\ndexterously she threw her bow over her shoulder, put her spear in rest,\nand galloped to meet him. Then Sohrab, drawing his spear back until the\npoint was almost level with his body, delivered it with all his force,\nstriking Gurdafrid upon the girdle. Now the force of the blow was so\ngreat that it burst the fastenings of her coat of mail and hurled her\nfrom her saddle like a ball struck by a racquet, and you would have said\nthat now the contest was ended. But not so, for, quick as a flash, the\nmaiden twisted herself under her saddle, drew a sword from out her\ngirdle, and cut Sohrab\u2019s spear in half. Then, having performed this\nfeat, quickly she sprang again into her saddle and turned to go, for she\nwas weary from the fierceness of the combat, and she saw that the day\nwas hers.\n\nBut Sohrab, perceiving her intent, slackening the reins of his horse,\ngalloped after the fleeing one at full speed, and, having come up with\nher, boldly grasped the helmet from her head; for he desired to look\nupon the face of the hero who could thus withstand the son of Rustem.\nImagine his surprise, therefore, when from out the iron helm there\nrolled coil upon coil of beautiful dusky hair! For this informed him\nthat his valiant adversary was no battle-tried warrior, but only a fair\nyoung maid. Now confounded at this most astonishing discovery, Sohrab\ncried:\n\n\u201cO Valiant One, truly thou confoundest me! For if all the daughters of\nIran are like unto thee, then not even the mightiest hero can conquer\nthy land.\u201d\n\nBut though overwhelmed with astonishment, Sohrab neglected not to make\ncaptive his fair prisoner, though he dreamed not that as he bound her\nwith his lasso, even so was she snaring him with her bright eyes. For\ncontinually he gazed at Gurdafrid with ever-increasing admiration, and\nhe said:\n\n\u201cO Moon of Beauty, I understand it not, but verily thy soft radiance\ndelighteth my heart more than thy brilliant splendor in battle. Seek not\nto escape me, therefore, for surely never captive like unto thee hath\nfallen into the hands of hero.\u201d\n\nThen Gurdafrid, beholding the spell which her beauty wrought in the\nheart of the hero, turned unto him her fair face that was unveiled, for\nshe perceived no other means of safety. Nevertheless, she spake\nderisively unto Sohrab, and she said:\n\n\u201cO Hero without Flaw! verily I envy thee not. For will not thy army\nlaugh and jibe when they learn that the brave Sohrab was all but\no\u2019ercome by a woman? Let us hide this adventure, therefore, lest thy\ncheek have cause to blush because of me; and let us conclude a peace\nbetween us. For verily the Fort with all its soldiers and treasure now\nbelongeth unto thee; thou hast only to follow and take possession of\nthine own.\u201d\n\nAlas! Sohrab was too young and ardent not to be affected by the beauty\nand witchery of the maid, as well as by the fear of derision, so he was\neasily beguiled into following his fair captive unto the Fort. And he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cVerily, thou doest well to make peace with me, Fair Warrior-Maid, for\nthough the walls of thy fortress were as high as the vaults of heaven,\nmy club would easily level them unto the ground.\u201d\n\nNow so speaking, the gallant Sohrab and his captive came unto the\nentrance of the Fort. And behold, Gustahem, when he saw their approach,\nopened unto them the portal, and the warrior-maid stepped leisurely over\nthe threshold. But alas! when Sohrab would have followed after her, he\nwas not able, for the door had swung quickly to, leaving him upon the\noutside. Then Sohrab knew that he had been duped, and his fury knew no\nbounds. And\u2014would you believe it?\u2014as he yet lingered, overcome with\nsurprise and shame, lo, the beautiful warrior-maiden came out upon the\nbattlements, and there floated down unto the hero, from her smiling\nlips, words of poison coated o\u2019er with honey. And she said;\n\n\u201cWhy, I wonder, doth the Mighty Lord of the Tartars\u2014the Invincible\nSohrab\u2014weary himself with waiting? Surely, since he cannot stand before\na mere woman, he will fall an easy prey unto the great Rustem, when the\nPehliva learneth that vile robbers from Turan have broken into the land,\nhoping to subdue it unto black-hearted Afrasiab.\u201d\n\nSo spake the triumphant maiden, and as the mocking words floated down\nunto Sohrab, verily he raged with all the fury of a wild elephant. And\nhe cried:\n\n\u201cTreacherous One, well mayest thou mock! but I swear, by Ormuzd and all\nthe Peri of Paradise, that yet will I bring thee into subjection. And\nupon that day, verily thou shalt pay dearly for thy guile and thy\ndouble-faced words.\u201d\n\nBut the maiden, beholding how the Hero raged, laughed tormentingly,\ngiving no heed unto his words. Then, leaning far over the battlements,\nso that her bewitching face was once more plainly visible to the\ndiscomfited Sohrab, again she mocked. And she said:\n\n\u201cSuch noble stature! Such arms, and such a chest! What a pity that it\nshould become food for jackals! Such strength, and such softness of\nheart! And yet, I fear me the stupid cow will soon be ruminating upon\nthe grass which covers thy grave. Ah, woe is me!\u201d\n\nNow Sohrab was covered with shame that he must hear such derisive words.\nNevertheless, the dauntless spirit of the maiden delighted him, while\nthe soft, mocking lips, the fair, flushed cheeks, and the laughing, dark\neyes exercised a strange fascination over him, causing his heart to beat\nwith more than shame and anger. Realizing, however, that he could not\nhope to compete with his fair adversary in a battle of words, he now\nreplied proudly unto her:\n\n\u201cFair Mocker! I go; but if the Fort be not surrendered by dawn\nto-morrow, then shall it be levelled to the dust!\u201d\n\nAnd, having thus hurled at the Warrior-maid this telling bomb, the hero\ngave rein unto his horse, and galloped back unto the army, followed by\nthe sweet, mocking laugh of Gurdafrid, which rang in his ears like\nbeautiful, tantalizing music.\n\nTrue to his word, however, at dawn Sohrab marched with his army against\nthe Fort. But as they drew near they beheld not a single soldier upon\nthe walls, and upon advancing unto the gates, they were found to be\nopen, while there remained not a single armed man in the place. You see,\nthe truth was that the governor of the Fort, well knowing the fate that\nawaited them if they tarried until Sohrab stormed its walls, had escaped\nwith all his people, in the darkness of the night, by a secret passage\nknown only unto the Persians.\n\nSo thus was Sohrab again outwitted, and thus also vanished the\nWarrior-maid, so beautiful and so brave, from the sight and grasp of the\nbold eaglet who had flown so gayly and confidently forth from the\nheights of Samengan to conquer the world.\n\n\n\n\n                          THE WRATH OF RUSTEM\n\n\nNow although Sohrab, the son of Rustem, was known throughout the length\nand breadth of Turan as a valiant young warrior, yet up to the time of\nhis adventure with the Warrior-maid his fame had not spread unto Iran.\n\nBut this was now to be changed. For behold, the governor of the White\nFort, when forced to give into the hands of Sohrab this key to the heart\nof the empire, hastily sent forth a swift messenger bearing a letter\nunto Kaikous the Shah. And the letter told how that an army, like unto\nlocusts for multitude, had flown forth from Turan, at whose head rode a\nchief whose head towered above the stars, and whose prowess, though he\nwas still but a child in years\u2014shamed that of the lion, the dragon, and\nthe fierce crocodile. Yea, and he told how that Hujir had been overcome\nand taken prisoner by this great champion, and how he now threatened to\noverrun and conquer all Persia, unless the great Shah right speedily\nopposed his progress.\n\nNow Kaikous, when he had read the letter of Gustahem, was greatly\ntroubled. So he called about him his nobles to take counsel, and behold,\nwith one accord they cried:\n\n\u201cVerily, Rustem alone can deliver us from this great peril!\u201d\n\nSo the Shah hastily summoned a scribe, dictating unto him a letter. And\nhe said:\n\n\u201cO mighty Pehliva, whose glorious deeds have ever caused the throne of\nlight to shine with splendor greater than the sun, behold, once more thy\ncountry calleth thee unto her aid! For lo! among the Tartar host there\nhath appeared a mighty champion whose like hath never been seen save in\nthe house of Saum and Neriman. Already hath he demolished the White\nFort, and only Rustem can bar the path that leadeth to the throne. Come\nquickly, then, to Iran\u2019s aid, rivalling the wind-footed dromedary in thy\nspeed. Be it night or day, tarry not e\u2019en to speak the word that hangeth\nupon thy lips, and if thou bearest roses in thy hands, stop not to smell\nthem, lest Sohrab conquering come and all be lost.\u201d\n\nNow having finished the letter, the Shah gave it unto a warrior named\nGew to carry unto Rustem. And he said:\n\n\u201cO my Pehliva, truly my soul suffereth an agony of fear! Haste thou,\ntherefore, unto the great Champion, pausing for neither rest nor food.\nAnd when thou art come unto thy journey\u2019s end, do not linger there for\neven an hour, for my heart crieth, haste! haste! and truly the need is\ngreat.\u201d\n\nSo Gew departed, pausing for naught until he set foot within the gates\nof Rustem. And so great was his speed that the watchman upon the tower\nat Zabulistan, noting his approach, marvelled greatly, hastening quickly\nunto Rustem with the news. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One, the watch-tower revealeth a warrior coming by the way of\nPersia, riding like the wind. I fear me that he bringeth bad news.\u201d\n\nNow being thus informed, at once Rustem and his chiefs rode out to meet\nthe messenger, as was the Oriental custom. And when he beheld that it\nwas Gew, he greeted him cordially, for they were old comrades in arms.\nBeing informed of his mission, however, and of the strength and courage\nof the gallant young Tartar, who was causing the Shah such agony of\nsoul, Rustem marvelled greatly. And he said:\n\n\u201cVerily, I should not have been surprised if such a hero as thou namest\nhad arisen in Iran; but that a warrior of such renown should spring\nforth from amidst the Tartar horde is certainly past belief. Yet thou\nsayest\u2014dost thou?\u2014that the lineage of this Pehliva, so like unto Saum\nand the great heroes of my house, is Turanian? Strange! Now I myself\nhave a child whom the daughter of a Tartar King bare unto me; but the\nchild is a girl. And even if it were a son, it is yet but an infant,\nwhile that which thou sayest hath been done, surely it is not the work\nof a babe! But enter, I pray thee, into my house, and we will then\nconfer further as to this matter.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, seeing that his guest was fatigued, commanded that a great\nbanquet be made ready, and he feasted his comrade so royally that he\ncaused him to forget both care and time. But when morn was come, Gew\nremembered the commands of his Shah, and he spake thereof unto his host,\nwho replied unto him:\n\n\u201cO my brave comrade! Behold, we must all die some day. Let us,\ntherefore, bask in the sunshine of the present! As for this Tartar,\ndisquiet not thyself concerning him, for though he be a hero, the like\nof which the world hath not seen, verily he shall fall into my hands!\nBut all in good time! To-day, however, we will feast, for I perceive\nthat thy lips are yet parched with the speed of thy journey.\u201d\n\nSo Rustem made ready another banquet, and for three days the comrades\nfeasted and made merry without ceasing. But on the fourth day Gew, who\nfeared the anger of the Shah, uprose with resolve, appearing before his\nhost girt for departure. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Glory of Iran, generous hath been thy hospitality, and long will it\nwarm the heart of Gew! It behooveth us now, however, to return unto the\nShah. For behold! the fear of Sohrab weigheth upon his soul like a\nnightmare, and he burneth with impatience, since sleep and rest have\ndeserted his pillow, and hunger and thirst are exercising their dominion\nover him! Let us make haste, therefore, for well thou knowest that\nKaikous is a man senseless and easily aroused to wrath.\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, smiling, replied with easy courtesy unto Gew:\n\n\u201cReally, comrade, there is no need for such haste! It is true that thou\nart right about Kaikous, but as for his anger, let it give thee not a\nmoment\u2019s anxiety! For verily the man liveth not who dareth to be wroth\nwith Rustem.\u201d\n\nNevertheless, his army being now recruited, the great Pehliva commanded\nthat Rakush be saddled, and they set forth unto the Court; and great was\nthe train that followed after them. And behold, when they were come near\nunto the King\u2019s palace, a great company of nobles rode out to meet them\nto do honor unto the Glory of Iran, and to conduct him into the presence\nof the Shah.\n\nSo, presently, Rustem entered the great audience-room of kings and,\nadvancing unto the throne, performed obeisance unto the Lord of the\nWorld. But alas! Kaikous was black with rage, and so, opening the doors\nof his mouth, words of folly escaped his lips. And he said:\n\n\u201cSo thou art come at last, O Insolent Pehliva! Verily, it is well. And\nnow I should like to ask, \u2018Who is Rustem, indeed, that he dareth to defy\nmy power and disobey my commands?\u2019 Truly, if I had a sword in my hand at\nthis moment, like an orange would I split his head, half in half, and\nthrow it unto the jackals! As I have not\u2014Guards, seize him!\u2014for I will\nthat he be hanged alive upon the nearest gallows, and that his name be\nblotted out from the list of my heroes.\u201d\n\nNow Gew, when he heard these words of anger, was confounded, and in his\nsore dismay he cried unto the King:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, wilt thou really lay hands upon Rustem? I pray\nthee, forget not that he alone is the bulwark of the throne\u2014yea, e\u2019en as\nhe and his house have ever been through long generations!\u201d\n\nBut alas! Gew\u2019s words of wisdom but fanned the blaze of the King\u2019s\nanger. Beside himself with fury, therefore, he raged in his wrath like\nunto a mad elephant, shouting with a roar that made the very throne\ntremble:\n\n\u201cGuards! Seize yon barking dog also, and hang him alive with the other.\nHaste! Out of my presence!\u201d\n\nNow at this, Tus, who feared that Kaikous in his mad rage might do unto\nthe Mighty One an injury, laid his hand gently upon that of Rustem, to\nlead him from the audience-chamber; but the Pehliva would not suffer it.\nBreaking away from his grasp, therefore, he stood boldly before Kaikous,\nhis anger rivalling that of the King. And he said:\n\n\u201cPetty Monarch, darest thou really to rage at me\u2014Rustem? Verily thou\nshalt bitterly rue thy temerity! And now, in turn I ask of thee, \u2018Who,\nafter all, is Kaikous that he ventureth to talk of the gallows unto\nme\u2014Rustem?\u2019 Listen, and I will tell it unto thee:\n\n\u201cVerily, Kaikous is that madman who led his brave army into Mazinderan\nand Hamaveran, and who also winged his foolish flight, once upon a time,\ninto heaven; Kaikous is that Shah who hath ever in his folly brought\nderision and shame unto Iran and sorrow and woe unto his subjects;\nKaikous is the monarch who ever sendeth for his Pehliva when danger\nthreateneth, instead of going boldly forth himself to meet his foes\u2014aye\nKaikous is a brave fellow! for, hath he not the heart of a mouse and the\nhead of that stubborn creature who flappeth his long ears and brayeth\nunto the moon?\n\n\u201cAnd now, having disposed of the glorious Kous, I will answer unto thee\nas to Rustem:\n\n\u201cVerily, Rustem is the son of Zal and Saum and Neriman, heroes who have\never supported the throne of light, and but for whom Kaikous would never\nhave sat upon its seat; Rustem is a free man, being slave unto none and\nservant alone unto God, who hath given unto him his glorious strength\nand courage; Rustem is the Pehliva whose deeds shine as the sun in a\ndark world, and who again and again hath been entreated to take his true\nplace upon the throne of Iran; Rustem is the Champion who hath the world\nat his feet, and yet who hath desired no throne except Rakush, no crown\nbut his helmet, and no sceptre but his grandsire\u2019s mighty club; yea,\nRustem is the Pehliva who, times without number, hath risked his life to\nsave the illustrious Kous from the penalty of his foolish deeds.\n\n\u201cBut at last, O Senseless One, hath Rustem reached the end of his\npatience. And now he sayeth unto thee, behold, when the brave Tartar\nchieftain cometh, go thyself out to meet him\u2014thou who art brave, and\nwise, and full of strength and valor like unto the Shahs of Old!\nPerchance thou canst then use thy boasted gallows for him. But as for\nRustem, verily thou shalt see him no more in the land of Persia, for he\nis sick unto death of thy follies.\u201d\n\nThus spake the Great Rustem in his wrath, and having finished,\nfearlessly he turned him, and strode unhindered from out the\npresence-chamber. And having mounted upon Rakush, lo, he vanished, ere\nthe dumfounded Kaikous had rallied from his astonishment.\n\nNow the nobles and chiefs of Iran were greatly troubled by the wrath of\nRustem, for they were sheep and the Great Pehliva was their shepherd. So\nthey murmured against Kaikous, saying:\n\n\u201cTruly the Shah, in his anger, hath forgotten all gratitude and decency!\nelse how dare he threaten the Great Rustem, to whom he oweth his life\nand his throne, with the vile gallows? Verily, the wrath of the Mighty\nOne is righteous! But what, alas, is to become of Iran, if her only\ninvincible Champion forsaketh her now that so great a peril\nthreateneth?\u201d\n\nSo talked the nobles of Iran, and finally in their dilemma they decided\nto choose a mediator, Gudarz the Aged, who should stand before the King;\nand, though the mission was fraught with danger, Gudarz quailed not, but\nspake long and without fear unto the Shah, counting over, as a string of\npearls, each glorious deed of Rustem. And having so spoken, then\nfearlessly he reproached the weak monarch with ingratitude. And he said:\n\n\u201cO King of Kings, can it really be possible that so soon thou hast\nblotted out from thy book of remembrance all that Rustem hath done for\nthee and this land? How he conquered Mazinderan and the Great White\nDeev; and how he gave back unto thee the sight of thy eyes? Yet now as\nhis reward thou commandest that he be hanged alive upon a gallows, thou\nwho art King only by his grace! Now I ask thee to answer me truly\u2014is\nthis the justice of a great and wise Monarch, or that worthy of the\ngreat King of Kings?\u201d\n\nAlas! beholding his acts, spread out thus naked before him, Kaikous was\nashamed of that which he had said in his anger. So, humbling himself\nbefore Gudarz, he said:\n\n\u201cO white-haired Pehliva, verily thou speakest well! The words of a\nmighty monarch should be those of wisdom and not such as provoke wrath.\nGo, therefore, unto Rustem and say unto him that Kaikous repenteth him\nof his bitter words and calleth him back to be his most honored\nPehliva.\u201d\n\nSo, thus armed, swiftly Gudarz rode forth in search of the angry Rustem,\nand behold, all the mighty chiefs of Iran joined themselves unto him, so\nthat there was a great company. Now they rode fast and far before they\novertook the anger-spurred hero, but when they were finally come up with\nhim, lo, the entire company prostrated themselves in the dust before\nhim. And Gudarz said:\n\n\u201cO Hero of Heroes! Listen, I pray thee, unto the words of an aged\nwarrior who loveth both thee and Iran well. Now truly thy wrath is just,\nand so have I said unto Kaikous, whose thoughts in his anger o\u2019erflow\nlike unto new wine that fermenteth, being sour and bitter unto the\ntaste. But, though hasty, the Shah soon repenteth him of his anger, and\nbehold, already is he both ashamed and sorry for his ingratitude unto\nthe Pehliva, who is the light of his eyes and the support of his throne!\n\n\u201cNow as for Kaikous\u2014alas! For yet oft must the sun revolve above his\nhead ere he learneth the wisdom of the great\u2014even as hath been so aptly\nsaid by Zal, thy silver-crowned father. But behold, the whole world\nknoweth that Rustem is noble of mind as well as wise, and brave, and\nstrong of limb! And though he be justly angered against the Shah, yet\nhath Iran done no wrong that it should be left to fall into the hands of\nblack-hearted Afrasiab.\u201d\n\nSo spake the aged Gudarz in his wisdom. But alas! though so aptly\nspoken, the words fell upon deaf ears, for Rustem was still in a\ntowering rage. Turning unto the old man, therefore, he said:\n\n\u201cSpeak not unto me of Kaikous, Brave Gudarz\u2014either of his anger or his\nrepentance\u2014for what is he unto me but a grain of vile dust? Behold,\nRustem feareth only his Creator, and from henceforth Him alone will he\nserve. As for Kaikous, let him do his worst, for verily I am not only\nsick, but ashamed in my soul of his weakness and follies, and I will\nfight no more of his battles.\u201d\n\nNow when the nobles heard these words, they wailed in sorrow, and cast\ndust upon their heads. But Gudarz despaired not, for he had not grown\nold at the Court without learning much of human nature, which he knew to\nbe the same in a great hero as in ordinary mortals. So, in his wisdom,\nhe still held in reserve a barbed arrow, sharp enough to pierce even the\narmor of the invincible Rustem; and this he now shot forth, saying\ngently unto the hero:\n\n\u201cO Glorious One, all that thou sayest, verily it is just and true! But\nit appeareth unto me that there remaineth somewhat still to be\nconsidered. For, when it shall be learned throughout the land that the\nMighty Rustem\u2014undisputed Champion of the Whole World\u2014hath fled before\nthe face of a much-heralded Tartar chief, young and full of prowess,\nwill not all the warriors say:\n\n\u201c\u2018Alas! alas! We had not thought it, but truly Rustem is getting past\nhis prime. What a pity that a hero\u2019s glory vanisheth so quickly, when he\nbeginneth to grow old! Now soon will Rustem also be heard of no more,\nfor since he feareth this valiant young Tartar, surely he must be a\nmighty hero, who will soon supplant the Elephant-limbed as Champion of\nthe World.\u2019\n\n\u201cYea, greatly I fear, O mighty One, that not only this, but much more\nbitter unto the taste will be said. Therefore I, Gudarz the Aged, ask\nthee: Is it wise, at this hour, to turn from thy allegiance unto the\nShah, thus tarnishing thy glory and causing the downfall of Iran to rest\nupon thy head? Verily, nay; for thy retreat would be the path of folly,\nwhich thy soul hateth. Put from thee, therefore, the empty words of\nKaikous, and lead us forth unto battle against this Tartar. For verily\nit must not be said that Rustem feared to fight a beardless boy!\u201d\n\nThus sharp was the poison-tipped arrow of Gudarz, and not fruitlessly\ndid it speed unto its mark. For behold! Rustem stood confounded by this\nview of the matter, such thoughts being new unto him. Rallying from his\nsurprise, however, he said proudly unto the Shah\u2019s messenger:\n\n\u201cVerily, if by searching, Rustem could find one atom of fear in his\nheart, quickly would he tear his soul from his body in shame! But the\nslayer of the Great White Deev needeth not to vindicate his courage, for\nit is known unto all the world.\u201d\n\nSo spake Rustem. Nevertheless, he continued to ponder the words of\nGudarz, for he knew them to be the message of an old man grown wise in\nthe thoughts of men. And so, the current of his anger being changed,\nsoon he decided to do for the sake of Iran, what he knew to be right.\nFor, though he really feared not for his glory, yet well he knew that\nnone but Rustem could meet this crisis in the history of his country.\nAnd besides, deep in his soul was the longing to meet this vaunted\nTartar champion and joy once more in battle.\n\nTherefore, great were the shouts of joy when, in obedience to his\nmaster\u2019s hand, Rakush faced once more toward Persia. But verily it was\nwith proud step and uplifted head that the hero appeared once more\nbefore the Shah. When Kaikous beheld Rustem, however, so great was his\nrelief that he stepped down from off his throne to welcome him, saying\nunto him in deep humility of spirit:\n\n\u201cO glorious Pehliva! Verily, I am foolish of soul, as thou sayest, and\nnot worthy to sit upon the throne of light. But must not a man be as\nOrmuzd hath made him? Now thou art brave, but alas! my heart was full of\nfear because of this mighty Tartar, and I looked unto thee for safety,\nfor art thou not the bulwark of my throne? But, though haste is my\nbirthright, long thou wert in coming, and so in my wrath I spake unto\nthee foolish words, though now my mouth is full of dust.\u201d\n\nSo spake the contrite Shah, and Rustem, beholding his humility, replied\nunto\n\n\u201cO King of Kings! Verily the world is thy footstool, and all its\ninhabitants thy slaves, for such is the prerogative of the Shahs. As for\nRustem, ever hath his loins been girt in fealty unto Iran, and so may it\never be while he liveth.\u201d\n\nSo, peace being once more restored, Kaikous made a great feast, inviting\nunto it all his heroes. But of all the mighty ones present, none were\nlauded save only Rustem, the Champion of the World, before whom rich\ngifts were poured\u2014yea, until mountain high rose the enormous pile! Then,\nand not until then, did Kaikous say unto the slaves \u201cenough!\u201d for Rustem\nwould have no more. And now all was well again within the gates of the\nShah, for lo! the wrath of Rustem had been appeased.\n\n\n\n\n                             RUSTEM THE SPY\n\n\nBehold! on the morning following the reconciling feast of Kaikous and\nRustem, the Shah caused the clarions of war to be sounded throughout the\ncity, calling the loyal sons of Iran to go forth to meet the Tartar\nhost. Now over one hundred thousand horsemen in glittering mail\nresponded unto the call, so that the earth was covered with warriors\nlike unto blades of grass, and all the air was darkened with their\nspears. A troop of ponderous war-elephants also accompanied the legions,\nmaking the ground tremble beneath their mighty tread.\n\nThus marched the army, and so imposing was it that when at evening they\npitched their tents, and the torches gleamed in the canvas streets, the\ncamp seemed like unto a great city. So, marching by day and resting at\nnight, the legions finally drew near unto the White Castle, where Sohrab\nstill remained, preparing his forces for an advance upon the capital.\nWhen they were come unto the plains where stood the great fortress,\nhowever, they set up their tents silently in the dead of night, planning\na surprise for the Tartars.\n\nNow thus it happened that, the black veil of night being lifted, behold,\nthe watchman upon the high towers of the White Fortress saw spread out\non the plains before him an immense white city, set up as by magic.\nSurprised and dismayed, therefore, he set up a great shout, which at\nonce brought Sohrab and Human, the two great Tartar chiefs, out upon the\nramparts.\n\nAnd behold! when Human saw upon every side the mighty Persian legions,\nlooking so brave and formidable, he grew suddenly pale, and trembled\nlike unto an aspen. But Sohrab, demanding a cup of wine, drank unto\ntheir destruction, speaking words of cheer unto his companion. And he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cLook, Brave Human! There are many men in this hostile army, it is true,\nbut within its ranks I see no hero with mighty mace who can stand\nagainst the fearless son of Rustem. When that mighty champion himself\nappeareth, then will it be time indeed for us to rally our courage. But\nas for these others\u2014why, they are but dogs! And see, I spit upon them!\nfor without Rustem to inspire them, they have neither courage nor\nheart.\u201d\n\nSo saying, Sohrab went down from the ramparts, and proceeding unto his\npavilion, which was pitched upon the plain in front of the Fort, he\ninvited his great warriors and chiefs unto a banquet. Yea, gayly he\nissued his invitations, saying unto his guests:\n\n              \u201cTo-day let us feast; let us banquet to-day,\n              For to-morrow to battle we\u2019ll hasten away.\u201d\n\nBut behold! at Sohrab\u2019s banquet there was to be one uninvited guest. For\nwhen night had swathed the earth in darkness, Rustem the Mighty went\nboldly unto the King, demanding permission to go forth unarmed to spy\nout the forces of the enemy, and to learn the character of the\nchieftains opposed unto him\u2014particularly of Sohrab, whose renown had\naroused such dread in the heart of Kaikous.\n\nSo, permission being granted, the dauntless Rustem clad himself in the\ndress of a Tartar, and thus disguised, under the cover of darkness, he\nstole forth like a lion which stalketh a herd of antelopes, penetrating\ninto the very presence of the great Sohrab and his warriors as they sat\nat their feast. Now so stealthy had been his advance that none dreamed\nof his presence as they feasted and made merry around the festal\nboard\u2014nay, not even the valiant Sohrab, as he sat relating unto his\nwarriors some of the mighty deeds of the heroes of old.\n\nWherefore, as Rustem stood by the door watching, he beheld that the\nyoung Champion was like unto a tall cypress of good sap, while round\nabout him were seated more than a hundred brave warriors, scarcely\nequalled in the Persian army\u2014so fiery and courageous appeared they as\nthey listened unto the inspiring tales of Sohrab. And it was indeed a\nfestive scene! For torches gave back the flash of arms, and the gleam of\neyes eager for the morrow\u2019s battle, even as they were now bright with\nthe red wine which slaves poured from golden bugles into the crystal\nglasses before them. And behold, not only was there glorious fare to\ndelight the palate, but music to charm the ear! So gayety and merriment\nruled the hour; neither did they dream of coming sorrow.\n\nBut as Rustem watched the scene from the shadow of the door, presently\nit came to pass that Zendeh, one of the warriors, having occasion to go\nforth, came nigh unto the spot where the Hero was concealed. Now Zendeh\nwas brother unto the Princess Tamineh, who had sent him forth with her\nson that he might point out unto him his father, whom he alone knew of\nall the army. And the Princess did this that harm might not befall\nshould the two champions meet in battle. But alas! as Zendeh retired\nfrom the banquet, it chanced that he perceived the shadow of some one in\nambush. So, advancing unto the place where Rustem was hidden, he said\nquietly:\n\n\u201cVile Persian! Come forth into the light that I may see thy face. For\nwell I know, by thy stature, that thou belongest unto Iran.\u201d\n\nNow unto this Rustem answered never a word. But ere Zendeh had ceased\nfrom speaking, he struck him so fierce a blow upon the nape of the neck\nthat he laid him dead at his feet. So, though there was to be no more\nfeasting and fighting for Zendeh, yet so swift and silent had been\nDeath\u2019s messenger, that the revellers within dreamed not that the Dark\nAngel still hovered at the door.\n\nBut presently Sohrab, beholding his uncle\u2019s place at the table still\nvacant, asked wherefore he tarried; and, attention being thus called to\nhis long absence, one of the chiefs went forth to seek him. Now in so\ndoing he found the body of the unfortunate warrior cold upon the\npavement. Quickly returning unto Sohrab, therefore, he related unto him\nin an awed voice the fatal happening. But Sohrab would not believe that,\nalmost within their midst, without a struggle or cry, death could have\nso suddenly o\u2019ertaken his uncle. So, commanding that torches be brought,\nhe ran quickly unto the spot of the tragedy, followed by all the\nwarriors and bright singing-girls. But alas! here Sohrab found that the\nbad news was indeed true; and being sore grieved, he said unto his\nnobles:\n\n\u201cWoe! Woe unto Turan! For behold! the wolf hath stolen into the fold\nand, in spite of the shepherds and the dogs, hath taken the best of the\nflock. But verily, God helping me, I will be fully avenged for the death\nof Zendeh!\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, Sohrab came back unto his place at the table and\ncontinued the feast. For, though his own heart was heavy with sorrow, he\nwished not the spirits of his warriors to be dampened by pity, or fear\nof this terrible, silent, unknown foe. Raising his glass unto his lips,\ntherefore, he cried lustily:\n\n\u201cDrink, my brave comrades, drink! Death to the slayer of Zendeh, and\ndestruction, utter and sure, unto the Persian host.\u201d\n\nSo the warriors and chiefs all drank, standing upon their feet; and as\nthe hours passed by, Sohrab continued to fan into a yet more glowing\nflame the lust of battle which slumbered in each warrior\u2019s soul, so that\nfinally one and all desired naught but death unto the Persians, and a\nglorious victory for Sohrab, their gallant young leader, whom they\ntoasted with such mighty shouts of pride and joy that it was heard even\nwithin the lines of Iran.\n\nAs for Rustem, having accomplished his purpose, after silencing Zendeh,\nhe returned quickly and silently unto the Persian camp, knowing not that\nhis victim was the loved brother of Tamineh, who was to have stood\nbetween Sohrab and his fate.\n\nBut behold, as Rustem would have entered the Persian lines he\nencountered Gew, who was acting that night as sentry. Now as this\ndoughty warrior suddenly perceived\u2014looming up mountain-high out of the\ndarkness\u2014a warrior clad in the garb of a Tartar, his heart quaked with\nfear, for he thought that surely he had to do with Sohrab, the terrible\nTartar Champion. Nevertheless, he quickly drew his sword ready for\ncombat, challenging the invader to give his name and errand.\n\nNow this demand was greeted by a burst of mighty laughter, for Rustem,\nsurmising from the quaver in Gew\u2019s voice what his thought had been,\ncould not but enjoy the situation. Still laughing, therefore, he said\nunto Gew:\n\n\u201cBrave comrade! tremble not so. For lo! thou beholdest before thee a\nmost harmless creature\u2014Rustem the Spy\u2014who returneth from the banquet of\nSohrab and his chiefs. Now Sohrab presenteth his compliments unto Gew,\nthe brave warrior of the Persians, saying that he will be unable to meet\nhim until to-morrow, when he will hurl forth unto him his challenge to\ncombat.\u201d\n\nSo spake the Mighty Rustem unto Gew, twitting him yet again upon his\nlion\u2019s roar and his great disappointment at being deprived of his\nmuch-longed-for combat with Sohrab. Then when they had laughed together,\nRustem described unto Gew his adventure, ceasing not to sing the praise\nof Sohrab, who, he said, had not his equal in the world.\n\nWhereupon, having thus spoken, the Great Champion said good-night unto\nhis comrade, bidding him roar gently in case of danger. And so with\nmerry jest ended the adventure of Rustem the Spy.\n\n\n\n\n                  THE COMBAT OF SOHRAB AGAINST RUSTEM\n\n\nGive ear unto the combat of Sohrab against Rustem, though it be a tale\nreplete with tears. So runneth the legend as told by Firdusi. But upon\nthe morning after the night of feasting in his pavilion, tears were far\nfrom the eyes of brave Sohrab. For was he not bent upon the\naccomplishment of great deeds? Yea, and did he not hope soon to behold\nthe face of his illustrious father?\n\nBut alas! a bitter disappointment awaited the hero in the early morning,\nfor in vain did he try to learn from Hujir, the defeated champion of the\nWhite Fort, which of the mighty warriors encamped upon the plains before\nthem was Rustem, the great hero of the Persians. For that brave patriot,\nfearing for the safety of Iran, refused utterly to discover the identity\nof the Great Champion unto his enemy, even though Sohrab strongly\nsuspected a certain great warrior in a green tent, who was, indeed,\nRustem.\n\nDefeated in this endeavor, therefore, Sohrab returned unto the Fort,\nwhere, donning his chain mail and arming himself, he and his band of\nsturdy warriors sallied forth unto the plain. Now so sudden and swift\nwas the onset that the Persians were taken unawares, so that Sohrab in\nhurling the army of Turan against the intrenched camp of the Shah, was\nable to penetrate almost at once unto its very centre. And truly it was\na magnificent sight to behold the irresistible charge of this stripling,\nwho, though but a mere youth, yet appeared a very god of war.\n\nBut, though taken by surprise, the Persians soon rallied, and then so\nfearful was the contest that the very earth seemed to shake beneath the\nshock, and the carnage was fearful. For, though from end to end the\nplain glittered with bright steel armor, it covered, alas, the forms of\nfallen heroes as often as it shielded the daring hearts of living\nriders, since as the tide of battle ebbed and flowed, thousands fell\nupon either side, night alone putting an end to the fearful conflict.\n\nNow through all the long hours of battle, although Sohrab seemed to be\neverywhere upon the field, never once did he catch a glimpse of the\nowner of the green tent, and much he wondered. Nay; not even when he\nthundered forth words of pride in the very face of the Shah, telling him\nhe had sworn to hang him alive upon a gallows, to avenge the death of\nZendeh, and challenging him to combat, did he\u2014or any other\nchampion\u2014stand forth. So great was the terror that his valor had aroused\nin the hearts of his foes!\n\nBut in spite of the day\u2019s successes, that night Sohrab lay wakeful in\nhis tent, restlessly tossing upon his bed of skins, while busy thoughts\nsurged through his brain. Finally, however, when the first faint streak\nof dawn had crimsoned the eastern sky, behold, the Hero arose, passing\nthrough the silent line of tents, until he reached the one set apart for\nPiran-Wisa, the old chief who had but reached the scene of battle the\nby-gone eve. Here, lifting the heavy curtain, Sohrab entered silently,\nbut seeing that his old friend was also awake, he said:\n\n\u201cO glorious chief, whose wisdom hath ever been my guiding star, behold,\nonce more I come to seek thy counsel and to make known unto thee a plan\nwhich hath kept me wakeful upon my bed.\n\n\u201cNow it is indeed well to fight valiantly and win success upon the field\nof battle as we did to-day, but for me, Sohrab, that is not enough; for\nI long without ceasing to perform some mighty deed that shall reach the\nears of Rustem, my father, whom I seem destined never to find. So now I\nhave reached a conclusion: I would have thee challenge the bravest of\nthe Persian Pehliva to meet me, man to man, in single combat. If I\nprevail, Rustem will surely learn of it; while if I fail, no man need\nhear of me again.\u201d\n\nSo spake impetuous Sohrab, and Piran-Wisa listened quietly. When he had\nfinished, however, he said unto him:\n\n\u201cMy son, much I love thy valorous spirit, which hath ever striven and\nlonged for the noblest and best. Nevertheless, in this matter I counsel\nthee to think of thy mother, and be content to share the common risk of\nbattle which falleth unto all alike. Or if thou wouldst seek that loved\nfather whom thou hast never seen, seek him where men say he now\ndwelleth, in far-off Seistan with his aged father Zal.\u201d\n\nBut to this wise advice Sohrab replied passionately:\n\n\u201cAlas, good old Piran! Canst thou not understand that I wish not to go\nunto my father empty-handed? I am so proud of him, and with reason I\nmust make him proud of his son also. For are we not of the same noble\nblood? And see! am I not tall, and strong, and brave, like unto my\nfather? Fear not, therefore, for truly I will overcome the bravest of\nthe warriors sent out by the Persians to meet me. Then surely the great\nRustem will hear of it and I shall perhaps meet him.\u201d\n\nNow though Piran-Wisa liked not the plan, yet could he not withstand\nSohrab\u2019s eloquent pleading. For verily who can restrain the eagle in his\nflight toward the sun?\n\nHaving given his consent unto the challenge, therefore, the old general\nsummoned unto him his herald, and taking his ruler\u2019s staff in his hand,\nhe went forth, marshalling the whole Tartar army upon the plain. Then\nthe Persians, noting this move of the enemy, also formed into battle\narray opposite, bright in burnished steel and splendid in rank upon rank\nof brave warriors.\n\nAnd presently, all being in readiness, Piran-Wisa advanced unto the\nfront, while the herald blew a blast upon his trumpet to make known that\nhe had something to say. Then silence, deep and thrilling, reigned in\nboth great armies as Piran, in ringing tones, offered Sohrab\u2019s\nchallenge.\n\nAnd when the Tartar host heard called the name of their champion,\nbehold, they rent the air with their shouts, cheering long and loud for\nSohrab. No Persian, they felt sure, could match their gallant young\nleader, who now, in all the pride of his youth and strength, advanced\nand stood by Piran-Wisa\u2019s side.\n\nBut alas! unexpected was this call unto the Persians, and as a\nconsequence deep silence reigned within the lines of Iran. For so great\nwas the fear of Sohrab that no man dared take up the challenge. After\nthe first shock, however, from mouth to mouth there was breathed the one\nword: Rustem! Rustem! So quickly Kaikous sent a messenger unto the Great\nPehliva, saying:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One! Come quickly, for behold, the faces of my warriors grow\npale before this young Tartar, and only thy sword can cause the sun to\nweep.\u201d\n\nNow when Gudarz, the messenger, entered the tent of Rustem, the hero\nrose and greeted him joyfully, both hands outstretched in welcome.\n\u201cThese eyes could see no better sight,\u201d he cried; and added quickly,\n\u201cWhat news?\u201d\n\nThen Gudarz delivered his message, hearing which, Rustem frowned, for he\nremembered the bravery of the Shahs of Old, and the cowardice of Kaikous\nmade him sick with shame. Nevertheless, he said nothing, being too angry\nfor words. Whereupon, Gudarz continued:\n\n\u201cTruly, this young hero is marvellous! and this time, Kaikous is not to\nbe condemned for his terror. For, as I live, the Champion existeth not\nwho can match Sohrab\u2014save only Rustem the Mighty, unto whom all eyes\nturn.\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, who was once more angered at Kaikous, replied bitterly unto\nGudarz:\n\n\u201cIf the Shah himself feareth to meet this young lion, let him send forth\nany one of the young striplings whom he, in these days, delighteth to\nhonor. When other Shahs have called me, it hath been sometimes unto\nbattle and sometimes unto the banquet, but behold, Kaikous never calleth\nme except to fight for him. Therefore, I say, let one of the King\u2019s\nfavorites meet Sohrab to-day; I will fight him to-morrow.\u201d\n\nGudarz, however, would not listen unto Rustem when he spoke thus of\ndelay, but urged him even as he had upon another great occasion, saying\nunto him:\n\n\u201cTake heed, O Mighty One, lest men say that thou fearest to peril thy\nfame with younger men!\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, frowning with displeasure, consented to meet the Champion,\nbut only upon condition that he fight unknown and in plain arms. So, his\nconsent being won, the hero was allowed neither to linger nor to waste\ntime in words; for quickly the nobles buckled upon him his armor, threw\nhis leopard-skin around him, saddled Rakush and made him ready for the\nstrife. Now when he appeared among the Persians they greeted him with\nmighty shouts of pride and joy, causing the Tartars to wonder much as to\nthe identity of this stalwart Champion fighting in plain armor and\ngiving no name.\n\nBut behold! the combatants being now ready, at a signal the Persian and\nthe Tartar hosts formed themselves into two long lines, down which the\ntwo great Champions advanced to meet each other.\n\nNow as Rustem moved forward, once more he eyed with wonder the slender\nyouth who dared thus to defy all the most valiant chiefs of the army.\nWho could he be? Where was he reared? What was there about him so\nstrangely familiar? As he gazed, therefore, suddenly a great pity filled\nhis soul that this noble-spirited youth, so full of life and manly\nbeauty, must shortly be lying upon the sand, his life-blood paying the\npenalty for his temerity. Verily, never had Rustem, the fierce warrior,\nfelt moved like this before, and so he spake gently unto his adversary,\nsaying:\n\n\u201cO Young Man, the air of heaven is soft and warm, but the grave is damp\nand cold. Wherefore, then, wilt thou rush upon death? Truly pity filleth\nmy soul at the thought, and I would not take from thee the boon of life.\nYet if we combat together, surely wilt thou fall by my hands, for\nbehold! I am vast and clad in iron, and tried, and none have been able\nto withstand my power\u2014neither man, nor Deev, nor dragon. Desist,\ntherefore, from this perilous enterprise, and come over unto Iran. Then\nshalt thou be as a son unto me, and fight beneath my banner while I\nlive, winning both honor and fame.\u201d\n\nSo spake Rustem, and Sohrab, listening unto his voice, and gazing upon\nhis mighty form, planted like a great tower upon the plain, felt his\nheart go out unto him strangely. And, a sudden hope filling his soul,\neagerly he ran forward, knelt before the hero, and gazing up at him\nwistfully, said:\n\n\u201cO Glory of the World, verily my heart leapeth forth to greet thee as\nunto a loved kinsman! Tell unto me, therefore, thy name, for it seemeth\nunto me that thou must be Rustem, the mighty son of White-haired Zal.\nFor surely unto none other is it given to be so gloriously perfect as\nthou!\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, misunderstanding Sohrab\u2019s ardor, replied coldly unto him,\nsaying.\n\n\u201cRash Boy! Men look upon Rustem\u2019s face and flee. And well I know that if\nthat mighty hero stood here to-day, then would there be no further talk\nof fighting. But, unfortunately for thy pride, thou hast now to do with\nno noble Pehliva, but with a common man, possessing neither throne, nor\npalace, nor crown.\u201d\n\nNow Rustem spake thus sternly unto the youth that he might be afraid\nwhen he beheld his prowess, and think that still greater might was\nhidden in the camp of the Persians.\n\nBut Sohrab, when he heard the words of Rustem, was sad, and his hopes,\nthat had risen so high as he beheld his mighty antagonist, were\nshattered. Yea, and the day that had looked so bright was made dark unto\nhis eyes. Howbeit, hiding his disappointment, with flashing eyes he\nreplied unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cFierce Warrior! Thinkest thou to terrify me by thy proud words? If so,\nverily thou errest. Now it is true that thou art more vast and tried\nthan I, but unto whom will be the victory only the event will teach us\nin its hour. Yet in one thing, I give thee right: Did Rustem stand where\nthou art standing now, then, indeed, would there be no combat here\nto-day. But come! Let us not parley words.\u201d\n\nSo the two Champions chose a narrow place, marked out the lists, and\nmounted upon their powerful steeds, ready for the combat. Now they began\nthe attack by hurling their javelins; and when they were blunted against\nthe steel bucklers they drew their long Indian swords and fell to work\nagain. And behold, when their swords were broken, then they used their\nclubs. Terrible blows they dealt each other with these implements of war\nand great was the skill and agility with which they fought, calling\nforth many a shout of admiration from the breathlessly-watching armies.\n\nNevertheless, they seemed to be about equally matched in wariness,\nskill, and strength. For, though Rustem\u2019s eye shot fire as he raised\nhigh his spear and hurled it down with swift, unerring aim, quick as a\nflash Sohrab sprang to one side, and the spear buried itself deep in the\nsand, doing naught of harm. In return for this, however, Sohrab struck\nfull upon Rustem\u2019s shield, so that the iron rang and rang again. Then\nRustem, furious, seized his gigantic club, which no one but himself\ncould wield, and with one mighty stroke would have felled Sohrab to the\nearth, had he not again been too quick for him in springing aside. But\nalas! the club came thundering down with such prodigious force that it\ncaused Rustem himself to fall forward and loose his hold upon it. And\nbehold! in an instant, Sohrab could have pierced the fallen hero where\nhe lay. But instead he drew back, without even unsheathing his sword,\nsaying unto his unknown foe:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One! Thou sayest thou art not Rustem. Well, be it so! But who\nart thou, then, that thou canst so touch my soul? I pray thee, let the\nfight end here, and let there be peace twixt thee and me.\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, trembling with rage and fury, would not hearken unto the\nwords of Sohrab; rather, they increased his wrath and shame. For it was,\nindeed, bitter for the old Champion to think that he owed his life unto\nthis slight, sunny youth. So, again seizing his spear, with taunting,\nbitter words he rushed upon Sohrab, attacking him with renewed vigor.\nThen Sohrab saw that this fight must be to the death, and he, too,\nallowed the lust of conquest to take full possession of his soul.\n\nFalling to again, therefore, behold, the heroes fought until their\nspears were shivered, and their swords hacked like unto saws, and all\ntheir weapons were bent and broken. Even then, however, they did not\ndesist, but wrestled with each other until the sweat and blood ran down\nfrom their bodies and their throats were parched and dry like unto\nparchment. But at last so weary were they that neither the warriors nor\ntheir horses could move more, yet to neither was given the victory. So,\nwith mail shattered and torn, and with bruised and wounded bodies, the\nexhausted heroes stayed them awhile to rest. Then Rustem said unto\nhimself:\n\n\u201cVerily, never in all my long life of battle have I seen man or demon\nwith such strength and activity as is possessed by this redoubtable\nSohrab! Why, even my great battle with the White Deev was but as child\u2019s\nplay unto this, and though never yet have I been conquered, alas, now my\nheart faileth me before this youth without a name!\u201d\n\n[Illustration: They drew their long Indian swords and fell to work\nagain.]\n\nBut Sohrab, when he had rested for a few minutes, thus gaily addressed\nhis antagonist:\n\n\u201cHo, Angry One! when thou art rested, come and try if thou canst fight\nwith bow and arrow.\u201d\n\nSo presently the Champions fell to again, fighting with arrows; but\nstill one could not surpass the other, though they rained from their\nbows like hail. Then, in desperation, Rustem seized Sohrab by the belt,\nhoping to drag him from his saddle, as he had done unto many a hero in\nbattle. But alas! it availed him naught. For as soon could a mountain be\nmoved from its base as Sohrab from his saddle. And neither could Sohrab\nlift his antagonist, though mightily he strove to perform this feat of\nstrength.\n\nSo, being thus unsuccessful both with arrows and in wrestling, once more\nthe champions betook themselves to clubs, and after a time Sohrab\nsucceeded in dealing Rustem a mighty blow that bruised his shoulder. Now\nso great was the agony that Rustem writhed under it, though he was\nstrong enough to stifle any cry of pain. Nevertheless, Sohrab saw that\nhe had struck a telling blow, and, smiling, he taunted the wounded one,\nsaying:\n\n\u201cO Smitten Lion! Truly thou art brave, but how canst thou hope to stand\nagainst the blows of the strong? But alas! it is thy age that disableth\nthee. Go, therefore, and measure thy strength with thy equals, for\nverily it is folly for the aged to try to match themselves with the\nyoung and strong.\u201d\n\nNow so furious was Rustem at the taunts of Sohrab that, in his frenzy,\nhe turned suddenly upon the army of the Tartars, charging its ranks even\nas a tiger rusheth upon his prey. And behold! when Sohrab saw this, he\nin his turn, fell upon the Persians, scattering them like a flock of\nsheep before him. Whereupon, Rustem, beholding the flight of his\ncountrymen, turned quickly from pursuing the Tartars, crying fiercely\nunto Sohrab:\n\n\u201cO Man of Blood! Why hast thou fallen upon the Persians like a wolf upon\nthe fold?\u201d\n\nTurning in astonishment therefore, at this most surprising question,\nSohrab said:\n\n\u201cThou Mad Elephant! Didst not thou, thyself, first charge the Tartar\nhost, though they had not joined in battle? Wherefore, then, reproach\nme?\u201d\n\nNow Sohrab was still gay and unruffled, and Rustem\u2019s heart sank as he\nbeheld how fresh and full of vigor was this laughing stripling, for all\nthe hard day\u2019s fight. So he said:\n\n\u201cBehold! night descendeth upon the plain. It is too late, therefore, to\nrenew the combat to-day. If thou art still for war, however, we will\nfight again to-morrow, and God shall decide who is the better man.\u201d\n\nSo, by mutual consent, the heroes now separated, each riding back to his\nown army, where they were received with shouts of admiration, which rang\nand rang again. But, strange to say, it was Sohrab\u2019s gay farewell that\nrang longest in Rustem\u2019s ears, for his soul was filled with wonder and\nadmiration at the lightness and strength of this marvellous youth.\nSeeking Kaikous, therefore, who was all unnerved by the day\u2019s conflict,\nin reply to his eager questions Rustem said:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World, truly my heart misgiveth me, for never during my\nlong life have I witnessed such over-whelming valor as hath been\nexhibited this day by yon laughing boy, whose body, I should say, was\nformed of iron, were it not for his remarkable lightness. For behold! I\nhave fought him with sword, and spear, and arrow, and mace\u2014not only\nonce, but again and again\u2014and yet remaineth he alive and merry. In the\nwarrior\u2019s art he appeareth to be my superior, and Ormuzd alone knoweth\nwhat will be the outcome of the conflict to-morrow. May he grant unto\nhis servant sufficient strength and courage for the hour!\u201d\n\nNow after his conference with the Shah, Rustem returned unto his tent,\nwhere he held serious converse with Zuara, his young brother, saying\nunto him:\n\n\u201cO my brother! Behold, it hath been given unto me to fight this day with\na champion, the power of whose arm is prodigious! I say unto thee,\ntherefore, that should anything untoward happen upon the morrow when the\nconflict is renewed, verily it will fall unto thee to see that my army\nis returned in safety unto Zabulistan. And thou must also console my\nmother in her sorrow, bidding her not to bind her heart forever unto the\ndead, since her son hath no cause to complain of fate. And say unto Zal,\nmy silver-crowned father, that since old and young must die, what\nmattereth it if it be written in the stars that only another sun shall\nshine for Rustem, since he hath lived long and fought gloriously for\nIran!\u201d\n\nMeanwhile, in the camp of the Tartars, Sohrab, also, lauded the might of\nhis unknown antagonist, saying unto Human:\n\n\u201cAlas, Brave Human! Though I understand it not, truly my heart is\nstrangely drawn unto the mighty warrior with whom I have fought this\nday. I seem to see in him, too, all the signs by which my mother told me\nI was to recognize my father, and my heart is filled with misgivings.\nVerily, I must not fight against my father!\u201d\n\nBut Human, following the directions of the King, replied unto Sohrab:\n\n\u201cO Glory of the World! Naught but the longings of thine own heart give\ncredence unto thy words. Now oft have I looked upon the face of Rustem\nin battle, and mine eyes have beheld his deeds of valor, but alas! this\nman in nowise resembleth him, save in bulk alone. Neither is his horse\nthe famous Rakush; nor is his manner of wielding his club the same. In\nfostering this thought, thy imagination carrieth thee away.\u201d\n\nNow though Sohrab suspected not the plot which Afrasiab had formed for\nhis destruction, yet was he not wholly satisfied with Human\u2019s words.\nHowbeit, as he could not refute them, he held his peace. And that night,\nalso, feasted he gaily with his chiefs.\n\nNevertheless, when the harbinger of a new day had lightened the sky and\ncleared away the shadows, behold, Sohrab donned his cuirass and his\nhelmet and, arming himself, mounted his horse and rode into the space\nbetween the two armies. Then Rustem, beholding his antagonist, also rode\nout from among the Persians.\n\nSo once more the champions met, and behold, as Sohrab greeted Rustem his\nmouth was full of smiles, for how could it be otherwise when his heart\nwas as full of sunshine as the new Eastern day with light? Gaily,\ntherefore, he said unto the Pehliva:\n\n\u201cAh, let us not fight to-day, Old Dragon! for as soon would I combat\nwith my own father as with thee. Rather, let us sit together upon the\nground, and thou shalt relate unto me thy deeds of valor. For verily my\nsoul delighteth in heroic tales\u2014as my mother could say unto thee\u2014and thy\nlife hath been full of them, I know. Yea, if I mistake not, even the\ngreat Rustem, thy countryman, canst thou rival in thy thrilling\nadventures and conquests, and much I should like to hear them. As for\ncombat, there are plenty of other brave men with whom thou canst do\nbattle, but with me, I pray thee, make a covenant of friendship, for my\nheart sayeth unto me that we were not meant to be foes.\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, who still thought that Sohrab spake in guile, replied unto\nhim:\n\n\u201cO Hero of Tender Age! Behold, we are met here to fight, and not to blow\nforth empty wind upon the air. Save thy words of lure, therefore, for\n\u2018other brave men,\u2019 if perchance thou livest to meet them in battle; for\nverily my ears are sealed against them. As for me, I am an old man, and\nthou art young, but forget not that it is the Master of the World who\nholdeth the balance in his hands.\u201d\n\nThen Sohrab, rising lightly unto his feet, said:\n\n\u201cOld Champion, I see I have spoken in vain, and it grieveth me. Now I\nwould have had thee die upon thy bed, when thy time should come, but\nbehold! thou art brave enough to prefer a hero\u2019s death. Well, so be it!\nat least thou shalt die gloriously, after the fight of thy life\u2014and what\ncan even the beloved of Ormuzd ask more?\u201d\n\nSo once more the two champions prepared for combat. And\u2014this time we are\ninformed\u2014the place of contest was in the centre of a lonely, treeless\nplain, through which coursed a deep, winding river. Yea, and gloomy gray\nmountains skirted the distant horizon, so that, in spite of the\nbrilliant Eastern sunshine, it was a scene of dreariness and mystic\nsolitude. For, to prevent the two armies from falling upon each other in\nthe excitement of the conflict, the chiefs had removed them to a\ndistance of several miles from the scene of battle, so that the two\nchampions were the only living figures upon the plain.\n\nNow as the combat was to be renewed upon foot, the two heroes fastened\ntheir steeds unto the rocks, and then, clad in complete mail, they\napproached each other stealthily, and in diminishing circles, each\nwatching for the chance to pounce like a lion upon his foe. And behold!\nwhen the two champions met, so terrific was the crash of their encounter\nthat it was heard, like thunder, from end to end of the standing hosts.\nAnd then, so terrible was the fight that even the sun refused to shine\nupon so unnatural a conflict; and the heavens, too, grew dark and\nlowering, as though in sore displeasure; and the wind rose, moaning and\nsweeping the plain in anger.\n\nBut still the heroes fought on\u2014unconscious of the frown of nature\u2014from\nmorning until noonday. Yea, and from noonday until it was time for the\nshadows to lengthen upon the plain. Yet unto neither was given the\nadvantage.\n\nPresently, however, Sohrab\u2019s shield was almost cloven by a terrific\nstroke from Rustem\u2019s sword. The iron plating flew, but, fortunately, the\ngood steel yet resisted. Then Sohrab, with his sword, smote off the\nproudly-waving crest of Rustem\u2019s helm\u2014that plume which never yet had\nbowed unto the dust; seeing which, Rustem clenched his teeth\u2014and still\nthey fought on!\n\nAnd now the gloom grew blacker, angry storm clouds rumbling overhead;\nbut the fierce combatants heard it not. Then, quite suddenly, Rakush the\nintelligent put forth a fearful cry\u2014a cry so unearthly, so full of woe,\nthat a shiver ran through all the Persian lines. But it troubled not the\ncombatants, for, unconscious of it, still they fought on!\n\nHowbeit, presently leaping like a lion, Sohrab seized Rustem by the\ngirdle, lifted him from the ground, and hurled him down, his face and\nmouth buried deep in the dust. Then he couched upon him\u2014yea, even as a\nbeast of the jungle coucheth upon its prey! Yea, and he drew his sword,\nthinking to sever his enemy\u2019s head\u2014even as was the Oriental custom. But\nat this crisis, Rustem, gifted with the wisdom and cunning of long\nexperience, realizing his peril, opened his mouth and said unto Sohrab:\n\n\u201cStay, thou Wild Elephant! Knowest thou not the customs of chivalrous\nwarfare? Now it is written in the laws of honor that he who overthroweth\na brave man for the first time shall not destroy him, but wait until the\nsecond throw when usage entitleth the victor honorably to take the life\nof the vanquished. Behold! this is our custom though it appeareth not to\nbe thine.\u201d\n\nAlas! Sohrab, who was as generous of heart as he was brave, hearing the\nwords of Rustem, immediately removed his grasp from the Hero, and\npermitting him to rise, agreed to a short truce.\n\nAs for Rustem, scarcely believing himself alive after such a narrow\nescape, gratefully he returned thanks unto Ormuzd, looking upon it as\nnothing short of a miracle. Then, having bathed his limbs, covered with\ndust and blood, in the river, he readjusted his torn armor, and sat him\ndown to rest, wondering how this desperate duel would finally end.\n\nBut no such misgivings troubled Sohrab as he rested. Nor was he alone;\nfor Human, beholding the truce, came out unto the Hero to ask of the\nadventures of the day. When Sohrab related unto him of the fight,\nhowever, and of how he had spared Rustem, Human reproached him for his\nfolly, saying:\n\n\u201cAlas, O Sohrab! The lion whom thou so unwisely released from thy toils\nhath caught thee in a yet more cunning snare. Beware, therefore, when\nthe combat is renewed, for Fortune rarely giveth us twice the\nopportunity to overcome our foes. And only think what an enemy is this!\u201d\n\nNow Sohrab was abashed when he learned how that Rustem had duped him.\nBut, hiding his chagrin, he said lightly unto Human:\n\n\u201cBrave Human, be not troubled, for in an hour we meet again in battle,\nand though twice I have shown mercy unto this old warrior, a third time\nshall it not happen, for now all the demands of honor have been met.\u201d\n\nNow while Sohrab and the Tartar chief thus spake of Rustem, behold, the\nHero himself had gone aside, and kneeling beside the running brook, he\nprayed unto Ormuzd, entreating that such strength be granted unto him\nthat victory should crown his final efforts. Yea, and the All-Merciful\nOne heard the cry of his troubled child, granting unto him such\nincreased strength that lo! the rock whereon he knelt gave way beneath\nhim, because it had not power to bear his weight. Then Rustem, feeling\nthat too much strength might prove his undoing, prayed yet again asking\nthat part thereof be taken away. And again Ormuzd listened unto his\nvoice.\n\nSo, rested and reinspired, when the hour was ended, once more the\nchampions turned them unto the place of combat, determined to bring the\nawful struggle to a close ere another night set in. Now Rustem\u2019s heart,\nin spite of his increased strength, was full of care; but Sohrab came\nforth like a giant refreshed. Running at Rustem like a mad elephant,\ntherefore, he shouted in a voice of thunder:\n\n\u201cHo, Wily One! Prepare to meet thy end. For this time thy words of guile\nshall avail thee naught.\u201d\n\nNow Rustem, when he saw the rage of the hitherto laughing young\nstripling, learned at last to know fear, and in his heart he quickly\nprayed unto Ormuzd, asking that the strength withdrawn be restored unto\nhim. Then, imbued with all his new-found might, Rustem raised high his\nhead, his eyes glaring with the wild light of battle, his sword\nbrandished on high. So for a second he stood, after which, with a\nterrible roar, he advanced upon Sohrab, instinctively shouting his old,\nthunderous battle-cry: \u201cRustem! Rustem!\u201d\n\nAlas for Sohrab! Stopped midway in his charge by the sound of that\nmuch-loved name, for one fateful second, he gazed, bewildered, then\ninstinctively he recoiled, dropping his shield, thus leaving himself\nuncovered. Quick as a flash, therefore, Rustem drew his blade, and drove\nit with mighty force through the breast of the youthful hero who,\nstaggering back, sank heavily to the ground. And now, the awful din of\narms being hushed, behold, the sun shone forth once more from between\nthe parted thunder-clouds, revealing a fierce warrior standing\ntriumphant over his fallen foe!\n\nAnd alas that it must be said! but as Rustem gazed upon the prostrate\nyoung hero, not one drop of pity filled his heart; for the black shadow\nof defeat and humiliation yet hovered too near unto him to allow aught\nbut bitterness and anger to rule his soul. Wrathfully, therefore, he\nsaid unto Sohrab:\n\n\u201cFoolish boy! In thy pride thou thoughtest to slay a Persian hero this\nday and boast thy trophy in Afrasiab\u2019s land. Now here thou liest, slain\nby an unknown man.\u201d\n\nNow Rustem spake thus because, having been so nearly o\u2019ercome by this\nvalorous youth, after all his proud years of triumph, in his bitter\nmortification he fain would have deprived him of the satisfaction of\nknowing by whose hand he had fallen. Alas! a small feeling was this to\nfind its way into the heart of so great a hero, and bitterly was Rustem\nto repent it.\n\nFor, though wounded unto death, behold, Sohrab was still unconquered.\nLooking up fearlessly into the eyes of his foe, therefore, he said\nproudly:\n\n\u201cVain boaster! Vaunt not thy mighty prowess, for not _thy_ puny strength\nhath slain me. Nay; _Rustem_ slays me! For that loved name it was\nunnerved my arm, and so thy boasted spear pierced an unarmed foe. But\nhear me now, fierce man, and tremble. For behold! Rustem, my father,\nwhom I seek through all the world, will surely avenge my death\u2014though I,\nalas, shall never see him now! When he learneth of my doom, however,\nbeware! For if thou shouldst become a fish and lose thyself in the\ndepths of the sea, or a star to hide thyself in the highest heaven,\nverily my father would draw thee forth from thy hiding-place to wreak\nvengeance upon thy head. Ah, how his heart will be filled with wrath and\nsorrow when it shall be told unto him that Sohrab, his son, perished in\nthe quest after his face!\u201d\n\nNow Rustem listened unto the words of Sohrab coldly, gazing upon him\nwith scornful, unbelieving eyes. And he said:\n\n\u201cO vanquished youth! Verily, thou wanderest in thy talk. The mighty\nRustem never had a son. Now of this I am sure, for am I not a Persian?\u201d\n\nBut Sohrab answered still proudly, though his voice had grown faint and\nhoarse. And he said:\n\n\u201cStubborn Crocodile! The son of Rustem am I, and none other, and when\none day the news of my death shall reach him, it will pierce him like a\nstab. And alas, my poor mother! what will be her grief when she shall\nlearn that never again shall Sohrab return unto his native land! For\nwell she knoweth that her son sped not for empty glory forth from far\nSamengan, but to seek his father, lest he perish with longing after him.\nAnd now it is all in vain!\u201d\n\nNow, though still unbelieving, Rustem could not but be touched by\nSohrab\u2019s grief. For, as he gazed at the youthful hero, so full of\nstrength and manly beauty, slain, alas, by his hand in the morning of\nlife, he could not but regret this waste of precious life. So, very\ngently he spake unto Sohrab. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Valiant One! Well might Rustem be proud of such a son. Nevertheless,\nmen have told thee false. For well I know that the Great Pehliva never\nhad but one child\u2014and that a girl, who dwelleth afar with her mother,\nand dreameth not of war and its cruelties.\u201d\n\nAlas! the anguish of Sohrab\u2019s wound was growing great, so that he longed\nto pull out the sword and end his pain. But Rustem\u2019s unbelief angered\nhim, and he resolved first to convince his stubborn foe. So he said\nwrathfully:\n\n\u201cThou Great Persian Ox! Who are thou that thou darest to deny my words?\nKnowest thou not that truth sitteth upon the lips of dying men? I tell\nthee that bound upon this arm I bear the amulet of the house of Zal,\nwhich Rustem gave my mother. Men may have told _thee_ false, but surely\nmy mother knoweth whereof she speaketh, and the story had I from her own\nlips.\u201d\n\nAlas for the Great Rustem! When he heard these words he was shaken with\ndismay. Nevertheless, he said quietly unto Sohrab:\n\n\u201cBare thy arm, Stripling, for if thou canst show this token, that were\nproof, indeed, that thou art Rustem\u2019s son.\u201d\n\nSo, with trembling fingers, Sohrab bared his shoulder, and there upon\nhis arm Rustem beheld the amulet which he had given unto Tamineh so long\nago. Now as he gazed, lo, there broke from the heart of the Hero a\nterrible cry of anguish, after which, suddenly, the earth became dark\nunto his eyes, and he fell in a swoon beside his valiant son.\n\nAnd behold! hearing this groan of horrible heart-break, Sohrab knew at\nlast that the unknown warrior was none other than his long-sought\nfather, Rustem the Mighty. So, though fierce was the pain of his wound,\nSohrab managed finally to reach the place where Rustem lay, pillowing\nhis head upon his knee. Yea, and he bathed his face with tears,\nwhispering unto him fond words of endearment, trying thus to coax him\nback to life.\n\nBut alas! When Rustem opened his eyes once more, it was upon a world of\nwoe and anguish. In his agony of spirit, therefore, he rent his clothes,\nand tore his hair, and beat upon his breast, moaning and crying in his\nterrible sorrow:\n\n\u201cO my son whom I have slain! My son so young and brave and beautiful!\nWould that my name had been struck from the lists of men ere I had done\nthis cruel deed. But behold! one grave shall suffice for father and son,\nfor no longer will I cumber the earth.\u201d\n\nNow so speaking, Rustem clutched his sword, and would have slain himself\nhad not Sohrab stayed his hand, saying:\n\n\u201cFather, forbear! For truly, not thou, but Fate is responsible for this\nwoful happening. Ah, how our hearts cried out one unto the other! and\nhow we should have joyed together! But alas! it hath been decreed\notherwise by Him who changeth not. Weep not, therefore, and do thyself\nno harm, for what is written in the stars, shall it not come to pass?\nAnd listen! In spite of all, a great joy hath come unto Sohrab\u2014for doth\nhe not behold thy face? O my father, so brave and splendid, how I have\nlonged to see thee! Come, sit beside me on the sand, therefore, and hold\nme fast. Yea, take my head between thy hands, and kiss me on the cheek,\nmurmuring, just once, the tender words: \u2018My son! My valiant son!\u2019 Quick!\nfor my life is ebbing fast.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, weeping, cast his arms about his son, murmuring unto him\nbroken words of praise and anguish. And Sohrab was content, for had he\nnot his heart\u2019s desire? So, still he lay, and naught disturbed the\noppressive silence save only Rustem\u2019s heart-breaking cries of woe.\n\nBut behold! The father\u2019s sad lament reached and caused distress unto\nother ears than those of quiet Sohrab. For Rakush, hearing his master\u2019s\nplaintive voice, whinnied back unto him distressfully, knowing not what\nto think. Then, as Rustem came not unto him, presently, after many brave\ntugs, he tore up the rock unto which he was fastened, and hastened, as\nfast as his burden would allow, unto his master\u2019s side. But alas! in his\nterrible grief, stricken Rustem had only words of chiding for his\ndevoted steed, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Rakush! Rakush! Verily, thy feet should have rotted in thy joints\nbefore ever they bare thy master to this field.\u201d\n\nNow at this outburst, Sohrab raised his head, gazing with bright eyes at\nthe great charger, whose joys and sorrows were so closely bound up with\nthose of his master. And much he wondered to see the big, warm tears\nroll down from the soft, compassionate eyes of drooping Rakush. Smiling\ngently, therefore, he said unto him:\n\n\u201cSo thou art really Rakush! Ah, how oft have I heard my mother tell of\nthee, thou faithful, loving steed! And how I envy thee! For thou hast\nbeen where I shall never go\u2014even unto far-off Seistan, my father\u2019s sunny\nhome. There White-haired Zal himself hath stroked thy arching neck, and\ngiven thee food, and bidden thee bear thy master well. But alas! Sohrab\nwill never see his grandsire\u2019s charming home, nor hear his voice in\ngreeting.\u201d\n\nThus spake the dying Sohrab, and Rustem, hearing his sorrowful plaint,\nbrake forth afresh in woe, refusing to be comforted. And he cried:\n\n\u201cOh, that I were dead, and the waves of yon dark river rolling\npeacefully over me! For never shall I know happiness more in the world.\u201d\n\nBut again Sohrab spake words of comfort unto his father, bidding him\nlive for Iran\u2014thus reaping in his old age a second glory of great deeds.\nYea, and he also prayed Rustem to ensure that his followers be allowed\nto cross the Oxus back in peace, and that brave Hujir be granted his\nliberty. And he said:\n\n\u201cAs for me, O my father, carry me back with thee unto Seistan, and bury\nme with the heroes of my house, for I shall sleep more peacefully\nthere.\u201d\n\nSo Rustem, stifling his tears, promised that Sohrab\u2019s every wish should\nbe fulfilled. And he said:\n\n\u201cO my glorious son! Never shalt thou be forgotten. For behold! I will\nbuild thee a stately tomb, with a tall pillar rising unto the skies. And\nso imposing shall it be that all men shall see it from afar, and point\nto it as Valiant Sohrab\u2019s tomb. Yea, and all thy brave deeds shall be\nrecorded there, cut so deep in the marble that not even Time shall be\nable to erase them. So shalt thou live forever, thy glory rivalling that\nof all the heroes of Iran. For, generous hast thou been, as well as\nmighty and valiant!\u201d\n\nNow hearing these wonderful words, Sohrab smiled radiantly upon his\nfather, caressing his mighty hand. Then sinking back into his arms, he\nmurmured:\n\n\u201cAh, the world is so beautiful! So beautiful! And I am young to die.\nNevertheless, I am content. For, O my father! that was a glorious\nfight.... And I am not ashamed. Only, my poor young mother!\u201d\n\nSo, with his mother\u2019s name upon his lips, Brave Sohrab sighed gently,\nhis head drooped, and then, white and motionless, the fair young body\nlay forever quiet in his father\u2019s arms. But behold, the smile upon his\nlips still spake of content, for it said that the beautiful spirit had\nsoared once more unto the sunny Gardens of the Blessed.\n\nBut alas! In departing, Sohrab took all the sunshine of the world with\nhim. For now night came down, heavy and dark, upon the plain, and a\nchill fog rose up from the rushing river. By and by, however, the moon\ncame out, shining solitary through the mist, and its rays fell softly\nupon Sohrab, lying with radiant, upturned face, so still upon the sand.\nBut alas! The Queen of the Night could not lighten the dark figure\nthat\u2014with horseman\u2019s cloak drawn low over bowed head\u2014sat silent and\nimmovable by the side of the sleeping youth. Nay; not even Rakush could\nrouse his master now, though he caressed and whinnied and coaxed for\nlong hours.\n\nAlas! so it was that the warriors, sent out by the two great chiefs,\nfound the morning\u2019s gay champions. But so great was their awe that none\ndared draw near to question. So, silently they rode back, and gave the\nnews unto their leaders. But not even the Shah dared disturb the Great\nPehliva in his grief, when it was learned that Rustem had slain his son.\nIn the morning, however, the gentle hands of many brave warriors lifted\nthe sleeping Sohrab and bare him in a litter, sorrowfully unto the\nPersian camp, amid such wailing as the earth ne\u2019er heard before. For the\nmighty hosts of both great armies mourned for the brave young Hero gone.\n\nYea, and after this, Rustem, having built a great fire, flung into it\nhis tent of emerald and his trappings of Roum, his saddle and his\nleopard-skin, his armor well tried in battle, and all the appurtenances\nof his throne. Now thus was the pride of the mighty warrior laid low.\nYea; and without regret saw he his heart\u2019s treasures burn, for his soul\nwas sick of war. And he cried:\n\n\u201cO Sohrab! Sohrab! Not even for thee will I fight more. For what\navaileth glory unto me now?\u201d\n\nAnd having thus sacrificed his pride, behold, Rustem commanded that\nSohrab be swathed in rich brocades of gold, worthy his fair young body;\nand when they had thus enfolded him, he made ready his army to return\nunto Seistan. But for one night, Brave Sohrab lay in state, watched over\nby his own gallant chiefs, who had feasted with him so merrily in his\ntent, and who now, alas, mourned for him with a bitterness that filled\nthe night with woe.\n\nWhen morning dawned, however, the sorrowful procession set forth unto\nSeistan. Now all the nobles of Iran marched before the bier, their heads\ncovered with ashes and their garments rent and tattered. And behold!\nRustem heaped black earth upon his head, and tore his hair, and wrung\nhis hands; but his cries could not be heard for the mighty wailing of\nthe army. And not only this, but lo! the drums of the war-elephants were\nalso shattered, and the cymbals broken, and the tails of the horses torn\nto the roots, for thus did the Persians mourn their mighty dead.\n\nNow when the mournful train drew near unto Seistan, Zal marvelled to see\nthe host returning thus in sorrow. For, as he beheld Rustem at their\nhead, he knew that the wailing was not for him, and he could think of no\nother worthy such martial honors. When they drew near, however, Rustem\nled him unto the bier, and showed unto him the youthful Sohrab, so like\nin feature and might unto Saum, the son of Neriman. Then he told unto\nhim all that had come to pass, and behold! Zal, too, tore his white hair\nand wept at this dire misfortune and loss that had come unto his house,\nand for brave, laughing Sohrab gone.\n\nAnd lo! the days of mourning being ended, the Mighty Ones built for the\nsleeping hero a tomb like unto a horse\u2019s hoof; and therein they laid him\nto rest, in a chamber of gold, perfumed with amber. Yea, and they\ncovered him with soft brocades, and placed his arms beside him, so that\nright royally he took his rest. And when it was done, behold, the house\nof Rustem grew like unto a grave, and its courts were filled with the\nvoice of sorrow. So they mourned for Sohrab in the home of his fathers,\nand it seemed as if joy could never again take up her abode in the\nanguish-smitten heart of Rustem.\n\nBut alas! not alone in the home of his fathers was Sohrab mourned. There\nat least his passing left no gap. But in far Samengan, how different!\nFor, though so brave about letting her nestling fly forth, well Tamineh\nknew that until he winged his glad flight back unto the home nest there\nwould be no more sunshine in her life. Now gladly would she have laid\nherself down and slept, even as the Princess of old, until the glad day\nwhen her brave young Prince should, by his kiss, call her back once more\nunto the joy of life. But behold! even slumber was denied her.\n\nSo, night after night, too restless and anxious to sleep, Tamineh sat\nupon her balcony, gazing down the moonlit road by which one day her\nbrave young warrior must return. For at first she dreamed not of ill.\nBut alas! one night as she gazed with longing that would not be stilled,\nsuddenly she fell to shivering. For behold! no longer did she see the\nlong dusty road, but in its stead there flowed a great silent river,\nwhich shone in the moonlight like molten silver. And alas! upon its\nsurface floated Sohrab, a radiant smile upon his lips, and in his hands\na bunch of blood-red flowers, which silently he offered her.\n\nNow Tamineh knew that she had but dreamed, and yet a vague foreboding\ntook possession of her heart, causing her more anxiously still, from\nthis time forth, to watch for her boy\u2019s return. And alas! one night as\nshe sat soothed and entranced by the magic beauty of the moonlit world,\nsuddenly she saw loom up from out the shadows, upon the white gleaming\nroad, a great riderless horse, led by a man upon horseback, whose figure\nseemed strangely familiar, seeing which, Tamineh thought that again she\ndreamed. But alas! this time she dreamed not. For slowly the riderless\nhorse, with shorn tail and saddle reversed, advanced unto the palace\ngates, and then there floated up unto the waiting mother a terrible cry,\nwhich was taken up and echoed through every corner of the palace, and it\nran:\n\n\u201cSohrab is dead! Sohrab is dead! The brave young Prince will return no\nmore unto his native land.\u201d\n\nAnd now, indeed, was there grief and lamentation throughout the Court.\nFor not only did the nobles and warriors wail and throw dust upon their\nheads, but the women also tore their long white veils, and wrung their\nhands as they clustered around the bereaved Tamineh, who at the first\nsight of the face of Piran-Wisa, before ever his sad errand was told,\nknew what had befallen, and with a terrible cry had swooned at the feet\nof her maidens.\n\nAnd alas! long Tamineh lay as one dead, but, when consciousness finally\nreturned, from the lips of aged Piran she heard the whole sad story of\nher boy\u2019s untimely death. And behold! as the white-haired general\nrecounted how Sohrab had borne himself in that last mighty conflict, the\nmother\u2019s eyes flashed and dilated, while the soul looking out from\nbehind them seemed to cry aloud with pride, and joy, and woe, and\ndespair, in turn. To be slain by Rustem, and slain in equal combat was a\nhero\u2019s death, truly. But ah, the woe of it!\n\nYea, the woe of it! For all Turan mourned for the child of prowess that\nwas fallen in his bloom; but never was there grief like unto that of\nSohrab\u2019s mother. Night and day she grieved for her son, her only comfort\nbeing the horse and cloak which once had been his. Weeping, she would\nkiss the horse\u2019s mane and cling about his neck, while at night she held\nhis cloak in her arms, pressing its empty folds unto her bosom. So she\nmourned, neither eating nor sleeping till her love for her dead son drew\nher spirit like a strong cord\u2014away from the weary body\u2014away from the\nsunless earth which no longer held her heart\u2019s dearest.\n\nBut behold! Tamineh\u2019s mourning lasted but the accustomed time, for,\nseven days after Piran-Wisa\u2019s return with the riderless horse, she also\nfloated away upon the silent river, and the beautiful smile upon her\nlips, as she lay, surrounded by her weeping maidens, said plainly that\nRustem\u2019s Bright Singing-bird had flown also unto the Gardens of\nParadise\u2014she and her brave nestling happy forever in the smile of Ormuzd\nthe Blessed.\n\n\n\n\n                    SIAWUSH THE PERSIAN SIR GALAHAD\n\n\nBehold! it is recorded that upon a certain day, while the great Shah,\nKaikous, was still seated upon the throne of light, Tus, Gew, Gudarz,\nand other brave Pehliva of Iran departed from the stately court upon a\nhunting excursion. Now it was in all a goodly company, for the warriors\nwere accompanied by numerous retainers and falconers, and also by\nleopards such as are trained to hunt the gazelle and the wild ass of the\ndesert.\n\nSo they went forth, and after a merry day\u2019s hunting, at evening they\ncame unto a vast wood, reaching many leagues. And behold! as the\nhuntsmen entered its dark recesses, what was their surprise to discover\nthere a maiden of marvellous beauty, her hair and neck spangled with\ncostly jewels. And, strange as it may seem, with the exception of the\nhorse which nibbled the grass near by, this beautiful maiden was\nentirely alone in the green solitude.\n\nNow much the huntsman wondered at this most unusual sight, and Tus, who\nfirst discovered the maiden, advancing courteously, said: \u201cO Maiden\nFair, by the sun, and moon, and all the silvery stars, I swear that\u2014\u2014\n\n                 \u201cNever was seen so sweet a flower,\n                 In garden, vale, or fairy bower;\n                 The moon is on thy lovely face,\n                 Thy cypress-form is full of grace;\n                 But why, with charms so soft and meek,\n                 Dost thou the lonely forest seek?\u201d\n\nThen the Princess\u2014for she was a princess of the house of Feridoun\u2014told\nunto the Pehliva how that she had fled from her home to escape the wrath\nof her father who was angry with her because she had refused to wed\nPoshang, the ugly, bad-tempered old ruler of Turan. And she said: \u201cAlas!\nmy father is quick\u2014\u2014\n\n                 \u201cBut when his angry mood is o\u2019er,\n                 He\u2019ll love his daughter as before;\n                 And send his horsemen far and near,\n                 To take me to my mother dear.\n                 Therefore, I would not further stray,\n                 But here, without a murmur, stay.\u201d\n\nNow the maiden was so beautiful that the impressionable hearts of both\nTus and Gew warmed toward her, each desiring her for his wife. And alas!\nso great was their ardor, that almost the two heroes came to blows, in\ntheir hot discussion as to the possession of the Princess. However,\nmisfortune was finally averted by wise old Gudarz, who persuaded the\nrivals to refer the matter unto the King.\n\nSo behold! they led the Peri-faced maiden before Kaikous who, when he\ngazed upon her blooming cheeks, her smiling lips, and fascinating mien,\nsmiled, and bit his lip, saying unto Tus and Gew:\n\n\u201cO my Pehliva, I perceive that ye have brought back from the hunt but a\nsingle gazelle\u2014one, however, which, unless I mistake me, belongeth unto\na King\u2019s garden. As Queen of the moon-faced beauties of my palace,\ntherefore, shall she reign, for I perceive she is worthy to recline upon\ncushions of silver broidered with gold.\u201d\n\nNow, this unlooked-for decision of the King was as the essence of\nwormwood unto Tus and Gew. However, the Lord of the World sweetened the\nbitter cup by presenting unto each brave warrior a diadem, and ten\nsuperb horses. But upon the Princess he showered rubies and pearls, and\nin his heart she reigned as Queen of Queens.\n\n[Illustration: At evening they came unto a vast wood, reaching many\nleagues.]\n\nAnd behold! in the course of time there came to take up his abode in the\nKing\u2019s palace a splendid son, tall and fair and strong of limb. And the\nname that was given unto him was Siawush.\n\nNow Kaikous rejoiced greatly in this son of his race, and offered\ngrateful thanks unto Ormuzd the Blessed. But he was grieved, also,\nbecause of the message of the stars concerning him. For alas! the\nastrologers foretold for the infant a career of great vicissitude,\nending in sorrow. Neither would his virtues avail him aught, for these,\nabove all, would bring destruction upon him.\n\nBut Kaikous, who was of a sanguine disposition, soon allowed hope to\ndelude him into forgetting the inevitable, and so he thought of Siawush\nonly as a child of promise; while unto his beautiful young mother he was\nthe very joy of life.\n\nYea, and also unto another brave heart did Siawush cause joy. For\nbehold! when the news that a son had been born unto the Shah spread unto\nfar-away Seistan, Rustem the Mighty, aroused him from his sorrow for\nSohrab, and going up unto the Court, he asked for the babe that he might\nrear it for the glory of Iran. And Kaikous suffered it, feeling that a\ngreat honor had been done unto the child. So joyously Rustem bare\nSiawush back unto his kingdom.\n\nAnd fortunately for Iran, as time passed by, so absorbed became the\nGreat Pehliva in this child of his care, that once more he experienced\nthe joys of living. For, anxious that justice should be done unto the\nsurprising virtues of Siawush, Rustem himself taught his charge\nhorsemanship and archery; the use of arms, and how to hunt with the\nfalcon and the leopard; how to conduct himself at a banquet, and in\nfact, all the manners, duties and accomplishments of Kings, and the\nhardy chivalry of the age. His progress, too, in the attainment of every\nspecies of knowledge and science was surprising, for in this his soul\ndelighted. So, as the years passed by, this King\u2019s Son grew to be a\nyouth of such noble proportions, possessing a face so radiant with\nwinsomeness and intelligence that verily you would have said that the\nworld held not his like.\n\nNow when Siawush had become skilled and strong so that he could easily\nensnare a lion or a tiger, behold, one day he came unto Rustem bearing\nhigh his head. And he said:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Pehliva! single-handed have I this day ensnared and slain a\nmighty king of the forest. Is it not time, therefore, that we go up unto\nthe Shah, my father, that he may perceive what manner of man thou hast\nmade of me? Now truly I love Seistan, and thee, and thy dear father\u2014the\nWhite-haired Zal. But now I am no longer a child, and it appeareth unto\nme that out in the world there must be work for me to do.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem smiled, for the lad\u2019s words pleased him well. And, as his\nwishes accorded with his own plans for the Prince, almost at once they\nmarched with a mighty host unto Iran. Now when they were come unto the\nCourt, a royal welcome was accorded them, and so pleased was Kaikous\nwith his son that he rained upon Rustem jewels, and gold, and precious\nthings past the telling, and all the land rejoiced and gloried in\nSiawush, the noble heir unto the throne. Yea, and to celebrate his\nreturn, there was given a banquet such as the world hath not seen the\nlike, and behold! none were toasted save Siawush alone.\n\nBut unto the Prince, his return home brought no joy so great as that of\nbeing reunited with the beautiful young mother whom he not only\nresembled but also adored. But alas! his happiness was of short\nduration. For, in the midst of the festivities which celebrated his\nhomecoming, the fair young Queen fell suddenly ill and died.\n\nAlas! no words can describe the sorrow of the noble young Prince for his\nmother. For, unto the impressionable lad, who had lived his life thus\nfar principally as a warrior among men, the gentle presence of this\nlovely spirit exercised a wonderful charm. So, quickly had mother and\nson become inseparable, and this congenial companionship did much,\nthough unconsciously, to develop that strength and beauty of character\nwhich was the Queen\u2019s most precious legacy unto her son, and which\ncauses his name still to be loved and revered by all the Children of\nOrmuzd.\n\nBut not long was Siawush allowed to indulge his grief, for after the\ndays of mourning were over, for seven years longer was his education\ncontinued, under the tutorship of the wisest men in the land. Howbeit,\nin the eighth year, after that Kaikous had proved his spirit, he gave\nunto his son a throne and a crown. So all was well, and men forgot the\nevil message of the stars concerning Siawush. But alas! the day of ill\nfortune was now not far distant from the noble son of Kaikous.\n\nFor behold! Sudaveh, the wife of the Shah, having no son of her own,\nbecame jealous of Siawush, the noble heir to the throne. And, finding\nthat she could not by wile lure him into the paths of evil and\ndestruction, lo, she hated him\u2014though she tried to win his liking. But\nSiawush would not make friends with Sudaveh because he perceived that\nher thoughts were evil, and because enshrined in his heart was the\nmemory of his own fair mother who had taught him to value honor, and\npurity, and truth above all things in the world.\n\nSeeing, therefore, that she could neither win Siawush unto herself, nor\nyet make him love the wrong, behold, Sudaveh was very wroth, and\nunscrupulously she plotted his ruin. At first she complained unto the\nKing of Siawush, slandering his fair fame, thus trying to prejudice him\nagainst his son. Then she caused the most evil reports to be circulated\nthroughout the land damaging to the honor of the Prince. And finally,\nwhen the time was ripe, this wicked woman devised a plot against Siawush\nso deep and cunning that it was impossible for the King to decide as to\nthe guilt or innocence of his son. In his perplexity, therefore, after\nconsulting his Mubids, Kaikous decided to put Siawush to the ordeal of\nfire, in order to test his innocence.\n\nSo now it came to pass that the King caused dromedaries to be sent\nforth, even unto the borders of the land, to bring cords and cords of\nwood from the forests. And behold! when it was brought, there was reared\na mighty heap of logs, so that the eye could perceive it at a distance\nof two farsangs, and it was piled so that a narrow path ran through its\nmidst. And this being accomplished, the Shah next commanded that naphtha\nbe poured upon the wood and that it be lighted. And alas! so great was\nthe pyre in width and height that two hundred men were needed to kindle\nit, and lo! the flames and smoke overspread all the heavens, so that men\nshuddered with fear when they beheld the tongues of fire; and so great\nwas the heat thereof that it was felt in the far corners of the land.\n\nAnd presently, the preparations being all completed, Kaikous commanded\nSiawush, his son, that he ride into the midst of the burning pyres. So,\nattired in his golden helmet and white robe, and mounted upon a\ncoal-black charger, Siawush advanced unto Kaikous, saluting him. Then\nfearlessly he rode forward, commending his soul unto the Almighty. Now\nas he entered upon the fiery path, a great cry of sorrow arose from all\nthe people, for they loved their brave young Prince, and they dreamed\nnot that any man could come forth alive from such a fiery furnace.\nTherefore they murmured against Kaikous, as did all his nobles, for\ntheir hearts were filled with wrath against the King for permitting this\nwicked deed. So, for long minutes, naught was heard but the angry murmur\nof the people and the fierce cackle of the hungry flames.\n\nBut, though all of Iran grieved, one there was of the King\u2019s own\nhousehold who exulted in this terrible scene. For, when the wicked\nSudaveh saw from her windows the fierce flames that struggled to mount\nunto heaven, she came forth upon the roof of her house. And alas! so\ngiven over unto evil was she, that when she beheld Siawush leap so\nbravely into the fiery depths, she danced and clapped her hands, praying\nunto the Wicked One, and whispering fierce incantations and charms that\nshould cause destruction unto the Hero.\n\nBut behold! with soul uplifted unto Ormuzd, undaunted, Siawush rode\nboldly through the fiery flames, his white robes and ebon steed being\nplainly visible unto all. Yea, fearlessly he rode, hasting not at all,\nbut pressing steadily forward, until he was come unto the end of the\npathway. And having come forth, lo, there was not singed so much as a\nhair of his head, neither had the smoke blackened his garments.\n\nThen, realizing that it had been vouchsafed unto him to come through the\ntest safely, involuntarily Siawush raised his eyes unto the starry sky\nin thanksgiving unto Ormuzd the Blessed. And lo! floating above the\ngreat burning pyres, which were now throwing out a tremendous heat, he\nbeheld two white-robed figures. And lo, one was Serosch, the Angel of\nPity, and the other his fair young mother. Now beholding this vision,\nyearningly the young Prince stretched forth his arms, for suddenly the\nearth had grown hateful unto him. But even as he gazed, the figures\nvanished, and the world seemed chill and cold in spite of the blazing\nfire.\n\nThe heart of Siawush was soon warmed, however, for when the people\nbeheld that their noble young Prince was come forth alive, they rent the\nair with their shouts of joy. And Kaikous, seeing that the fire had not\ntouched his son, knew indeed that Siawush was pure of heart. So he\nraised him from the ground, placing him beside him upon the throne, and\nasking forgiveness for his evil doubts. Then in his joy Kaikous feasted\nSiawush for three days. On the fourth day, however, the King mounted\nupon the throne of light, commanding that Sudaveh, his much-loved wife,\nbe brought before him. And behold! when she was come into his presence,\nKaikous reproached her for her evil deeds, bidding her make ready to\ndepart the world, since death was to be the penalty of her misdeeds.\n\nBut Sudaveh, who knew her power over the King, pleaded eloquently for\nher life, asserting that Siawush had escaped, not because of his\ninnocence, but by the power of magic. Nevertheless, the King, hardening\nhis heart, gave orders that she be led forth unto death; and all the\nnobles approved the decision, for they knew that the woman was powerful\nfor evil. But now Siawush, being chivalrous and generous of heart,\npleaded for Sudaveh\u2019s life, for he knew that her death would be a great\nsorrow unto the King. So, the boon being granted, once more this wicked\nwoman was in a position to work mischief, and this she did right\nspeedily.\n\nFor lo, it is chronicled that about this time Afrasiab again invaded\nPersia with a mighty host, thinking to gain possession of the land.\nWhereupon, Kaikous, greatly angered because the Tartar had broken his\ncovenant, quickly made ready his army to oppose him. Then Siawush,\nhearing that the King himself expected to lead forth the men of Iran,\nhaving sought audience with his father, asked it as his right that he be\npermitted to lead forth the host.\n\nSo, permission being granted, Siawush set about preparing himself and\nhis men for the coming campaign. But, as he was inexperienced in war,\nand his foe was wily and powerful, swift messengers were sent unto\nRustem, bidding him go forth to battle with his charge, to guard and aid\nhim with his experience. And Rustem, whose heart leaped once more at the\nthought of battle, answering, said:\n\n\u201cO King of Kings! Verily thy noble son Siawush is unto me the light of\nmy eyes and the joy of my soul, for it seemeth unto me that in him\nSohrab yet liveth. Therefore will I go forth once more unto battle.\u201d\n\nSo the trumpets of war were sounded, and the two Mighty Ones led forth\nthe host to meet the enemy. And behold! when the two armies encountered\neach other upon the field of battle, Siawush fought so bravely that even\nRustem was amazed, for his had seemed to be the gentler and nobler\nvirtues. Yea, and inspired by their noble young leader, so valiantly did\nthe men of Iran fight, that after three fiercely-contested battles, the\nPersians finally succeeded in shutting up the enemy in Balkh, the\ncapital of Afrasiab.\n\nNow when the news of this calamity was carried unto the King of the\nTartars, he was seized with the utmost terror, which was increased by a\nfrightful dream which visited his slumbers. Yea, so terrible was it,\nthat Gersiwaz, the King\u2019s brother, found the brave Afrasiab lying upon\nthe floor of his chamber, roaring in agony of spirit, and shouting like\na man bereft of reason. And alas! even when he finally recovered his\nwits, still did he continue to tremble with terror and fright, for he\nfeared that his hour was come. Nor did the Mubids give him comfort, for\nthey revealed unto the King that Siawush would bring destruction upon\nTuran, hearing which, Afrasiab said unto Gersiwaz:\n\n\u201cO my brother! Never shall I recover from the horror of my dream. But\nsurely if I cease from warring against Siawush, disaster will be\navoided. It behooveth me, therefore, to send unto this powerful young\nPrince, silver, and jewels, and rich gifts, that thus we may bind up\nwith gold the eye of war.\u201d\n\nSo the King bade his brother take from the royal treasury, gold and\njewels of price to bear unto the camp of Siawush, together with a\nmessage, saying:\n\n\u201cO Prince of a Noble House! Verily, since the days of Selim and Tus,\nwhen Irij was slain unjustly, hath the world been disturbed by our wars.\nNow, once for all, let us forget these things, that peace may reign once\nmore in the world.\u201d\n\nBehold, upon the receipt of this message, a secret council was held as\nto the answer that should be given, for Rustem trusted not the words of\nAfrasiab. After long deliberation, therefore, Siawush replied unto the\nmessenger:\n\n\u201cO Prince of the Land of Turan! Behold, we have pondered thy message\nwell, and have decided to grant unto Afrasiab his desire. Yet, since it\nbehooveth us to know that poison be not hidden under the words of thy\nbrother, we demand: First, one hundred distinguished heroes, allied unto\nAfrasiab by blood, that we may guard them as a pledge of the royal\nwords; and second, the restoration of all the provinces which the\nTuranians have taken from Iran.\u201d\n\nAlas! though Afrasiab was loath to send the hostages, yet dared he not\nrefuse, fearing that in that case the evil foretold would surely fall\nupon him. So choosing out from among the army the required number of his\nkinsmen, he sent them unto Siawush. And the negotiations being thus\nconcluded, Rustem hastened to bear the tidings unto Kaikous.\n\nBut behold! when the King of Kings learned that a treaty of peace had\nbeen concluded, he was angry, for already had rumor informed him of\nAfrasiab\u2019s dream, and of the interpretation put upon it, by the\nastrologers. In his wrath, therefore, he declared that Siawush had\nbehaved like an infant, and he also heaped reproaches upon Rustem, whose\ncounsels, he said, were those of an old man who had lost his courage.\nAnd finally he commanded Rustem that he return right speedily unto\nBalkh, bearing unto Siawush the message that he should destroy the\nhostages of Turan utterly; that he should again fall upon Afrasiab; nor\ncease from fighting until he had wiped from the earth both the King and\nhis army.\n\nNow unto these foolish words, Rustem replied:\n\n\u201cO King of Iran! Beware how thou sowest the seeds of evil, lest they\nbring forth fruit bitter unto thy taste. For, verily I say unto thee\nthat Siawush will not break his oath unto Afrasiab; neither will he\ndestroy the men of Turan delivered into his hands\u2014for so is he not made!\nNay, sooner would he die a thousand deaths of torture than so dishonor\nhis manhood.\u201d\n\nBut alas! This noble tribute unto his son only fanned the fierce flame\nof anger that burned in the heart of Kaikous. So he upbraided Rustem yet\nmore, saying unto him that but for his evil counsel the young Prince\nwould not have swerved from the path of victory. Yea, and he taunted\nRustem for his loss of vigor, bidding him go back unto Seistan, that\nrefuge for old men, since Tus the Valiant should go forth as Pehliva in\nhis stead.\n\nNow at these unjust reproaches, Rustem\u2019s anger burst forth, so that once\nmore he threw into the teeth of the Shah his deeds of folly, telling him\nnot to send for him when again he put his hand into the lion\u2019s mouth.\nAnd so saying, he turned his back upon the Court, thinking never to\nvisit it again.\n\nSo thus it came to pass that Tus went forth unto the army in place of\nRustem, and behold! he carried with him strict orders unto Siawush that\nthe hostages should be bound and sent unto Kaikous for execution. But\nSiawush, being a Prince of the highest purity and honor, could not be a\nparty unto any such disgraceful deed. For he said:\n\n\u201cHow, alas, can I appear before Ormuzd the Blessed if I depart from mine\noath? even if it be at the command of my father who is the Lord of the\nWorld.\u201d\n\nYet well Siawush knew that if he disobeyed the royal mandate of his\nfather it was well-nigh certain that his life would pay the penalty; for\nhe needed not to be told whose tongue it was that had poisoned the\nKing\u2019s ear and instigated him in his evil course. After much thought,\ntherefore, the Prince finally decided that he himself would return the\nhostages safe unto Afrasiab, and then abandon his country and the\nprospects of a throne, since only thus could he preserve his honor, and\nprevent his father from becoming a murderer.\n\nSo, having reached this decision, Siawush sent Zengueh unto Afrasiab\nwith the hostages and all the gold and jewels that had been sent unto\nhim, together with a letter wherein was written how that discord had\nsprouted out of their peace, and how that he was resolved to remain true\nunto their treaty, in spite of his father\u2019s commands to the contrary.\nAnd finally he petitioned that Afrasiab would allow him to pass through\nhis dominions that he might hide himself wheresoever God desired. For he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cVerily, I shall seek out a spot far distant where my name shall be lost\nunto Kaikous, and where I may not hear of his woful deeds.\u201d\n\nNow when Afrasiab received this letter he was amazed, for such nobility\nof soul was unknown unto the wily Tartar. But he was also troubled in\nhis spirit, for he knew not what to do. Therefore, he called unto him\nhis great general, aged Piran-Wisa, taking counsel how he should act.\nAnd Piran said:\n\n\u201cO Mighty King! Truly there is but one course open unto thee. Now, I am\nan old man, and have drunk deep at the fountain of life, but I say unto\nthee that never yet have I witnessed such honor and nobility in a\nPrince. Wherefore, I counsel thee, receive him within thy courts, and\ngive unto him thy daughter in marriage, and let him be unto thee as a\nson. For, verily when Kaikous is gathered unto his fathers, then will\nSiawush mount unto the throne of Iran, and thus may the old hate be\nquenched in love.\u201d\n\nSo spake good, old Piran, and Afrasiab, knowing that wisdom lurked in\nhis words, at once sent unto Siawush, offering him a home in his land.\nAnd he said:\n\n\u201cO noble Prince! Since I perceive that the windows of thy soul are ever\nopen unto the sun, if thou comest to dwell among us never will I demand\nof thee aught that is evil; neither shall suspicion against thee ever\nenter my breast. Come, then, and if thy choice be retirement and\ntranquillity, thou shalt have allotted unto thee a peaceful and\nindependent province.\u201d\n\nNow Siawush, when he read Afrasiab\u2019s letter, was relieved, and yet was\nhe also troubled. For his heart was sore because that he was forced to\nmake a friend of the foe of his country. But alas! he saw no way by\nwhich it could be altered.\n\nSo, after despatching a touching letter unto his father, Siawush set out\nwith his cortege, and rode until he reached the frontier. Now there he\nfound chieftains and warriors and servants ready to escort him; and when\nhe was well over the boundary, the great Piran-Wisa himself came forth\nto greet him. And lo! there followed after him a train of white\nelephants, richly caparisoned, and laden with gifts, which the great\ngeneral poured before Siawush to give him welcome. Yea; and every town\nupon the road to the capital was decorated, and the people hailed\nSiawush as if he were their own Prince returned unto them victorious.\n\nAnd behold! when they were finally come unto the capital, Afrasiab\nhimself stepped down from off his throne to give welcome unto Siawush,\nand much he marvelled at the beauty and strength of the Prince, his\nheart going out unto him in real admiration and love. So, embracing him,\nand calling down blessings upon his head, Afrasiab seated him at his\nside upon the throne. Then, turning unto Piran-Wisa, he said:\n\n\u201cTruly Kaikous is a man devoid of sense, else never would he suffer a\nson like unto this to depart from out his sight.\u201d\n\nNow Afrasiab could not cease from gazing upon Siawush, so truly noble\nand winning was he, and in his delight he showered upon him gold and\njewels and precious treasure past the counting. And he gave unto him,\ntoo, a beautiful palace, and horses and servants such as only a Prince\ncould have. And not only this, but he also prepared for his guest a\nroyal feast which lasted many days. And lo! Siawush was exalted above\neven the nobles of the land. And in the great tournament which ended the\nwelcoming festivities, in all the games of skill Siawush showed a\nprowess that was great beyond all the warriors of Turan. Yet were they\nnot jealous, but only admiring.\n\nBut though Siawush won admiration and love from all sources, unto\nAfrasiab, even in this short time, he had become the light of his eyes\nand the joy of his soul. So the Prince abode in the court of the King\nmany days, for in gladness or sorrow, in gayety or sadness, the\ninfatuated monarch would have none other about him. And in this wise\nthere rolled twelve moons over their heads. Then Piran-Wisa said unto\nSiawush:\n\n\u201cO noble Prince! Behold, thy home is now in Turan, and if Afrasiab be\nmade now thy father in truth as he is really in affection, then can no\nhurt come unto thee. Ask of him, therefore, the hand of his daughter in\nmarriage, for thus canst thou secure thyself, and if peradventure, a son\nbe born unto thee, then will he bind up forever the enmity between the\ntwo lands.\u201d\n\nSo Siawush asked the hand of Ferangis of her father, and Afrasiab gave\nit unto him with great joy. Now he also prepared a mighty feast for the\nbridal, pouring upon his new son gifts past the telling. Yea, and he\nalso bestowed upon him a kingdom and a throne. And alas! when at last\nthe King suffered his favorite to go forth unto his realm, the sunshine\nof the Court seemed to go with him, so gray were the days unto Afrasiab.\n\nBut Siawush was happy in his new life, for though so gallant and brave\nwhen occasion demanded, yet at heart was he not really a warrior, but\none of the heroes of progress, as he now proceeded to show. For behold!\nin the midst of his province he builded himself a city, making of it a\nplace of beauty such as the world hath not seen.\n\nNow it was builded upon a mountain, and was surrounded by scenery of\nexquisite richness and variety. The trees were thick, and ever fresh and\ngreen; birds warbled upon every spray; and transparent rivulets murmured\nthrough the meadows; while the air was neither oppressively hot in\nsummer nor cold in winter, for every breeze was laden with invigorating\nfreshness and with perfume such as could only have been wafted from the\nfair Gardens of Paradise. Now it was in the midst of all this natural\nbeauty that the followers of Siawush builded them homes, while he\nerected for himself a glorious palace, and garden temples, in which he\nhad painted portraits of all the heroes and kings of his age. Yea, and\nhe caused to be constructed a great open space wherein men might rejoice\nin the game of ball.\n\nAnd Siawush was glad in his city, as were all those around him, and the\nearth was happier for his presence. Yea, and not a cloud was there in\nthe heaven of his life. But when the gallant young Prince, happy in his\nlovely young wife and his beautiful home, inquired of the astrologers\nwhether this city was destined to add to his happiness, they replied\nthat it would bring unto him ill fortune and sorrow. Now Siawush was\nsaddened by this reply, but as time passed by and no evil befell, like a\nwise man he put away the thought and rejoiced in the time that was.\n\nBut alas! Not long was Siawush to rejoice in a happy present; and\nbehold! his evil nemesis was Gersiwaz, the King\u2019s brother, who was\njealous of the love which Afrasiab bare unto the Prince, and of the\npower and glory that were his. So pondering in his heart how he might\ndestroy this mote in his sunshine, one day Gersiwaz presented himself\nbefore Afrasiab, praying the King that he would suffer him to go forth\nand visit the city that Siawush had builded, whereof the mouths of men\nran over in praises. And Afrasiab granted his request, bidding him bear\ngifts and words of love unto Siawush his son.\n\nSo Gersiwaz sped him forth, and Siawush, who suspected no evil, received\nhim graciously, feasting him many days in his palace. And in order that\ndue honor should be paid unto the brother of the King, a series of\nathletic games were arranged for. But alas! the amazing strength and\nskill displayed by Siawush on these occasions, together with the\nsplendor by which he was surrounded, fanned into a devouring flame the\nsmouldering envy and hate of the King\u2019s brother.\n\nUpon his return to the Court, therefore, Gersiwaz insidiously poisoned\nthe mind of Afrasiab by false tales, in which he actually accused\nSiawush of plotting to bring a Persian army into Turan. Yea, and he\nreminded the King of his dream, thus working upon his fear. And alas!\nthough at first receiving these stories with hesitation, Afrasiab\nfinally became furious against his gentle guest, proceeding against him\nwith an army.\n\nNow a terrible dream had forewarned Siawush that his doom was at hand.\nNevertheless, he entertained not the slightest thought of trying to\nresist the King. When informed of his approach, therefore, after bidding\na touching farewell unto his lovely young wife Ferangis, Siawush went\nforth to welcome Afrasiab unto the cool bowers of his charming city.\n\nBut alas! So infuriated had Afrasiab become by the insinuations of his\nbrother, that without waiting to confer and learn the truth, also\nwithout warning, he hurled his army upon the escort of Siawush, and all\nwere cut to pieces. But not even then did Siawush deign to defend\nhimself. For had he not taken oath never to raise his sword against\nAfrasiab or Turan? Conscious of his innocence, therefore, he preferred\nto die rather than give color unto the slander of his enemies by raising\nhis hand against his royal host and the father of his bride.\n\nSeized by a thousand cruel hands, therefore, the noble Prince was bound\nand thrown into a dungeon of his own palace. Then, by Afrasiab\u2019s orders,\nhe was dragged from thence by the hair of his head unto a desert place,\nwhere the sword of Gersiwaz was planted in his breast. And alas! quickly\nthen the executioner severed the royal head, taking care that the blood\nstain not the earth, lest it cry aloud for vengeance, for so had\ncommanded fear-stricken Afrasiab.\n\nBut alas! in spite of the care taken, a drop of blood escaped the golden\nbowl and was spilt upon the ground. And lo! from the spot, as though by\nmagic, there sprouted and sprang up a wondrous tree, whose bright red\nberries each appeared like unto a miniature sword. Now all were amazed\nand affrighted when they beheld this wonder, and quickly they hastened\nfrom the spot. For they feared the vengeance of Heaven, knowing their\ndeed to be evil.\n\nNow when the news of this atrocious deed was spread abroad, behold, a\nmighty clamor arose in the house of Siawush, the cries of Ferangis\npiercing even unto the ears of Afrasiab in his far-away pavilion. Then\nthe King, angry that his child should sorrow thus for her lord,\ncommanded that she, too, be slain.\n\nAnd alas! this certainly would have happened but for the timely\nintervention of good old Piran-Wisa, who, hearing of the tragic end of\nSiawush, and of the fate that awaited Ferangis, quickly saddled his\nswiftest steed with his own hands, and dashed madly over hill and\nvalley, pausing neither to eat nor sleep until he drew rein before the\npavilion of King Afrasiab.\n\nThen with noble courage the old man strode into the presence of the\ncruel King, and, upbraiding him for his perfidy, foretold a certain\nretribution when Kaikous and Rustem should learn of the treatment\nawarded unto the pure and high-minded Siawush. Yea, and he pleaded in\nlofty terms also for the life of Ferangis, saying:\n\n\u201cO thou who art more heartless than the fierce beasts of prey, wouldst\nthou really lift up thine hand against thine own offspring? Hast thou\nnot done enough that is evil? Shed not, therefore, the blood of yet\nanother innocent, for truly the day will come when thou shalt pay with\nthine own heart\u2019s blood. Now, if Ferangis be hateful unto thee because\nof Siawush, I pray thee confide her unto me, that she may be unto me a\ndaughter in my house, and I will guard her well from sorrow.\u201d\n\nNow hearing these words of warning, Afrasiab was filled with remorse for\nhis evil deed. So, releasing his daughter from her chains, he gave her\ninto the care of Piran, who bore her unto his home beyond the mountains.\n\nThen Afrasiab returned speedily unto the Court, for the city of Siawush,\nin spite of its entrancing beauty, had become hateful unto him. And\nbehold! from this time forth, a great fear gnawed persistently at his\nvitals, allowing him neither rest nor sleep, and ever before him he saw\nthe pure face of the cruelly murdered Siawush.\n\nSo lived and died this noble Prince of the land of Iran whose tragic\nfate yet moveth the Children of Ormuzd to tears, even unto this day. But\nof the vengeance that was accorded him you must hear in another story.\n\n\n\n\n                           RUSTEM THE AVENGER\n\n\nLo, in the Book of the Shahs it is written, that when the tidings of the\ncruel death of Siawush pierced unto the land of Iran, behold, throughout\nthe length and breadth of the King\u2019s dominions there was raised unto\nheaven such a mighty wailing that even the nightingale in the cypress\nwas silent of her song, and the leaves of the pomegranate-trees in the\nforest were withered for sorrow.\n\nAs for the mighty Rustem, when he learned of the tragic fate of the\nPrince so dear unto him, he was bowed to the earth with agony, so that\nfor seven days he stirred not from the ground, neither would have aught\nof food or comfort. But on the eighth day he roused himself from the\nearth, causing the trumpets of brass to be sounded in the air. And\nbehold! when he had assembled all his brave warriors, he marched with\nthem unto Iran, where, appearing before the Shah, he demanded audience.\n\nNow when Rustem was come into the presence-chamber, he beheld the King\nof Kings seated upon his throne, and lo! he was clothed in dust from his\nhead unto his feet, because of his grief. Yea; and all the heroes that\nstood about the throne were clad in garbs of woe, bearing dust upon\ntheir heads instead of helmets. But Rustem was not moved by the grief of\nthe Shah, for he remembered but too well who had driven Siawush forth\nunto his doom. So pitilessly he said unto Kaikous:\n\n\u201cO King of Evil Nature! Verily it must be bitter unto thee to know that\nwith thine own hand thou hast felled the noble young cypress of thy\nhouse, which might have grown and cast a glorious shadow over Iran. Alas\nfor Siawush, so noble and yet so treacherously slain! But dearly shall\nhis murderers pay; and lo! vengeance beginneth at the King\u2019s palace.\nNay, tremble not, for, being the King, thou art safe from my sword. But\nas for that wicked sorceress who poisoned thy mind with her charms, now\nshe must die; and verily all Iran will glory in her death. And now hear\nme, O King, and ye heroes of Iran, for I swear unto thee that henceforth\nI will know neither rest nor joy until the atrocious death of Siawush be\nfully avenged. Let his murderers beware, therefore, for behold! Rustem\nis upon their track.\u201d\n\nNow having thus unveiled his heart, Rustem strode disdainfully from out\nthe presence of the King, hastening at once unto the palace of Sudaveh,\nwho had given over Siawush unto death. And behold! the Hero found this\ncharming sorceress sitting upon a golden throne, in a bower that\nrivalled paradise in beauty, with a coronet upon her head and her hair\nfloating around her in long musky ringlets.\n\nBut as Rustem beheld all this luxury and splendor, and thought of\nSiawush abandoned unto the foes of his land, because of this wicked\nwoman, all compunction left him. Tearing her from her gorgeous throne,\ntherefore, quickly did he rid the world of this source of evil; nor did\nhe feel pity or regret when he saw her dead at his feet. For he\nremembered how Siawush had pleaded for her life and how his generosity\nand nobility had been rewarded.\n\nAnd behold! having thus purged the earth of a part of its wickedness,\nRustem strode forth into the pure air of heaven, fearing naught. For\nthough well he knew that the heart of Kaikous would be torn with anguish\nwhen he learned of the death of Sudaveh, yet would he not dare to oppose\nhimself unto his great Pehliva in his wrath.\n\nSo, the hand of vengeance being stretched forth, Rustem now directed his\ncourse toward Turan, saying unto his heroes:\n\n\u201cVerily, this accursed land shall tremble before my mace as the earth\nupon the day of judgment, and Afrasiab, the black-hearted, shall cry for\nthe rocks to hide him from my anger, which burneth ever fiercer.\u201d\n\nThus spake Rustem, and paused not in his forced march until he was come\nface to face with the forces of Afrasiab. Now the King having learned\nthat a great army was coming out of Iran to avenge the death of Siawush,\nhad sent forth Sarkha, the best-beloved, and the bravest of his sons, to\noppose the invaders, begging him, however, to have a care that Rustem,\nthe son of Zal, put not his life in danger.\n\nNow when the two armies beheld one another, lo, their hate burst forth,\nand the battle raged sore. And alas for Afrasiab! for in the midst of\nthe conflict Sarkha fell into the hands of Rustem, who spared him not,\nbut delivered him over unto the same death as that of Siawush, knowing\nthat thus would the heart of Afrasiab be torn with anguish.\n\nAnd now the frenzied King of Turan, having received the golden dish\ncontaining the blood of his son, and beheld his severed head suspended\nfrom the gates of his palace, hastened himself to resist the conquering\ncareer of the enemy. And behold! this new force having come nigh unto\nRustem, it came to pass that Pilsam, that was brother unto Piran-Wisa, a\nwarrior valiant and true, begged permission to oppose his single arm\nagainst the Mighty Rustem. To which Afrasiab said:\n\n\u201cO Valiant One, subdue Rustem, and thy reward shall be my daughter and\nhalf my kingdom.\u201d\n\nSo, though Piran tried to dissuade Pilsam from the unequal contest, yet\nwent he forth and summoned Rustem to fight. But behold! hearing the\ncall, Gew accepted the challenge himself, Rustem being at a distance.\nThen long they fought, but so superior was the activity and skill of the\nTartar that almost Gew was thrown from his horse. Luckily, however,\nFeramurz saw him at the perilous moment, and darting forward, with one\nstroke of his sword he shattered Pilsam\u2019s javelin to pieces. So now\nPilsam and Feramurz fought together with such desperation that presently\nboth Heroes were exhausted. But at this moment Rustem, perceiving the\ncombat, pushed Rakush forward, calling aloud unto Pilsam:\n\n\u201cHo, Puny Tartar! I am told that thou desirest to try thy strength with\nRustem. Behold! he hath come in answer to thy call.\u201d\n\nNow when Pilsam gazed upon the mighty warrior, wrapped about with anger,\nhe was afraid. Nevertheless, he proceeded to encounter him, striking\nwith all his might at the head of the champion. But though the sword of\nthe Hero was broken by the blow, not a hair of Rustem\u2019s head was\ndisordered. Waiting not for a renewal of the attack, however, Rustem now\nfell upon the Tartar with fury, lifting him lightly and easily from the\nsaddle. Then taking him by the girdle, he flung him, as a thing\ncontemptible, into the Tartar camp, shouting in a voice of thunder:\n\n\u201cHo, black-hearted King! Here cometh thy glorious conqueror. Pray, wrap\nhim in robes of gold, for I fear that my mace hath made him blue. And\ngive unto him now thy daughter and thy treasure, thy kingdom and thy\nsoldiers, for is he not, indeed, a bright jewel in thy crown of\nsovereignty? And hath he not added lustre unto Turan, the land of mighty\nheroes?\u201d\n\nSo spake Rustem in his anger, and so terrible was he that suddenly the\ncourage of the Tartars all departed from out them. Neither could\nAfrasiab incite them to fresh endeavor, though he strove mightily; for\nlo! the fear of Rustem the Avenger had taken full possession of their\nhearts.\n\nThen Afrasiab, shamed by Rustem\u2019s taunts, himself appeared in arms\nagainst the champion, and fiercely they fought for hours. Finally,\nhowever, Rustem struck the head of Afrasiab\u2019s horse which, floundering,\nfell, over-turning his rider. Then, quick as a flash, the great Persian\nsprang to seize his royal prize and wreak a perfect vengeance. But alas!\nthe Tartar, Human, rushed between and saved his master, who, vaulting\nupon another horse, fled, murmuring unto himself:\n\n\u201cAlas! alas! The good fortune which hitherto hath watched over me is\nasleep.\u201d\n\nNow thus it was that Afrasiab became a wretched wanderer upon the face\nof the earth. For behold! not only did Rustem utterly demolish his\ncapital, but he paused not in his work of destruction until the whole\nland was laid waste. And yet was the vengeance of Siawush not complete.\n\n\n\n\n               HOW GEW HELPED A HERO-PRINCE UNTO A THRONE\n\n\nBehold! it is chronicled that after the death of Siawush there was born\nunto Ferangis, in the house of Piran-Wisa, a son so attractive of mien\nthat already in his cradle he was like unto a King.\n\nNow evil counselors bade Afrasiab destroy this Prince, who, according to\nthe astrologers, was destined to bring destruction upon Turan. But the\nKing, whose heart had been softened by his sorrow for Siawush and by the\neloquent pleading of Piran-Wisa for the life of the child, shut his ears\nunto them, saying:\n\n\u201cVerily, I repent me of my evil deed unto Siawush, and though it be\nwritten that much evil shall come unto me from this offspring of his\nrace, yet will I not again stain my hands with the blood of any of his\nhouse. Let the babe live, therefore, but let him be brought up among\nshepherds in the mountains, far from the haunts of men, and let his\nbirth be hidden from him, that he may never seek to avenge the cruel\ndeath of his sire. So may all yet be well.\u201d\n\nSo, rejoicing that the Prince was to be spared, quickly Piran hastened\nto hide him in the mountains, before Afrasiab should repent him of his\nclemency, for well he knew the King\u2019s fickleness of humor. Now the old\nman gave the little Prince unto shepherds of the flock, bound unto him\nby ties of gratitude, saying:\n\n\u201cO Men of Peace! Behold, I give unto you a glorious charge, and I say\nunto you, guard this child even as your own souls, letting neither rain\nnor dust come nigh unto him, for verily he is precious in the sight of\nOrmuzd the Blessed.\u201d\n\nThus it came to pass that no man knew of the whereabouts of the young\nPrince\u2014nay, not even Ferangis, his mother, for thus only could he be\nsafe from Afrasiab. But alas! the thought of his charge caused Piran\nmany an anxious hour, for greatly he feared that strife and disaster\nwould come unto Turan through him, yet on account of the promise of\nprotection given unto Siawush, his friend, whom he had led to put his\ntrust in Afrasiab, he felt bound in honor to preserve the child at any\ncost.\n\nNow when some time had passed, the shepherds came unto their patron, the\ngreat Piran-Wisa, saying:\n\n\u201cVerily, Sire, no longer can we restrain the bold young eagle that thou\nhast placed in our mountain eyrie, for behold! he ever seeketh to fly\nunto the sun.\u201d\n\nSo, hearing this report, Piran returned with the shepherds to visit\nKaiKhosrau, for so was the young Prince named. And lo! when he looked\nupon him, beholding his beauty, and strength, and winsomeness, his heart\nwent out to him as unto a son, and he pressed him unto his bosom with\ntenderness. Then was KaiKhosrau surprised, and he said unto the\nwhite-haired, stately old warrior:\n\n\u201cO Stately Poplar, that bearest high thy head! Art thou not ashamed to\npress unto thee the son of a shepherd?\u201d\n\nThen Piran, who was carried out of himself by the wondrous promise of\nthe boy, stopping not to ponder his words, cried out in admiration:\n\n\u201cO Heir of Kings! Would that thy father could see thee now! How his\nheart would rejoice in a son so truly royal!\u201d\n\nThus spake Piran in his admiration, and having betrayed in part the\nsecret, he now related unto KaiKhosrau the story of Siawush his sire,\nand, having done so, he bare him back with him unto his mother. Then was\nthe Prince clad in robes befitting his station, and from this time forth\nhe was reared in the bosom of Piran, and of Ferangis, his mother, the\ndays rolling above their heads in happiness and peace.\n\nBut alas! so could it not ever be, for again was Afrasiab having bad\ndreams. So shortly it came to pass that a messenger was sent in great\nhaste to summon Piran-Wisa unto the Court. Then Afrasiab said:\n\n\u201cO venerable Chieftain, I have called thee into my presence because of\nthe disquiet of my heart on account of KaiKhosrau, the child of Siawush.\nFor lo! in my dreams I have beheld that he will do much evil unto Turan,\non account of which, I repent me of my weakness which kept him alive.\nBring him before me, therefore, that I may avert by his death the\navalanche of calamity which threateneth.\u201d\n\nNow when Piran heard these words he was filled with dismay. But,\nsmiling, he said unto Afrasiab:\n\n\u201cO Mighty King! Verily it grieveth me that thou shouldst have been\ncaused one minute\u2019s pain on account of this Prince, who, though blessed\nwith a face like unto that of a Peri, yet carrieth upon his shoulders a\nhead ill-fitted to bear a crown, since it is empty of reason. Commit,\ntherefore, no violence, but suffer that this innocent one, devoid of\nwit, continue to dwell harmlessly among the flocks.\u201d\n\nSo spake the great Piran, and Afrasiab felt the burden of his heart\nlighten as he listened unto these reassuring words. Yet he said:\n\n\u201cO Venerable One! Truly thy words are as a comforting shadow in the\nburning desert. Nevertheless, I say unto thee, bring this KaiKhosrau\nbefore me that I may behold with my own eyes his simplicity.\u201d\n\nAnd behold! Piran assented unto the King\u2019s request, for he dared not do\notherwise. So, returning unto his house, he sought out the young Prince,\ninstructing him how he should act. Then, arrayed in princely garb,\nKaiKhosrau was conducted unto the Court, mounted upon a goodly charger,\nand surrounded by his retinue.\n\nNow all the people shouted with delight when they beheld the beauty and\nkingly mien of the young Prince, even Afrasiab being struck with wonder,\nas he gazed at his limbs of power. Yea, so fearful was he that he found\nit hard, indeed, to remember the promise he had given unto Piran\u2014that no\nhair of the boy\u2019s head should be harmed. But relief was at hand. For\nwhen the King began to question, so well did KaiKhosrau act his part,\nthat once again was he reassured. Now Afrasiab said:\n\n\u201cYoung Shepherd! How knowest thou the day from the night? What doest\nthou with thy flocks? And how countest thou thy sheep and thy goats?\u201d\n\nThen KaiKhosrau, smiling simply into the face of the King, replied:\n\n\u201cThe forests are void of game, and I have neither bow nor arrows. But\nbehold my sunny crown and my golden girdle!\u2014only, they are not for\nthee!\u201d\n\nNow the King smiled at this reply, and once more he questioned, this\ntime as to the milk given by the flocks.\n\nBut KaiKhosrau, shaking his head sadly, replied:\n\n\u201cThe tiger-cats are black\u2014black as thy beard! and verily they are not\ngood for playmates, for they have prickly paws.\u201d\n\nThen Afrasiab put yet a third question, saying:\n\n\u201cO noble youth! What is the name of thy father?\u201d\n\nBut KaiKhosrau, frowning, said:\n\n\u201cThe dog ventureth not to bark when a lion threateneth. But alas! there\nare no lions now.\u201d\n\nThen Afrasiab, questioning yet again, said:\n\n\u201cO Valorous Youth, desirest thou not to go forth unto the land of Iran\nthat thou mayest be avenged of thy foes?\u201d\n\nBut KaiKhosrau, winking drolly at the King, replied:\n\n\u201cWhen the leopard danceth, then a strange piper playeth the tune: \u2018Ha!\nHa! Ho! Ho! Prince KaiKhosrau hath no foe.\u2019\u201d\n\nThus spake the cunning Prince, and Afrasiab, satisfied with his answers,\nquestioned him no more, but said unto Piran-Wisa:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One! Restore this boy unto his mother, and let him be reared\nwith kindness in the city that Siawush hath builded, for I perceive that\nfrom him can no harm alight upon Turan.\u201d\n\nSo, permission being given, quickly Piran hastened to remove KaiKhosrau\nfrom the Court, thanking God for the danger safely passed through. And\nbehold! in the city of Siawush, Ferangis spake often unto her son of his\nnoble sire, and of the heroes of Iran, his father\u2019s land; so that\nfinally his heart burned, not only with the desire for the vengeance due\nunto Siawush from his son, but also that he might perform deeds worthy\nhis glorious ancestry.\n\nSo the days and the moons rolled by until the army of Rustem invaded\nTuran. Then, by the advice of Piran-Wisa, the young Prince and his\nmother were led forth and securely hidden in the land of far Cathay,\nwhere they remained for seven long years, while Turan was given over\nunto the ravages of its foes. But behold! in the eighth year Rustem and\nhis heroes were summoned by the Shah to return unto Iran, thus giving\nunto that cunning fox, Afrasiab, a chance to creep forth from his\nhiding-place.\n\nNow the King wept sore when he beheld the havoc wrought upon Turan by\nRustem and his heroes, and, gathering together a mighty army, he fell\nupon Iran with such fury that none could stand before him. Yea, so\nbitter was his hate that he suffered not repose to seal his eyelids\nuntil he had shattered the Persian host and scathed the land with fire\nand sword. For alas! good fortune now turned her face away from Iran;\nneither would Rustem come forth unto her aid, since Kaikous the foolish\nhad again aroused his anger.\n\nBut behold! at this crisis, it came to pass that Gudarz, who was\ndescended from Kavah the smith, dreamed a dream. Now in this vision he\nbeheld a cloud of rainbow hues, and seated upon it was Serosch the\nBlessed. And lo! the Angel of Pity said unto Gudarz:\n\n\u201cO Hero of Iran, unto thy house is it granted, even as unto Kavah of\nold, to deliver thy land from anguish and from the tyranny of Afrasiab\nthe Turk, wherefore, open thine ears unto my words. For lo! it hath been\nmade known unto me by Ormuzd the Omnipotent that there abideth in Turan\na son sprung from the loins of Siawush, who is brave and worthy the\nthrone of light, and from whom alone can come deliverance unto Iran.\nSuffer, therefore, that Gew, thy brave son, go forth to search for\nKaiKhosrau, bidding that he remain glued unto his saddle until he shall\nhave found this youth. For such is the will of Him who changeth not,\neven Ormuzd the God of the Persians.\u201d\n\nNow when Gudarz awoke he thanked God for his dream, touching the ground\nwith his beard. Then, quickly calling unto him his valiant son, he\nrelated unto him his dream, bidding him go forth even as commanded by\nthe guardian of the children of Ormuzd:\n\nThen Gew, when he heard the words of his father, replied unto him:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Sire! Verily my heart leapeth forth unto this adventure,\neven as a flame darteth hungrily unto the sun. Give me, therefore, thy\nblessing, and lo! I will depart this very hour.\u201d\n\nBut Gudarz, smiling at the ardor of his son, said:\n\n\u201cWhat about thy companions, O Impetuous One?\u201d\n\nTo which Gew replied:\n\n\u201cMy horse and my cord, O my father, will suffice unto me for company.\nFor behold! if I lead out a host unto Turan, men will ask who I am, and\nwhy I have come forth, while if I go alone, these doubts will surely\nslumber.\u201d\n\nThen Gudarz, well pleased at the discretion of valiant Gew, said:\n\n\u201cGo, my son, and may all the hosts of Heaven accompany thee,\nstrengthening thine arm and directing thy way.\u201d\n\nSo Gew set forth, but no easy task was his, as he soon found. For,\nthough he wandered through the length and breadth of Turan, he could\nlearn naught of KaiKhosrau. Now seven years rolled thus above the head\nof Gew, until he grew lean and sorrowful; yea, even like unto a man\ndistraught. For lo, in all this time, naught had he for a house save\nonly his saddle; for food and clothing but the flesh and skin of the\nwild ass; and in place of wine, naught but bad water had he to drink. So\nfinally the Hero began to lose heart, fearing that his father\u2019s dream\nhad been sent unto him by a wicked Deev.\n\nBut arriving one day in a desert, the Valiant One happened to fall in\nwith several persons who, upon being questioned, said that they had been\nsent by Piran-Wisa in search of the great Shah Kaikous. Now Gew doubted\ntheir story, and so took care to ascertain from them the direction in\nwhich they were travelling, passing himself off unto them as a huntsman,\ninterested only in the amusement of snaring the wild ass.\n\nNow during the night the parties separated, Gew proceeding like\nlightning upon the route described by the strangers. And behold! as\nmorning dawned, he entered a forest, in the midst of which he suddenly\nbeheld a fountain, and seated beside it a youth like unto a royal\ncypress. Now the Glorious One held in his hand a cup, and upon his head\nwas a golden crown; noting which, Gew said unto himself:\n\n\u201cVerily my search is ended, for in this youth surely I behold the face\nof noble Siawush.\u201d\n\nGreat was his surprise, however, when, as he advanced, the stripling,\ngreeting him, said:\n\n\u201cHo, Valiant Gew! Truly thou art a joy unto my eyes, since thou art come\nhither at the behest of God.\u201d\n\nThen Gew, falling at the feet of KaiKhosrau, said:\n\n\u201cO Hope of Iran! at last, after seven long years of search, do I find\nthee. But pray, reveal unto me how thou knewest my face and mission, for\nbehold! I am lost in amazement.\u201d\n\nThen, smiling, KaiKhosrau replied unto Gew:\n\n\u201cO Son of Gudarz! Verily all the great warriors and heroes of Iran are\nwell known unto me, for oft have I gazed upon the portraits of Rustem\nand Tus and Gudarz\u2014yea, and of Valiant Gew,\u2014in my father\u2019s gallery,\nwhile from my mother\u2019s lips have I heard again and again of all the\nglorious deeds wrought by the Pehliva of the Shahs. And alas! before he\nentered upon death\u2014his cruel death!\u2014my father foretold unto Ferangis, my\nmother, how that in due time the mighty Gew would come forth from Iran\nto lead me unto the throne.\u201d\n\nThen Gew, delighted with the fire of the youth, and being thus assured\nof his identity, fell down upon the ground and did homage before him.\nBut KaiKhosrau quickly raised and embraced him, asking a thousand\nquestions of Iran and its heroes.\n\nBut Gew, knowing the need of haste, quickly mounted the young Prince\nupon his charger, while he walked before him; and so they journeyed\nuntil they came unto the city of Siawush, and behold Ferangis received\nthem joyfully, her quick spirit divining that the prophecy of her lord\nhad come to pass. But she also counselled haste, for she said:\n\n\u201cVerily, Afrasiab will be as a raging crocodile when he learneth of thy\ncoming. Let us flee quickly, therefore, before he heareth of thy\nmission. And now give heed unto my words. Lo! upon the crest of yonder\nmountain, whose head riseth unto the clouds, there smileth in the\nsunshine a meadow green as paradise, and browsing upon it are the flocks\nof Siawush. Now in their midst, my son, roameth Beezah, thy father\u2019s\nsteed of battle. Go forth, therefore, and when thou hast come nigh unto\nhim, whisper thy father\u2019s name unto his ear, for so will he suffer thee\nto mount him. And, seated upon his back, thou shalt escape from the\nslayers of thy father.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: Seated beside it a youth like unto a royal cypress.]\n\nSo, following the directions of Ferangis, quickly Gew and KaiKhosrau\nhastened unto the meadow, where they found the steed of Siawush towering\nlike a king above his fellows. And lo! when Beezah beheld his master\u2019s\nsaddle, and the leopard-skin that he had worn, he whinnied mournfully,\nhis bright eyes softening with sudden dew. Unresisting, he suffered\nKaiKhosrau to mount him, and behold! when they were come again unto\nFerangis, she chose from among her treasures the armor of Siawush, in\nwhich to gird her son, while she herself donned a suit of mail like unto\na warrior. Now, thus equipped, they mounted their chargers and set\nforth. And none too soon, for almost at once their flight was\ndiscovered.\n\nThen, when the messengers sent for KaiKhosrau reported unto Piran-Wisa\nthat the youth had been carried off by a Persian horseman, behold, he\nwas filled with dismay, saying unto himself:\n\n\u201cAlas! now will be accomplished the fears of Afrasiab, and mine honor\nwill be tarnished in his eyes.\u201d\n\nSo quickly he commanded Kelbad and three hundred valiant warriors that\nthey pursue KaiKhosrau, bind him, and bring him back in chains. And\nbehold! so rapid were the movements of Kelbad that he overtook the\nfugitives in the vicinity of Bulgaria.\n\nNow as the great chieftain and his party came in sight, Ferangis and her\nson slept for weariness by the roadside. But Gew, perceiving an armed\nforce evidently in pursuit of his party, hastily donned his armor,\nmounted Beezah, and advanced single-handed to the charge, attacking the\nhorsemen furiously with sword and mace. For, having heard the prophecy\nwhich declared that KaiKhosrau was destined to become the great King of\nKings, he braved the direst peril with confidence and the certainty of\nsuccess. And it was this feeling, no doubt, that enabled Gew to perform\nsuch prodigies of valor. For, in a very short time it came to pass that\nKelbad and his three hundred were utterly routed. Then this marvellous\nvictory achieved, quickly Gew returned unto the halting-place, where,\nawakening his companions, he urged them to haste.\n\nBut alas for the defeated three hundred! For their return excited the\ngreatest indignation in the breast of Piran-Wisa, who said angrily:\n\n\u201cWhat! Three hundred soldiers to fly from the valor of one man! Why, had\nGew possessed the might and activity of Rustem himself, such a defeat\ncould scarcely have happened. Truly such faint-heartedness maketh my\nsoul sick with shame.\u201d\n\nSo saying, Piran and the thousand brave warriors under his command\nstarted at once to overtake the fugitives, and so swift was their march\nthat they soon overtook the Valiant Gew and his little party. And now\nKaiKhosrau insisted upon being allowed to act his part, instead of\nremaining ignominiously idle; but Gew, determined to preserve the Prince\nfrom all risk, even at the peril of his own life, replied unto him:\n\n\u201cNay! Nay! Thou art our Prince, and therefore thy life is too precious\nto be risked. As for me, if I fall, what mattereth it? My father loveth\nme well, it is true, but hath he not seventy-and-eight other sons like\nunto me? Get thee upon yonder high eminence, therefore, and witness how\none man shall put a thousand to flight.\u201d\n\nSo, though reluctantly, the Prince did as Gew desired, and presently he\nheard the mighty son of Gudarz challenge Piran to single combat. Now the\ncontest that followed was terrible, for though the Tartar general was\nold, he was both experienced and skilful. Therefore, wrapped about with\nhis anger, and the fear of Afrasiab, he was no mean antagonist. But\nverily not even Rustem himself could have stood against Gew upon this\neventful day, for, realizing that his opportunity had come, he, too,\nmeant to have his name writ large on the page of his country\u2019s story. So\npresently, after much courage and persistency, it came to pass that the\nHero caught Piran in the meshes of his cord, and brought him bound unto\nKaiKhosrau, in spite of the shower of arrows that rained upon him like\nhail from the bows of Piran\u2019s brave warriors.\n\nAnd behold! this deed of prowess accomplished, back again sped\ntriumphant Gew to fight against the Tartar braves. Yea, and so great was\nhis prowess that soon the plain was covered with the vanquished dead,\nwhile living warriors, dismayed at the sight of such mighty valor,\nignominiously fled in all directions, as though pursued by Rustem, or\nthe Great White Deev. So, the enemy being put to flight, once more Gew\nreturned unto his companions. But great was his surprise to behold\nPiran-Wisa still alive. In explanation, however, Ferangis, whose eyes\nwere full of tears, said:\n\n\u201cO Mighty Gew, marvel not that the sword of Siawush refuseth to take the\nlife of this good old man, whose tenderness hath ever been an asylum\nunto our sorrows. Again and again hath he saved the life of the Prince,\nas well as my own, and had he been ever at Afrasiab\u2019s right hand, then\nverily would Siawush still be in the land of the living, for Piran was\never his friend. And lo! now is the time come for us to remember the\nbenefits that we have received at his hands.\u201d\n\nBut Gew, filled with consternation, replied unto the pleadings of\nFerangis:\n\n\u201cO Queen of the World, I pray thee speak not thus. For alas! I have\nsworn a great oath that I would crimson the earth with Piran\u2019s blood,\nand how can I depart from my vow?\u201d\n\nNow hearing this, Ferangis was very sorrowful, but KaiKhosrau said:\n\n\u201cO Hero like unto a mountain lion, verily thou shalt not break thy oath;\nneither shalt thou slay this good old man. I say unto thee, therefore,\npierce with thy dagger the lobes of Piran\u2019s ears, and let the blood\nstain the earth. Thus may thy oath and my clemency both be satisfied.\u201d\n\nSo Gew did as KaiKhosrau desired, and lo! when he had crimsoned the\nearth with Piran\u2019s blood, they mounted him upon his charger, and, after\nbinding him thereon, they caused him to swear unto them that none other\nthan Gulshehr, his wife, should release him from his bonds. And Piran\nsware it, for he had not hoped to escape from the terrible Gew.\n\nBut behold! while these things were happening unto Piran, Afrasiab,\ngrowing impatient as he heard not of the capture of the Prince, set\nforth himself at the head of a great army that he might lend his\nassistance. But alas! when he learned that the armies had been beaten at\nthe hands of one man, his cheeks grew pale with fear. Nevertheless, he\npressed on, but only to be met in a short time by Piran, his Pehliva,\ntied helpless upon his charger.\n\nNow at this sight the King\u2019s anger passed all bounds. Reviling the old\nman, therefore, he commanded him that he depart from out his presence\nforever. Then, urging rapidly forward his army, he sware a great oath\nthat he himself would destroy this Gew, and utterly lay low the head of\nKaiKhosrau and of Ferangis, his mother. And that the fugitives might not\nescape him, at once he sent instructions unto all the ferrymen of the\nJihun that they allow not the three travellers to pass over the river,\nas he himself was in pursuit of them. But alas! even this thoughtfulness\navailed him naught, for ere they came nigh unto the fleeing ones,\nbehold, they were already come unto the banks of the river.\n\nAnd lo! on the brink of the rushing stream their glad eyes perceived a\nboat lying ready, with a ferryman slumbering beside it. Now quickly Gew\naroused the sleeping one, asking that he bear them across the river. But\nthe man, having received the King\u2019s instructions, parleyed with Gew,\nsaying:\n\n\u201cHo, Imperious One! Thy business demandeth haste? Well, then, give unto\nme thy coat of mail, thy black horse, yon woman, or the crown of gold\nworn by the young warrior, as my fee, and quickly shalt thou be borne\nacross.\u201d\n\nBut Gew, angry at the effrontery of the boatmen, also suspecting his\nintentions, whispered unto the Prince:\n\n\u201cBehold, yonder cloud of dust seemeth to speak of pursuers and to warn\nagainst delay; also, I trust not this ferryman. Now when Kavah, my brave\nancestor, rescued the glorious Feridoun, he passed over the stream in\nhis armor without hurt. Why should not we, then, in a cause of equal\nglory, do the same?\u201d\n\nBut alas! the river was swollen by the rains, its current being swift\nand treacherous. Nevertheless, the young Prince, confiding in the\nprotection of the Almighty, fearlessly urged his foaming steed into the\nboiling surges. And behold! Ferangis followed with equal intrepidity,\nwhile after her came Gew the bold. Now the passage was rough and\nperilous, but nevertheless, after a hard fight, they all succeeded in\ngaining the opposite shore, much to the amazement of the ferryman, who\nhad thought, as a matter of course, that they would all be drowned.\nFeeling the soil of Iran beneath their feet, however, KaiKhosrau,\ndismounting, kissed the earth in gratitude and joy, giving thanks unto\nOrmuzd for allowing him to escape in safety unto his father\u2019s land.\n\nYet scarce had they escaped. For behold! even as they touched the shore,\nAfrasiab and his army were come unto the river. Now great was the\nmortification of the King when he beheld the fugitives beyond his reach.\nNevertheless, his wonder was equal to his disappointment; nor could he\nwithhold his admiration as he gazed, saying:\n\n                 \u201cWhat spirits must they have to brave\n                 The terrors of that boiling wave\u2014\n                 With steed and harness, riding o\u2019er\n                 The billows to the farther shore.\n                 \u2014It was a cheering sight, they say,\n                 To see how well they kept their way,\n                 How Ferangis impelled her horse\n                 Across that awful torrent\u2019s course,\n                 Guiding him with heroic hand,\n                 To reach unhurt the friendly stand.\u201d\n\nHowbeit, when Afrasiab recovered from his astonishment, in his anger and\nchagrin, he ordered the ferrymen to get ready their boats to pass him\nover the river; but Human finally dissuaded him from this foolish\nmeasure. So, devoured with wrath and fear, Afrasiab retraced his steps\nunto his capital, knowing that now his dream would surely be fulfilled.\n\nAs for Valiant Gew, at once he sent swift messengers unto the Court to\nbear unto the Shah the news of the coming of the Prince. Whereupon,\nKaikous rejoiced exceedingly, sending forth an honorary deputation to\nescort his grandson into his presence. Now the city was decked to give\nhim welcome, and all the nobles received him joyfully as the heir unto\nthe throne\u2014all excepting Tus, the son of King Nuder, who gave his fealty\nunto Friburz, the son of Kaikous. Nor was his opposition passive. For,\nwhen invitations were issued unto a banquet in honor of KaiKhosrau, at\nwhich all the great heroes and leaders were expected publicly to declare\ntheir loyalty unto the new Prince, Tus refused to go. However, his\nrefusal was not accepted, Gew being deputed to repeat the invitation.\nBut alas! unto all Gew\u2019s arguments, Tus stubbornly replied:\n\n\u201cVerily, unto Friburz shall I pay homage, and unto none other.\u201d\n\nNow when Gew reported unto Gudarz, his father, what had occurred, the\nold man was aroused to great wrath. Rising up, therefore, at once he\ntook twelve thousand men, and his seventy-eight kinsmen, together with\nGew, and proceeded unto the palace of Tus to bring him to reason. So,\nalmost was there civil war in Persia; but finally Tus, who disliked the\nthought of such a calamity, sent an envoy unto Gudarz, suggesting that\nthe matter be referred unto the King. So one wise in speech appeared\nbefore Kaikous, begging that he would settle the strife among the\nnobles. For he said:\n\n\u201cAlas, O King! If we are divided among ourselves, surely we shall fall a\nprey unto Afrasiab. Let the Shah, therefore, bind up this quarrel which\nalready is serious, and let us once more have peace.\u201d\n\nThen Kaikous, realizing the seriousness of the matter, said gravely unto\nthe envoy:\n\n\u201cVerily, ye ask of me that which is hard, for both my sons are dear unto\nme. Nevertheless, I will bethink me of a means to quiet this discussion\nand restore peace.\u201d\n\nNow Kaikous pondered deeply over this troublesome question, but finally,\ncalling his nobles together, he said:\n\n\u201cO Heroes of Iran, give heed unto my words, for verily I have thought of\na plan which shall settle this strife. Behold! upon the borders of my\ndominion there is a demon-fortress which no hero hath yet conquered. Let\nKaiKhosrau and Friburz go forth, therefore, and let them take with them\nan army, and lo! I will bestow the crown and treasure upon the Prince at\nwhose hands the castle shall be subdued.\u201d\n\nThus spake Kaikous, and the plan being agreed upon, Friburz begged of\nhis father that he be sent forth first upon the expedition. So,\npermission being given, gaily he and Tus set out, promising to return\ntriumphant within a few days.\n\nBut alas! when the army reached the demon fort, lo! the ground seemed\nall in flames\u2014one universal fire raging round and round, while the\nwithering wind which blew from thence was like unto the scorching breath\nof red-hot furnaces. And behold! though they searched and searched,\nthese warriors brave could find neither gate nor door of entrance,\nthough many a valiant one perished in the search, consumed to ashes by\nthe awful heat, which seemed to be the poisoned breath of raging demons.\nSo at length, after a fruitless week, Friburz and Tus returned, worn\nout, scorched, and half-dead with watching, care, and toil\u2014and still the\nfortress stood.\n\nSo, it being now KaiKhosrau\u2019s turn, bravely he set forth with Gew and\nGudarz, his faithful friends, and when he saw the blazing fort,\nreddening all the earth and sky, full well he knew that this could only\nbe the work of sorcery. And so, since in a heavenly dream he had been\ntaught how to destroy the charms of fell magicians, he wrote a letter,\namber-perfumed, in which he named the name of God. Then piously he bound\nit unto his javelin\u2019s point, and when he was come nigh unto the demon\nfort, behold, Gew the Valiant, flung it far beyond the walls within the\nmagic citadel.\n\nAnd lo! the missile safely lodged, a noise like thunder rent the air,\nand all the world grew dark, as when the sun hath gone to rest. Yea, and\nlong it so remained, but when at last once more the light appeared,\nbehold, the magic tower had vanished from the earth.\n\nNow thus it was that KaiKhosrau vanquished the demons, and thus it was\nalso that at last he came into his own. For, shortly after this wondrous\nvictory, the coronation ceremony took place with great pomp and\nsplendor, KaiKhosrau the Prince becoming KaiKhosrau the Shah, of whom\nthe poet says:\n\n                  \u201cJustice he spread with equal hand,\n                  Rooting oppression from the land;\n                  And every desert, wood, and wild,\n                  With early cultivation smiled;\n                  And every plain with verdure clad,\n                  And every Persian heart was glad.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                         LATER FEATS OF RUSTEM\n\n\nNow in the Book of the Kings it is written that when KaiKhosrau ascended\nthe throne, Kaikous required him to swear a great oath that the waters\nof forgetfulness should never quench the flame of vengeance in his heart\nuntil Afrasiab, the murderer of Siawush, be utterly destroyed.\n\nSo, when he was well settled upon his throne, KaiKhosrau sent forth a\ngreat army under the leadership of Tus to begin his work of vengeance.\nBut alas! Tus, though brave, was hot-headed and touchy; yea, and\ndisobedient, thereby bringing unto death Firoud, the valiant\nhalf-brother of KaiKhosrau. When brought face to face with the enemy,\nhowever, he and his men fought bravely, but all to no purpose.\n\nFor lo! Afrasiab had sent Baru, a magician perfect in his art, upon the\nneighboring mountains to involve them in darkness, and to produce, by\nhis conjuring, fearful downfalls of snow and hail. Accordingly, when Tus\nand his army advanced, they were deluged by a fearful downpour of rain\nand sleet, so that not even the fierce conflict with Piran\u2019s brave\nwarriors warmed their blood, which seemed frozen in their veins. So the\narmy of Iran suffered a great defeat, and so terrible was their\nsuffering from the mighty cold, that the living envied their dead\ncomrades.\n\nNow in this extremity Tus and Gudarz prayed earnestly unto Ormuzd, when\nlo! the Angel Serosch appeared unto them, pointing unto the mountain\nfrom whence the tempest descended. Quickly, then, brave Gudarz galloped\nunto the summit, where he discovered the magician deeply engaged in\nincantation and witchcraft. Hesitating not, therefore, he hastily drew\nhis sword and cut off the wizard\u2019s arms. Then suddenly a great whirlwind\narose, sweeping away the darkness that prevailed, and then nothing\nremained of the snow, the hail, or the cold. And now, the armies being\nupon a more equal footing, behold, the heroes of Iran fought so\nvaliantly that soon they won a glorious victory.\n\nThen Tus was glad, and to celebrate the victory he made a great feast,\ndarkening the heads of his warriors with wine. But presently when the\nrevelry was at its height, and when Gudarz alone was master of his fate,\nbehold, Afrasiab was upon them, and then fearful was the slaughter and\nutter the defeat of Iran. And thus ended the campaign of Tus, for when\nKaiKhosrau learned of his folly he bade Friburz, the son of Kaikous,\ntake unto him the flag of Kavah, and the golden boots, and lead the army\nin place of Tus.\n\nSo Friburz, after he had reorganized and reinforced the army, once again\noffered battle unto Piran-Wisa, and there was waged a conflict such as\nthe sun hath ne\u2019er looked upon. But alas! the heroes of Iran were\nutterly routed; and as the handful of survivors appeared before the\nShah, lo, they carried their hands crossed upon their breasts, and they\nwere humble as slaves. Then was KaiKhosrau sick with shame when he\nbeheld this sorry lot of heroes, and in his sore displeasure he withdrew\nfrom his courts, letting not the light of his countenance shine upon his\npeople.\n\nSo, in their sorrow and desperation, once more the nobles hastened unto\nSeistan, beseeching Rustem to come unto their aid. And the Mighty One,\ntarrying not for rest, quickly came forth, mustering and putting the\narmy into battle order. And behold! when again the two opposing forces\nwere met in conflict, the day belonged unto Iran.\n\nThen Afrasiab, hearing of the arrival of Rustem, immediately called unto\nhis aid three distinguished champions: Shinkul, Khakan, and Kamus. Now\nall these warriors had wondrous records\u2014Kamus particularly:\n\n           \u201cFor when he frowned, the air grew freezing cold;\n           And when he smiled, the genial spring smiled down\n           Roses and hyacinths, and all was brightness!\u201d\n\nNow upon the arrival of the three champions, it was to the great Kamus\nthat Piran first paid his respects, describing unto him, in glowing\ncolors, the strength and prowess of Rustem. But Kamus, in nowise\ndisturbed, replied coolly unto Piran:\n\n                 \u201cIs praise like this to Rustem due?\n                 And what if all thou sayest be true?\n                 Are his large limbs of iron made?\n                 Will they resist my trenchant blade?\n                 His head may now his shoulders grace,\n                 But will it long retain its place?\n                 Let me but meet him in the fight,\n                 And thou shalt see Kamus\u2019s might!\u201d\n\nBut alas! when Kamus the confident challenged Rustem, quickly the Hero\ndespatched him. Yea, and not only him, but Shinkul and Khakan as well.\nThen was Afrasiab terrified, and quickly he sent Piran-Wisa forth to sue\nfor peace. And Rustem spake graciously unto the old general, giving unto\nhim greeting from KaiKhosrau, and lauding him for his good deeds unto\nSiawush, and unto Sohrab, his son. And he said:\n\n[Illustration: He discovered the magician deeply engaged in incantation\nand witchcraft.]\n\n\u201cO Grand Old Hero, truly thou art worthy a better master than\nblack-hearted Afrasiab. Come over unto Iran, therefore, and thou shalt\nhave honor, and happiness, and riches while thou livest, for nightly\nKaiKhosrau and his mother behold thy face in their dreams, and much they\nlong to see thee.\u201d\n\nBut Piran, with tears in his eyes, said unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cO Hero of Heroes! For five hundred years have I served Turan, my native\nland, and though my heart goeth out unto KaiKhosrau, my son, yet can I\nnot prove unfaithful unto those who rely upon my good faith. So did not\nbrave Siawush; and Turan, too, hath her heroes, O Mighty One, even as\nIran the land of light.\u201d\n\nNow Rustem\u2019s heart went out in admiration unto this splendid old hero,\nand he said:\n\n\u201cO noble Pehliva! verily I give thee honor for thy loyalty and faith,\neven while I grieve that Iran cannot possess thee. As for the terms of\npeace, KaiKhosrau desireth naught but that the murderers of Siawush be\ndelivered into his hands.\u201d\n\nThen Piran said sadly unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cO gracious Pehliva, that which thou asketh, verily it can never be. For\nthe slayers of Siawush are near kinsfolk unto Afrasiab, who will never\ngive them up.\u201d\n\nSo, as naught could be done, the Heroes parted sadly, but in friendship,\neven though they knew that battle must rage between them. And behold!\nonce more the opposing forces were drawn up for conflict.\n\n               \u201cNow \u2019twas mid-day when the strife began,\n               With steed to steed and man to man;\n               And clouds of dust that rolled on high,\n               Threw darkness o\u2019er the earth and sky.\n               Each soldier on the other rushed,\n               And every blade with crimson blushed,\n               And valiant hearts were trod upon,\n                 Like sand beneath the horse\u2019s feet.\n               And when the warrior\u2019s life was gone,\n                 His mail became his winding sheet.\u201d\n\nAnd alas! for forty days the battle raged thus, until the plains were so\nstrewn with the bodies of the slain that an ant could not have found a\nroad to pass between them. Now blood flowed upon all sides, and heads\nwithout bodies, and bodies without heads, covered the ground. For\nneither the claws of the leopard nor the trunk of the elephant, neither\nthe high mountains nor the waters of the earth, could prevail against\nRustem when he fought at the head of his hosts.\n\nNow he slew the mightiest of the Tartars, and only good old Piran was he\nmindful to spare; yea, and when the remnant of the host finally fled\nbefore his wrath, he pursued them even unto the mountains, where\nAfrasiab and his kinsfolk, in their terror, had hidden themselves, and\nhe destroyed his courts utterly with fire, after which he turned him\nback unto Iran. Then the heart of KaiKhosrau rejoiced like unto a\nparadise, and for a month Rustem abode in his presence, feasted and\nlauded continually, after which he returned once more unto Seistan.\n\n                   \u201cAnd now we come to Akwan Dew,\n                   Whom Rustem next in combat slew.\u201d\n\nFor it is related that one day shortly after Rustem\u2019s return unto\nSeistan, as KaiKhosrau was sitting in his beautiful garden abounding in\nroses and the balmy luxuriance of spring, surrounded by his heroes, and\nenjoying the pleasures of the banquet, lo, a shepherd came unto the\nCourt demanding audience, and when it was granted he said:\n\n\u201cO King of Kings! Behold, a wild ass is broken in among my horses, and\nhe doeth great mischief, for his ferocity is that of a lion or a demon.\nSend forth, therefore, I entreat thee, one of thy heroes that he may\nslay him, else am I ruined.\u201d\n\nNow the Shah knew right well that this was no wild ass, but the evil\nDeev, Akwan Dew, who had taken upon him this disguise. And knowing that\nnone but Rustem would be equal to this adventure, a swift messenger was\nat once sent unto Seistan to summon him forth. And the Mighty One obeyed\nthe voice of the Shah, for he was weary of inactivity, and this promised\nto be an exciting adventure.\n\nSo presently, guided by the shepherds, Rustem set forth, but it was not\nuntil the fourth day of his search that he fell in with the Deev. Now\nbeing anxious to take this wicked one alive in order to send him as a\ntrophy unto KaiKhosrau, the Hero tried to throw his cord about him. But\nbehold! in a moment the wild ass vanished under his hand. Whereupon,\nRustem knew that it was really Akwan Dew with whom he had to deal, and\nthat he must fight against the powers of magic. Yet was he not dismayed.\n\nAnd now, the wild ass again appearing, lo, Rustem pursued him with his\ndrawn sword. When he would have run him through, however, behold! the\nweapon cut naught but the empty air, for again the Deev had vanished\nunder his hands. Then, disappointed with his sword, the Hero tried both\nspear and arrow, but still to no purpose, for again and yet again the\nwicked one escaped his blows by vanishing. And alas! thus for three days\nand nights Rustem fought, as it were, against a shadow. Wearied at last,\nwith his fruitless exertions, however, presently he dismounted, and\nleading Rakush unto a green spot near a limpid fountain, he allowed him\nto graze, while he himself went to sleep.\n\nBut lo! when the Deev saw that Rustem slept, he rushed toward him like a\nwhirlwind, and, rapidly digging up the ground on every side, took up the\nplot of ground and the Champion together, placed them upon his head, and\ndeliberately walked away with them. Howbeit, at this critical moment\nRakush, beholding the peril of his master, neighed loudly, thus awaking\nRustem. And lo! when the Hero saw what had befallen, he feared his hour\nwas come, yet he did not despair. The Deev, however, seeing that his\ncaptive was awake, said unto him:\n\n                 \u201cWarrior! now no longer free!\n                 Tell me what thy wish may be;\n                 Shall I plunge thee in the sea,\n                   Or leave thee on the mountain drear,\n                   None to give thee succor near?\n                 Tell thy wish to me!\u201d\n\nNow Rustem, knowing that the Deevs act ever by the rule of contraries,\nand realizing that if thrown into the sea his chance for escape would be\nbetter, quickly said unto the Deev:\n\n            \u201cO, plunge me not in the roaring sea,\n            The maw of a fish is no home for me;\n            But cast me forth on the mountain; there\n            Is the lion\u2019s haunt and the tiger\u2019s lair;\n            And for them I shall be a morsel of food,\n            They will eat my flesh and drink my blood;\n            But my bones will be left to show the place\n            Where this form was devoured by the feline race;\n            Yes, something will then remain of me,\n            Whilst nothing escapes from the roaring sea!\u201d\n\nThus spake Rustem in his guile, and well for him was it that his mind\nwas so fertile in invention. For behold! the wicked Akwan Dew, having\nlearned the particular desire of the Hero, quickly raised him up with\nhis hands and flung him from his lofty height headlong into the deep and\nroaring ocean, at a spot where hungry crocodiles would devour him.\n\nAnd alas! scarcely had the Champion touched the water, when one of these\nhorrible creatures speedily darted upon him with the eager intention of\ndevouring him alive. But in the twinkling of an eye Rustem drew his\nsword and severed the monster\u2019s head. Then quickly another came, and was\nput to death in the same manner, and the water was crimsoned with blood.\nAnd while the Hero fought the crocodiles with his right hand, with his\nleft he swam toward the shore, and though long was the struggle and\nsore, yet finally, when night was fallen, he at last succeeded in\nputting his foot upon the dry land. Then, when he had given thanks unto\nOrmuzd, and rested him, he returned unto the spot by the fountain.\n\nBut here a most unpleasant surprise awaited him, for Rakush, his steed,\nwas not there. Then fear fell upon Rustem, and eagerly he wandered about\nseeking his matchless charger; but in vain, until at last, coming unto a\ngreen meadow, he spied him among the horses of Afrasiab. For alas! while\nthe Champion was fighting the crocodiles and the mighty surges of the\nocean, the keepers had succeeded in ensnaring Rakush.\n\nWhen the mighty war-horse heard the soft whistle of his master, however,\nhe neighed joyously, and brake from the keepers, running with swift foot\nunto Rustem, rubbing his nose gently against his shoulder, as if to make\nsure it was really he. But no sooner had the Hero mounted, than horse\nand rider of one accord made a swift dash for the keepers, right\nspeedily running them down, and despatching them. Then Rustem took the\nherds, together with four white elephants, unto himself.\n\nBut presently, as the Hero tarried in the midst of the herds, Afrasiab\nwhose heart yearned to look upon his favorite steeds, came forth from\nhis hiding-place, dreaming not that his enemy was near. When he beheld\nRustem, therefore, he was dismayed, for he thought that the Champion had\ndiscovered his hiding-place and was come forth to take him. So, quickly\nhe offered battle unto the Pehliva, supported by those who were with\nhim. But alas for Afrasiab! for again Rustem fought with such might that\nhe quickly overcame the whole force, slaying sixty with his sword and\nforty with his mace. Then the King, terrified, fled swiftly and silently\naway unto a new hiding-place, lamenting anew his bitter fate.\n\nNow Rustem longed to pursue Afrasiab, but at this moment Akwan Dew came\nforth once more, thinking that after such a strenuous fight the Hero\nwould fall an easy prey into his hands. But Rustem, springing quickly\nupon him, struck such a mighty blow with his sword that lo! the Deev\u2019s\nhead rolled off, before that he could vanish by magic, as before. Then\ntriumphantly Rustem returned unto the Court, bearing with him, as\ntrophies of his adventure, Afrasiab\u2019s favorite steeds, and the hideous\nhead of the wicked Akwan Dew, who would trouble the world no more with\nhis wickedness and tricks of sorcery.\n\nSo ended Rustem\u2019s adventure with the Deev, but behold! another was soon\nto follow, and this was nothing less than his conflict with the Champion\nBarzu. Yea, and almost was this the Hero\u2019s last combat\u2014so mighty was the\nprowess of this giant, especially trained by Afrasiab to cause the world\nto become dark unto Rustem.\n\nNow when KaiKhosrau learned that Afrasiab had put into the field against\nhim ten thousand experienced horsemen, under Barzu, his mighty champion,\nhe was amazed; for he had not dreamed that so soon after his\noverwhelming defeat he could place another large army in commission.\nHowever, he ordered Tus and Friburz, with twelve thousand horsemen, to\ngo forth at once, while he prepared to follow later with a still larger\nforce. Yea, and he sent for Rustem also, for this time he hoped to\nexterminate utterly, not only Afrasiab, but all his kin.\n\nBut alas! before KaiKhosrau arrived at the front Barzu and Tus had\nengaged in a terrible battle, which resulted in a glorious victory for\nthe men of Turan. Yea, and worse! for so terrible was the might of\nBarzu, that in the end, all the Persians fled, leaving Tus and Friburz\nto fall into the hands of the Tartars. Quickly, however, Rustem hastened\nto the rescue of the two heroes, taking with him Gustahem, the brother\nof Tus.\n\nNow the two warriors stole softly into the enemy\u2019s camp, and by chance\nthey came unto the tent of the King, wherein they found what they\nsought. For behold! Afrasiab was seated upon his throne, with Barzu upon\nhis right hand, and Piran-Wisa upon his left, while Tus and Friburz\nstood in chains before them. And, listening, the two warriors heard the\nKing say unto the captive Princes:\n\n\u201cSleep well, O Persian Dogs! for to-morrow shall ye behold the sun rise\nfor the last time, since ye are sentenced to die the death of Siawush.\u201d\n\nThus spake black-hearted Afrasiab, and departed, leaving the prisoners\nin the hands of the guards. Then Rustem, requesting Gustahem to follow\ncautiously, drew near and waited until the watchmen were off their\nguard. Then silently they overpowered and killed them, stealing softly\naway with their prisoners, without being discovered, and behold! great\nwas the rejoicing when they were come safely unto the Persian camp.\n\nBut alas! when Afrasiab learned that Rustem had stolen into his camp and\nliberated the prisoners, he fairly writhed with anger and mortification.\nAnd at once he sent forth Barzu to challenge Rustem to single combat.\n\nSo the Champion of the World went forth, and behold, Barzu was his equal\nin size, and apparently also in strength and skill. For though they\nfought long, first with one weapon, then with another, Rustem prevailed\nnot. Then they tried wrestling, and terrible were the wrenches and\ngrasps they gave and received, but Barzu, noting that this also was\nvain, once more grasped his mace, and, raising it high, struck Rustem\nsuch a blow upon the head that the Champion thought a whole mountain had\nfallen upon him. But, though one arm was completely disabled, no sign\nthereof did Rustem give\u2014to the great amazement of Barzu, who cried:\n\n\u201cTruly, thou art a most surprising warrior, and seemingly invulnerable.\nNow if I had struck such a blow upon a mountain, quickly would it have\nbeen broken into a thousand fragments; and yet upon thee it seemeth no\nmore than the prick of a flea.\u201d\n\nYea, and he said unto himself, shaking his head thoughtfully:\n\n\u201cHeaven forbid that I should ever receive so bewildering a blow upon my\nown head!\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, having successfully concealed the anguish of his wound, now\nartfully suggested that, as it was late, perhaps it would be better to\nfinish the combat on the following day, to which Barzu readily agreed,\nas he, too, was exhausted by the long struggle. So the two champions\nretired, and Rustem, showing his lacerated arm unto the Shah, said:\n\n\u201cO Glorious One! Behold, I have escaped from yon raging dragon, but I\nbring back with me the marks of his teeth. And now, alas! who will\nfinish the struggle on the morrow?\u201d\n\nBut behold! though Rustem spent a night of pain and grief, morning\nbrought unto him glad news, for Feramurz, his glorious son, arrived\nunexpectedly in camp.\n\nSo, a few hours later, when both armies were drawn up, and Barzu, like a\nmad elephant, rode forward to resume the combat, he was met, apparently,\nby his old antagonist. For lo! Rustem had attired Feramurz in his own\narmor, supplied him with his own weapons, and mounted him upon Rakush,\ntelling him to represent himself unto Barzu as the warrior who had\nengaged him the day before.\n\nNow as Feramurz rode forward he shot an arrow at Barzu, crying:\n\n\u201cO Youthful Giant! Behold thine adversary come forth once more to try\nthy strength. Advance, therefore, and beware!\u201d\n\nBut Barzu, amazed at such lightness of spirit, cried:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One! Why this hilarity? Art thou, then, so reckless of thy\nlife?\u201d\n\nAnd Feramurz, laughing, said:\n\n\u201cKnowest thou not, O Sober One, that the field of fight is, unto the\nwarrior, the mansion of pleasure? Wherefore, then, should I not be gay?\u201d\n\nBut Barzu, who began to suspect that he had to do with a new antagonist,\nsaid tauntingly:\n\n\u201cO Light O\u2019 Heart! Is the champion whom I encountered yesterday perhaps\nwounded or dead, that thou hast attired thyself in his mail and mounted\nhis charger?\u201d\n\nNow to this challenge Feramurz replied still gayly:\n\n\u201cPerhaps thou hast lost thy wits, O Giant, since thou knowest not thy\nadversary. Now almost I extinguished thee yesterday, and to-day I mean\nto finish thee; so once more I say unto thee, beware!\u201d\n\nThus saying, Feramurz rushed valiantly upon his adversary, struck him\nblow upon blow with his battle-axe, and drawing his noose from the\nsaddle-strap, with the quickness of lightning he secured his prize. Then\nmight he speedily have put an end to Barzu\u2019s existence, but he preferred\ntaking him alive to exhibit unto the army.\n\nBut not without a struggle was Feramurz to carry off his prize, for\nAfrasiab, seeing the perilous condition of his Champion, quickly pressed\nforward his whole army to the rescue. But KaiKhosrau and Rustem, equally\non the alert, quickly supported Feramurz\u2014Rustem throwing another noose\naround the already captured Barzu, to prevent the possibility of his\nescape. And now, so great was the grief of Afrasiab for the loss of\nBarzu, that he immediately retreated across the Jihun, quitting Persia\nwith all his troops.\n\nAs for Barzu, beholding in the youthful giant great possibilities,\nRustem begged KaiKhosrau that his life might be spared, and carried him\nback with him unto Seistan. Yea, and here he assisted Rustem greatly in\nhis next adventure, which was with Susen, a wicked sorceress, as you\nshall hear.\n\nFor behold! shortly after his return unto Seistan, Rustem invited unto\nhis courts a large number of the most celebrated heroes of the kingdom,\nsince he proposed to give a most magnificent banquet. But alas that it\nmust be recorded! before the feast had even begun, some of the heroes\nfell out\u2014as even heroes will\u2014and dire were the consequences.\n\nFor you must know that among the honored guests were Tus and Gudarz, who\nwere ever hostile unto each other, and, sad to relate, shortly after\ntheir arrival at Seistan, as usual, a dispute took place between\nthem\u2014this time it being a question of precedence. As a consequence,\ntherefore, Tus, who ever boasted of his ancestry, reviled Gudarz in his\nanger, saying unto the old warrior:\n\n\u201cOld Man! How canst thou put thyself upon a footing with me? For verily\nI am the son of Nuder, and the grandson of Feridoun, whilst thou art but\nthe son of Kavah the smith.\u201d\n\nNow this naturally angered Gudarz, who replied unto Tus:\n\n\u201cVain Boaster, though thy ancestors were wise and mighty, greatly I fear\nthat their robe of merit reacheth not unto thee. As for the ancestry of\nGudarz, hear me this once, then put a chain upon the door of thy lips\nforever. For think you I need blush to be the kinsman of the glorious\nKavah? Verily, nay; rather, I glory in him. For was he not the man who,\nwhen the world could boast of little valor, tore wrathfully up the\ninfamous name-roll of Zohak, giving unto the Persians freedom from the\nfangs of the devouring serpents? Was it not he, I say, who raised the\nfirst banner, proclaiming aloud freedom for Iran? Verily unto Kavah the\nempire oweth its greatest blessing, so well may Gudarz glory to be his\nson!\u201d\n\nUnto this, however, Tus, beside himself with wrath, rejoined:\n\n\u201cOld Man, thine arrow may pierce an anvil, but mine can pierce the heart\nof the Kaf mountain!\u201d\n\nBut Gudarz, smiling, softly said:\n\n\u201cVerily, if words were deeds, then would the Mighty Tus rival his\nglorious ancestors!\u201d\n\nAnd alas! this so aroused the anger of Tus, that swiftly he drew forth\nhis dagger to punish the offender. But Rehham interfered in behalf of\nGudarz, which so increased the rage of Tus that in high dudgeon the Hero\nretired from the company and set out upon his return unto Iran.\n\nNow Rustem was not present when the dispute took place, but when he\nheard of it he was displeased saying that Gudarz was a relation of the\nfamily, and Tus his guest, and therefore wrong had been done, since a\nguest ought always to be honored. And he said:\n\n\u201cVerily a guest should be held as sacred as a king, and it is ever the\ncustom of heroes to treat a guest as the king of the feast.\u201d\n\nAnd having thus spoken, Rustem requested Gudarz to go after Tus, and by\nfair words and proper excuses bring him back unto the festal board. So\nGudarz departed, but scarcely was he gone when Gew rose up and said:\n\n\u201cTus, in his anger is little better than a madman, and my father also\nhath a hasty temper where he is concerned. I should like, therefore, O\nMighty One, to follow after them to prevent further disagreement.\u201d\n\nSo, consent being given by Rustem, behold, Gew went forth taking with\nhim Byzun, who was also anxious to go. But when the three heroes had\ndeparted, lo, Rustem became apprehensive, so he sent Feramurz forth also\nto preserve the peace. Then finally Zal, fearing that Tus might not be\neasily prevailed upon to return, either by Gudarz, Gew, Byzun, or\nFeramurz, resolved to go forth himself to soothe the temper so unwisely\nruffled at the banquet.\n\nNow it happened that Tus was obliged, on his return journey, to pass by\nthe abode of Susen the sorceress. And alas! though he suspected it not,\nthis was a trap which Afrasiab had set to ensnare the heroes of\nIran\u2014particularly Rustem, whom the King greatly desired to secure, and\nwhom the sorceress had promised to destroy, together with his whole\nfamily. For she said unto the King:\n\n                  \u201cFighting disappointment brings,\n                  Sword and mace are useless things;\n                  If thou wouldst a conqueror be,\n                  Monarch! put thy trust in me;\n                  Soon the mighty chief shall bleed,\u2014\n                  Spells and charms will do the deed!\u201d\n\nSo, the snare being set, lo, as Tus approached this enchanted abode, he\nbeheld cooks and confectioners on all sides, preparing many and rare\ndishes of food, together with every species of sweetmeat. And alas!\ndisappointed of Rustem\u2019s banquet, also hungry and curious, Tus\ndismounted and, leaving his horse with an attendant, entered the great\ndining-hall, where he was met by the charming sorceress herself, who,\nescorting him unto a table bounteously supplied with charmed viands, and\ngoblets of rich wine, spake unto him gay words, waiting upon him with\nher own fair hands.\n\nBut behold! after Tus had eaten a few mouthfuls, he began to feel very\nstrange, and presently, his armor bursting asunder, he gazed in horror\nat himself, for he perceived sharp quills sticking out from his body in\nall directions, and happening to glance in a mirror, he beheld, not Tus,\nthe descendant of Kings, but a great, ugly wild boar. And lo! as he\nwould have cried out in his dismay, he could do naught but grunt. Then\nthe enchantress, laughing wickedly, drove him out into a yard, from\nwhich there was no escape, and prepared for her next victim.\n\nAnd as it happened unto Tus, so chanced it with all the heroes sent\nafter him, save only White-haired Zal\u2014him could they not entice, for he\nwould neither enter the enchanted dwelling, nor taste of the charmed\nfood and wine. For lo! Serosch the Blessed had whispered into his ear\nthat the howling wild boars in the yard were the heroes who had preceded\nhim.\n\nAnd when Zal realized what had befallen, quickly he sent word unto\nRustem. Then, single-handed, he attacked the sorceress, who, perceiving\nthat she was discovered, quickly fled into the strong-room of the\npalace, securely bolting the door. But tirelessly Zal battered the iron\nuntil it could resist his blows no more, whereupon, out rushed a mighty\nDeev, who at once began a furious battle with Zal, in which he was\nnearly victorious. But fortunately Feramurz, who had been delayed by the\nway, now came up, and bidding the venerable Zal stand aside, he took his\nplace, fighting fiercely with the wicked one until Rustem and Barzu\narrived upon the scene.\n\nAnd behold! learning what had happened, Rustem was struck with horror,\nfor seldom was an enchanter so bold as to change the form of his victim.\nLeaving giant Barzu to combat with the Deev, therefore, in spite of the\nforces of magic that opposed him, Rustem succeeded in piercing unto the\ninnermost hiding-place of the sorceress, and though again and again she\nchanged her shape in her efforts to escape, he dragged her pitilessly\nforth into the yard where the heroes, in the shape of wild boars, were\nmaking the night hideous with their howls and growls. And here the\nChampion said unto his victim:\n\n\u201cO Wicked One, quickly restore these heroes unto their proper shape,\nelse shall my life-destroying sword quickly make an end of thee, even as\nhappened unto Akwan Dew.\u201d\n\nNow the sorceress, beholding herself in the power of Deev-destroying\nRustem, quickly restored the heroes unto themselves. But alas for Susen!\nfor so thankful were her victims to escape from her power, that\ninstinctively they exclaimed with one accord: \u201cThank God!\u201d at which the\nwicked sorceress at once vanished from both sight and hearing.\n\nThen quickly Rustem returned unto Barzu, but he also had vanquished his\nfoe, though the Deev had evaded the stroke of his sword many times by\nvanishing. So, the wicked ones being both destroyed, Rustem set fire\nunto the enchanted mansion, after which the heroes all rode back unto\nSeistan, where they feasted gaily for a whole week.\n\nAnd behold! from this time forth, Tus and Gudarz disputed no more, for\nwhen they were tempted, they quickly remembered those dreadful hours\nspent as snapping, snarling beasts, and so they refrained, realizing\nthat such conduct was unworthy of heroes.\n\nAfter this it came to pass that yet again Afrasiab raised a mighty army\nto go forth in vengeance against Iran, and behold! this time their\nprogress was stayed by Gudarz the wise, who, at the head of the heroes\nof Iran, disputed their advance. Now the contest waged was long and\nbitter, and the slaughter fearful, for not only did the two great hosts\nfight _en masse_, but after this, lo, the flower of the armies met, one\ncouple after the other, in single combat. And alas! in this mighty\nhero-contest, brave Piran-Wisa met a glorious death.\n\nThen, in his anger and despair at brave Piran\u2019s loss, Afrasiab sent\nforth his dearly-loved son Scheideh, bidding him challenge the Shah of\nIran to combat and utterly to lay him low. But behold! Rustem answered\nthe summons, and soon the son of the King lay lifeless upon the plain.\nYea, and now the Champion routed the army of Turan utterly, and once\nmore the King was forced to become a wanderer, together with his few\nremaining kinsfolk.\n\nBut not long did Afrasiab escape the hands of justice. For presently\nHum, a hermit of the race of Feridoun, discovered and brought the\nwretched monarch unto KaiKhosrau, who caused both the King and wicked\nGersiwaz to perish even as they had caused death to come upon Siawush\nthe Prince.\n\nAnd now a strange thing happened in Iran. For KaiKhosrau, fearing to\nbecome uplifted in pride like unto Jemshid, because that all the people\nloved and praised him, determined, after much prayer unto Ormuzd, to\nquit the world before this evil should come to pass. And alas! though\nZal and Rustem came purposely up from Seistan to try to influence\nKaiKhosrau against this strange determination, yet was it vain.\n\nSo, after having appointed Lohurasp as his successor, and arranged all\nthings for his departure, KaiKhosrau got him upon his horse to go forth\nunto the mountains. And behold! there went with him Zal and Rustem,\nGudarz also, and Gustahem and Gew, Byzun the Valiant, Friburz, the son\nof Kaikous, and Tus the Pehliva.\n\nNow these heroes followed after KaiKhosrau from the plain even unto the\ncrest of the mountains, and they ceased not from mourning that which was\ndone of their King, striving to change his purpose. But KaiKhosrau, at\npeace with himself and the world, gave not ear unto their supplications.\n\nSo disconsolately the little company followed the King, who was guided\nin his path by a flock of wondrous pheasants, until they were come unto\na place where there seemed to be no farther path. Then KaiKhosrau said\nunto the heroes:\n\n\u201cO my Pehliva, here must we part, for almost have I reached the fountain\nshown unto me by the Angel of God; and from here on I enter upon a path\nwhere there is neither herb nor water. Return, therefore, upon the road\nthat ye have come, for lo! my hour is at hand.\u201d\n\nSo Zal and Rustem and Gudarz bade KaiKhosrau a tender farewell, and with\ntear-blinded eyes returned unto the plain, lamenting that one upon whom\nHeaven had bestowed a mind so great, and a heart so brave, could not\nawait his hour in patience.\n\nBut alas! Gew, and Tus, and Byzun, and Friburz, being unwilling to go\nback, followed after the King yet another day. But so rough was the way\nthat their strength was spent when evening was come. However, KaiKhosrau\ncheered them, and soon were they come unto the Fountain of Rest. And\nnow, once again, the Shah bade that his heroes leave him, saying:\n\n\u201cO Valiant Ones! Return quickly upon your path when I am gone, neither\nlinger in this place, though it should rain diamonds and pearls, musk\nand amber. For presently, out of the mountains a mighty storm will\narise, and there will come a fall of snow, which shall prove the\nwinding-sheet of all who linger. Farewell, then, O my Brave Heroes, and\nforget not to give heed unto my words of warning.\u201d\n\nNow, so speaking, KaiKhosrau stepped into the fountain, immediately\nvanishing.\n\n              \u201cAnd not a trace was left behind,\n                And not a dimple on the wave;\n              All sought, but sought in vain, to find\n                The spot which proved KaiKhosrau\u2019s grave!\u201d\n\nAnd alas for his brave heroes! For in their grief and weariness,\nheedlessly they laid themselves down by the fountain to sleep, and\npresently, even as predicted by the vanished King, a mighty wind arose,\nand the snow fell thick and soft, awakening not the tired ones who\nslumbered so fatally beside the Pool of Rest. Yea, and their sleep was\nlong, for when, many days after, Zal and Rustem went forth to seek the\nmissing ones, behold, they found them slumbering still, covered o\u2019er by\nsoft, white blankets of snow. But alas! so complete was the passing of\nKaiKhosrau that his body they found not, though they dragged the fatal\nfountain in their search. Sorrowfully, however, they bare the\nsnow-covered heroes back unto the plain, amidst the wailing of the whole\narmy. And well might they weep, for thus perished the flower of the\nheroes of Iran, and thus also ended the old r\u00e9gime, so glorious in its\nrecord of brave deeds.\n\n\n\n\n                ISFENDIYAR\u2019S SEVEN LABORS, OR HEFT-KHAN\n\n\n            \u201cRustem had seven great labors, wondrous power\n            Nerved his strong arm in danger\u2019s needful hour;\n            And now Firdusi\u2019s legend strains declare\n            The seven great labors of Isfendiyar.\u201d\n\nNow of all the heroes of Persia, none so nearly rivalled Rustem as the\nbrave Isfendiyar, son of Gushtasp the Shah. Young, valiant, and\npossessed of great ability and promise, his father gave unto him the\ncommand of his armies, promising unto him the throne of Iran, if he\nshould conquer Arjasp the demon king, who threatened to bring the\nPersians beneath his yoke. Now thus it is that we hear of Isfendiyar\nfirst. And short work, indeed, did he make of his campaign with the\nDeevs, for though so fierce was the fight that the heroes closed not\ntheir eyes in slumber, neither ceased from conflict for the space of\ntwice seven days, yet in the end did the valor and might of Isfendiyar\nprevail, and Arjasp was forced to flee before the face of the valorous\nyouth and his brave warriors.\n\nSo, having won this glorious victory, joyously Isfendiyar returned unto\nhis father, craving his blessing. But Gushtasp said:\n\n\u201cO my brave son, truly thy deeds have been glorious, but before thou\nmountest the throne of thy father I must send thee forth yet again, that\nthou mayest win the whole world unto Zerdusht, the Great Prophet, for so\nwill thy reign be blessed.\u201d\n\nSo again Isfendiyar went forth as warrior-crusader, and lo! he travelled\nnot only through all the provinces of Persia, but even unto foreign\nlands. And, so successful was he that\u2014\n\n                 \u201cWhere\u2019er he went he was received\n                 With welcome, all the world believed,\n                 And all with grateful feelings took\n                 The Holy Zendavesta-book,\n                 Proud their new worship to declare,\n                 The worship of Isfendiyar.\u201d\n\nAnd now, having won the world unto Zerdusht, the young crusader again\nreturned unto his father. But alas! one who hated Isfendiyar because of\nhis valor and triumphs had succeeded in poisoning the mind of Gushtasp\nagainst his son, telling him that Isfendiyar, being ambitious, was\nplotting the overthrow of his father. So it came to pass that when the\nHero presented himself before his sire, Gushtasp greeted him not, but,\nturning unto his courtiers, said:\n\n\u201cO Nobles of Iran! What think you should be done with that son who in\nthe lifetime of his father usurps his authority and meditates his\ndeath?\u201d\n\nThen with one accord the nobles answered, saying: \u201cO Lord of the World,\n\n                    \u201cSuch a son should either be\n                    Broken on the felon-tree,\n                    Or in prison bound with chains,\n                    Whilst his wicked life remains,\n                    Else thyself, thy kingdom, all\n                    Will be ruined by his thrall.\u201d\n\nAlas! when Gushtasp heard the words of his nobles, quickly he turned him\nunto his guards, saying:\n\n\u201cVerily, Isfendiyar is such a son. Bind him, therefore, and let him be\nburied from my sight in the deepest dungeon of the palace.\u201d\n\nSo, in spite of the remonstrances and pleadings of many who loved and\ngrieved for the injustice done unto their Prince, behold, he was\nimprisoned in a dreary dungeon, where chains of weight were hung upon\nhim. Yea, and thus was he shut away from the glad sunshine of the world\nfor many long years. And alas! the iron entered into his soul as well as\ninto his body, for he remembered that, though innocent himself, his\nfather had done unto Lohurasp, his sire, even as he had accused him; yet\nwas he free and exalted.\n\nBut retribution was at hand. For, when Arjasp, the demon king, learned\nthat Isfendiyar was fettered, and that Gushtasp was given over unto\npleasure, behold, he gathered together a great army, and in a moment\nwhen he knew the kingdom to be unguarded, and unprepared for resistance,\nsuddenly he fell upon Iran\u2019s capital, putting to death Lohurasp, the\naged Shah, and taking captive the two fair daughters of Gushtasp. Yea,\nand he also threw fire into the temple of Zerdusht, causing much\ndestruction and loss of life.\n\nNow at this time Gushtasp was at Seistan, enjoying a hunting trip with\nRustem; and thither hastened a messenger to inform the Shah of the great\ndisaster that had befallen. So quickly Gushtasp called together his\narmy, putting himself at its head, but in the first engagement Arjasp\nrouted him utterly. Overwhelmed with dismay, therefore, the Shah quickly\ncalled together his counsellors, for he knew not what to do in the sore\nstraits so suddenly come upon him. But neither did his nobles, and for a\ntime their hearts were filled with despair. Then one, wise above the\nothers, said:\n\n\u201cO King of Kings! Verily, Isfendiyar alone can deliver Iran from the woe\nwhich threateneth. I counsel thee, therefore, release him, for he alone\ncan conquer this Demon King.\u201d\n\nThen Gushtasp, remembering how the Prince had conquered Arjasp before,\ntook heart, saying:\n\n\u201cVerily, if Isfendiyar shall succeed in delivering us from this foe,\nthen I call ye all to witness that my oath is given to abandon unto him\nthe throne and crown.\u201d\n\nSo right speedily the Shah sent messengers unto Isfendiyar, that they\nshould unbind his chains, and with them he sent a letter, begging\nforgiveness for his cruelty, and promising that his enemies should be\nput to death in his presence; yea, and that surely the crown should be\nhis when he again overcame Arjasp.\n\nBut too long had Isfendiyar languished in prison to be easily moved by\nhis father\u2019s tardy, though opportune, repentance. So he said:\n\n\u201cWherefore should I weary myself in my father\u2019s cause? Verily, I might\nhave rotted in my prison, forgotten of my sire, had not his enemies\nforced him to remember that perchance the valiant Isfendiyar yet lived.\u201d\n\nThen the nobles, seeing that appeal on his father\u2019s account was useless,\nsaid unto him:\n\n\u201cVerily, O Prince, thy father hath treated thee ill, but perhaps thou\nknowest not that thy two fair sisters are in bonds unto Arjasp? Surely\nit behooveth thee to deliver them from their living death!\u201d\n\nNow when Isfendiyar heard this dire news, at once he sprang to his feet,\ncommanding that his chains be struck from off his limbs, and as the men\nwere slow, behold, he stretched himself mightily, thus bursting his\nchains so that they fell clanking at his feet. Then he made haste to go\nbefore his father, for he thirsted to be revenged for the indignity done\nunto his sisters.\n\nSo, peace being made between Isfendiyar and his sire, soon there rallied\nabout the Prince a great multitude that tarried not, but went forth like\na mighty whirlwind. And behold! so great was their force and fury that\nnaught could stand before them; nay, not even the great Arjasp, who fled\nbefore the face of Isfendiyar in terror of his life. For never had he\nseen such fury in battle, though he had fought with many heroes.\n\nAnd behold! the enemy being once more vanquished, Isfendiyar returned\nunto his father, craving the fulfilment of his vow. But Gushtasp, when\nhe beheld himself freed from danger, repented him of his promise, for he\nhad no desire to give the reins of government unto another. Therefore he\nspake angrily unto Isfendiyar, saying:\n\n\u201cVerily, my son, I marvel that while thy sisters languish in the bondage\nof Arjasp thou canst consider thyself victorious! Now it hath been\nrevealed unto me that they are hidden in Arjasp\u2019s brazen fortress, and\nthat the great chief and all his demon warriors are gone in behind its\nwalls. I say unto thee, therefore, storm this terrible fortress and\ndeliver thy sisters who pine. Then, when thou returnest them safe unto\nmy arms, by Ormuzd the Blessed, I swear that thy name shall be exalted\nas Shah throughout the land.\n\n                 \u201c\u2018Then go!\u2019 the smiling monarch said,\n                 Invoking blessings on his\n                 \u2018And may kind Heaven thy refuge be,\n                 Leading thee on to victory.\u2019\u201d\n\nNow as Isfendiyar knew not the way unto the retreat of Arjasp, behold,\nhe called before him Karugsar, a demon champion whom he had conquered\nand still held captive, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One, reveal unto me, I pray thee, the road unto the Brazen\nFortress, for behold! we go forth presently to conquer the kingdom of\nArjasp, and to restore my fair sisters unto liberty.\u201d\n\nThen Karugsar, surprised that any hero should think of entering upon so\nhazardous an enterprise, replied unto Isfendiyar:\n\n\u201cO Hero of Heroes! Behold, there are three different routes which lead\nunto the fortress of brass. One there is that occupieth three months,\nthe way leading through a beautiful country, adorned with cities and\ngardens and pastures; a second, less attractive, but perfectly safe,\nemploying only two months; and a third, by which the journey may be\naccomplished in seven days\u2014called on this account the Heft-Khan, or\nseven stages. But, mark you, my Lord! at every stage upon this route\nsome monster or terrible difficulty must be overcome. Yea; and so truly\nfearful is it that no monarch, even supported by a large army, hath ever\nyet ventured to proceed by this route, for assuredly any one attempting\nit would be lost.\u201d\n\nAlas! at this description of the terrors of the Heft-Khan, Isfendiyar\nbecame thoughtful, but he said:\n\n\u201cVerily, no man can die before his time, and I have heard it said that a\nman of valor should ever choose the shortest route; therefore, we go by\nway of the Heft-Khan.\u201d\n\nSo spake brave Isfendiyar and having selected a force of twelve thousand\nchosen horsemen, together with an abundance of treasure, behold, he set\nforth upon the perilous way.\n\nNow the first day passed without danger, and almost Isfendiyar thought\nthat his guide had deceived him as to the perils of the way. But as\nevening fell, behold, the retinue came unto a forest and a murmuring\nstream, when suddenly two enormous wolves appeared and charged the\nlegions of Isfendiyar. But soon they were laid low, for, seeing them\nadvance, the whole host poured forth upon them showers of arrows from\ntheir bows. And while Isfendiyar attacked one of them, Bashutan, his\nbrother, fell upon the other, so that, what with the arrows and the\nvigorous attack of the heroes, in a few seconds the two great monsters\nlay lifeless in the dust.\n\nSo, the first stage of the journey successfully passed, blithely\nIsfendiyar entered upon the second. But again the party travelled\npeacefully all day, their progress remaining undisputed until toward\nsunset, when a lion and a lioness stalked boldly forth, snarling and\nangry. Now Bashutan would have divided the labor, even as with the\nwolves, but Isfendiyar, seeing how ferocious were the beasts, preferred\nto attack them alone.\n\nHesitating not, therefore, the hero first sallied forth against the\nlion, and so watchful and dexterous was he, that with one mighty stroke\nhe put an end to his life. And this done, behold, he approached the\nlioness, who pounced upon him with great fury because of her mate, and\nalmost you would have said that Isfendiyar\u2019s hour was come. But though\nsore pressed, the hero lost not his coolness, holding his own against\nthe furious beast until an opening was given him, when, rapidly wielding\nhis sword, in a moment the head of the great lioness went bounding o\u2019er\nthe plain like a ball shot from a racket, and her life of hunting was\nended, even as that of her mate.\n\nBut alas! though two stages of the great Heft-Khan were thus\nsuccessfully passed, Karugsar informed Isfendiyar that upon the\nfollowing day he would be called upon to encounter a monstrous dragon,\nwhose roar made the very mountains tremble, and whose hideous jaws shot\nforth poisonous foam. So, thus warned, after some thinking, Isfendiyar\nordered to be constructed a curious apparatus on wheels. Now the hero\u2019s\ninvention was something like a carriage, unto which were fastened a\nlarge quantity of pointed instruments sharp as razors. And to this\nmachine of death horses were fastened to drag it on the road.\n\nSo the next day the retinue again set forth, and after they had gone\nsome distance Karugsar suddenly exclaimed:\n\n\u201cSurely I smell the stench of the dragon, for nothing else could so\npollute the air!\u201d\n\nNow hearing this, Isfendiyar dismounted hastily from his charger,\nascended into the new machine, and, shutting fast the doors, took his\nseat and drove off. But alas! when Bashutan and all the warriors saw the\nintention of the hero, lo, they began to lament and weep, begging him to\ncome out of the machine, and not to rush upon certain death. But\nIsfendiyar bade them be of good cheer, and, taking up the reins, he\ndrove forward with great velocity until he was come in the vicinity of\nthe awful beast. Then alas!\n\n                 \u201cThe dragon from a distance heard\n                   The rumbling of the wain\n                 And sniffing every breeze that stirred\n                   Across the neighboring plain,\n\n                 Smelt something human in his power,\n                   A welcome scent to him;\n                 For he was eager to devour\n                   Hot, reeking blood or limb.\n\n                 And darkness now is spread around,\n                   No pathway can be traced;\n                 The fiery horses plunge and bound\n                   Amid the dismal waste.\n\n                 And now the dragon stretches far\n                   His cavern throat, and soon\n                 Licks in the horses and the car,\n                   And tries to gulp them down.\n\n                 But sword and javelin, sharp and keen,\n                   Wound deep each sinewy jaw;\n                 Midway remains the huge machine,\n                   And chokes the monster\u2019s maw.\n\n                 In agony he breathes, a dire\n                   Convulsion fires his blood,\n                 And struggling, ready to expire,\n                   Ejects a poison-flood!\n\n                 And then disgorges wain and steed,\n                   And swords and javelins bright;\n                 Then, as the dreadful dragon bleeds,\n                   Up starts the warrior-knight,\n\n                 And from his place of ambush leaps,\n                   And brandishing his blade,\n                 The weapon in the brain he steeps,\n                   And splits the monster\u2019s head.\n\n                 But the foul venom issuing thence,\n                   Is so o\u2019erpowering found,\n                 Isfendiyar, deprived of sense,\n                   Falls staggering to the ground!\u201d\n\nHowbeit, though o\u2019ercome by the horrible stench, Isfendiyar was soon\nupon his feet asking Karugsar as to his next adventure, and being\ninformed that upon the following day he would be called upon to combat\nthe powers of magic, he was no whit dismayed. Nay; on the contrary, he\nset out upon the fourth stage of the Heft-Khan with increased\nconfidence, feeling himself under the protection of the Almighty.\n\nAnd behold! upon this day his trial was delayed not long, for in the\nearly morning, as the party refreshed themselves in a pleasant meadow, a\nbeautiful enchantress appeared, representing herself as a king\u2019s\ndaughter in great distress on account of a hideous ghoul who had stolen\nher from her home and now held her in bondage. Now Isfendiyar feigned\nsympathy, but when the wicked one drew near, before she could weave her\nspells about him, lo, the hero threw his cord, quickly snaring her in\nits meshes. Nor was she permitted to escape, although in her extremity\nthe fair one successively assumed the shape of a cat, a wolf, and a\ndecrepit old man, for, vexed at her efforts to cheat him, the Hero soon\nmade an end of her with his sword.\n\nBut behold! no sooner had this happened than a thick, dark cloud of\nvapor arose, and when it subsided, lo, there burst forth the black\napparition of a demon with flames issuing from his mouth. Now the ghoul\nwas indeed frightful, but, nevertheless, Isfendiyar rushed bravely\nforward, sword in hand, and, though the flames burnt his cloth armor and\ndress, finally, after a terrible fight, he succeeded in cutting off the\nthreatening monster\u2019s head. Then the hero said unto Karugsar:\n\n\u201cLo! by the favor of Heaven, both enchantress and ghoul are\nexterminated, as well as the wolves, the lions, and the dragon. Now what\nawaiteth me next?\u201d\n\nThen Karugsar, who had been truly amazed at the valor of Isfendiyar,\nsaid:\n\n\u201cO Matchless One, truly thy success hath been marvellous, but to-morrow\nthou wilt be subjected to a test never before experienced by mortal man,\nfor thy antagonist will be a mighty Simurgh. Now if thou overcomest this\ngiant bird, fierce because of her young, thou wilt have performed a feat\nnot dreamed of by even Rustem the Mighty, and thy name will go ringing\ndown the ages as the hero who conquered a Simurgh. But alas! much I fear\nthat the fifth stage of the Heft-Khan will be thy last.\u201d\n\nBut, undismayed, Isfendiyar continued his journey, coming presently unto\nthe mountain where the Simurgh had builded her nest. And here a curious\nthing happened, for the giant bird, beholding with surprise an immense\nvehicle drawn by two horses approach at a furious rate, immediately\ndescended from the mountain, and endeavored to take up the whole\napparatus in her claws to carry it unto her nest. But alas! the swords\nand javelins cruelly lacerated both claws and beak, so that after a time\nthe great bird became extremely weakened by the loss of blood. Then\nIsfendiyar, seizing this favorable moment, sprang out of the carriage,\nand with his sword cleft the mighty bird in twain. Now never had the\nHero beheld a Simurgh, and much he marvelled at the colossal size and\nwondrous beauty of the giant Bird of God.\n\nTarrying not, however, the retinue moved rapidly forward, for Karugsar\ninformed them that upon the sixth stage their fight would be with the\nelements, and they hoped to reach, by hard travel, a place of shelter.\nAnd fortunate was their haste, for as they arrived upon the skirts of a\nmountain there suddenly swept down upon them a furious storm of wind and\nheavy snow which covered all the ground; yea, and biting cold, which\nalmost froze the heroes where they stood. Now to escape the wrath of the\nelements, Isfendiyar and his men took shelter in a huge cavern, and\nthere three lingering days they spent, while the snow still fell, and\nstill the chill winds blew, and man and beast grew faint for want of\nfood.\n\nThen, in their desperation and anguish of suffering, Isfendiyar and his\nwarriors, with heads exposed, prostrated themselves in solemn prayer\nunto the Almighty. And verily Heaven was kind, for soon the snow and\nmighty wind entirely ceased, enabling the heroes to leave the caves of\nthe mountain safe and unharmed. But when asked of the final stage of the\nHeft-Khan, Karugsar said:\n\n\u201cAlas, O Valorous One! Forty farsangs yet lie between thee and the\nBrazen Fortress, and every inch of the road is full of peril.\n\n              \u201cAlong those plains of burning sand,\n                No bird can move, nor ant, nor fly;\n              No water slakes the fiery land,\n                Intensely glows the flaming sky.\n\n              No tiger fierce, nor lion ever\n                Could breathe that pestilential air;\n              Even the unsparing vulture never\n                Ventures on blood-stained pinions there.\u201d\n\nNow though the picture thus painted was dark, Isfendiyar determined to\npress forward. And lo! when they were come unto the place said to be\ncovered with burning sand, they found the ground cool and pleasant unto\ntheir feet, for the storm in its fury had lessened the burning heat,\nmaking the last stage of the Heft-Khan the easiest of all.\n\nBut though the Heft-Khan was now accomplished, there remained yet to be\ntaken the Brazen Fortress. And as no accessible point of attack could be\ndiscovered, Isfendiyar quickly transformed his warlike cavalcade into a\ncaravan of peaceful merchantmen, thus gaining admission into the fort.\nAnd being generous of heart, he arranged to give a great banquet unto\nArjasp and the demon chiefs, feasting them right merrily. Then, when no\nman was master of his fate save Isfendiyar alone, suddenly the Persians\nfell upon the Deevs, completely annihilating them.\n\nAnd now, this glorious victory achieved, Isfendiyar made haste to return\nunto Iran, taking with him his sisters and much treasure. And lo! the\nmouths of all men overflowed with praise for the brave young hero of the\nHeft-Khan who once more had saved Iran from her foes.\n\n\n\n\n                THE COMBAT OF ISFENDIYAR AGAINST RUSTEM\n\n\nBehold! it is recorded that Gushtasp the Shah, after the return of his\nglorious son Isfendiyar from the triumphs of his great Heft-Khan,\ninstead of resigning unto him the throne, as he had sworn to do, at once\nsent him forth upon a new adventure, which was nothing less than to\nslay, or bring unto him in chains, Rustem, the Champion of the World.\nFor he said:\n\n\u201cVerily, in former days, this Mighty One was obedient unto the Shahs,\nbut now doth he hold himself superior. For did he not decline to come\nunto my aid against Arjasp? Go, therefore, and conquer him, be it by\nstratagem or by force, bringing him bound before me. Then shalt thou be\nShah of Iran.\u201d\n\nNow Isfendiyar was grieved when he heard these words of his father, and,\nunchaining the door of his lips, he hastened to remind his sire of all\nthe hero\u2019s glorious deeds. And he said:\n\n\u201cO my father, I pray thee ask of me anything else than this\u2014that I\nshould make war against the King of China, or against any other ruler\nunder the sun; but do not ask me to lay hands upon this grand old\nchampion, who hath been the glory and the defence of Iran for hundreds\nof years. Sooner would I relinquish the glories of sovereignty forever.\u201d\n\nBut Gushtasp would not give ear unto the words of his son, saying\nangrily unto him:\n\n\u201cVerily, thou forgettest that a son oweth ever obedience, without\nquestion, unto his father! Go, therefore, and let me not behold thy face\nuntil thou presentest this Haughty One before me in chains, for I will\nthat his pride be brought low, that he may recognize that still there is\na Shah in Iran.\u201d\n\nThen Isfendiyar, perceiving his father\u2019s intention, said unto him\ncoldly:\n\n\u201cAlas, my father! now truly I perceive that thou sendest me forth in\nguile. For well thou knowest that no champion in all these long years\nhath ever been able to stand before the might of Rustem, and so thou\nthinkest thus to rid thyself of Isfendiyar, and the necessity of\nabandoning unto him the throne. I say unto thee, therefore, that\nIsfendiyar desireth it no longer. Nevertheless, since he is thy slave,\nhe will go forth at thy bidding, and if peradventure he falleth, then\ntruly wilt thou be the murderer of thy son, and his blood will be upon\nthy head.\u201d\n\nSo, though against the wishes of his mother, Isfendiyar placed himself\nat the head of a mighty host and set forth upon his disagreeable errand.\nBut behold! when they had gone but a little way, the camel upon which\nthe Hero was seated laid him down in the dust, refusing to rise from the\nground, though the driver struck him many times. Now as this was\nregarded by all as an evil omen, lo! the head of the beast was cut off\nthat the evil might fall upon it and not upon his rider. Nevertheless,\nIsfendiyar was troubled at this misfortune, pondering what the sign\nmight mean.\n\nNow when the cavalcade drew nigh unto Seistan, Isfendiyar called unto\nhim Bahman, his son, giving unto him a message to carry unto Rustem. And\nbehold, the message contained none but kind words, for Isfendiyar hoped\nthat thus all might yet be well. So Bahman sped forth, but when he was\ncome unto the courts of Rustem he found only Zal within, for the great\nPehliva was absent with his followers upon a hunting trip. Now the aged\nPrince would have entertained the youth until his son\u2019s return, but\nBahman declared the need of haste, so without tarrying he set forth for\nRustem\u2019s camp.\n\nAnd behold! after a long day\u2019s travel, the youth arrived at the\nhalting-place of the hunters of Seistan. Now it was evening as he drew\nnigh, and at once he perceived about the blazing fire a man, like unto a\nmountain, roasting a wild ass for his supper. Yea, and about him were\nmany brave heroes all gaily preparing their evening meal. But lo! as he\ngazed, what was Bahman\u2019s astonishment to behold that Rustem, of himself,\ndevoured the whole of a wild ass for his meal; nor did this wondrous\nfeat appear to be anything out of the ordinary.\n\nThen was the youth filled with consternation, for he thought as he gazed\nupon Rustem, who seemed unto him as a huge mountain of might, that not\neven Isfendiyar, his gallant father, could stand before such an elephant\nof war. So, in his fear, Bahman hastily loosened a large rock from the\nmountain-side and sent it rolling unto the place where Rustem sat,\nhoping thus to save his father from harm.\n\nBut Rustem, when warned by his followers as to the speeding rock,\nsmiled, and rising leisurely, with his foot he sent it spinning far out\nupon the plain. Then was Bahman still more amazed, and also affrighted,\nso that for long he dared not come forth from his hiding-place. Yet when\nhis courage finally allowed him to present himself before the Pehliva,\nRustem welcomed him warmly. And as he entertained his guest, behold,\nagain he ate as though his day\u2019s fast had but now been broken, and once\nmore Bahman marvelled at the might and majesty of the great hero of\nSeistan. But, the meal being ended, the youth delivered at once his\nfather\u2019s message. Then was Rustem filled with wrath and amazement, yet\nrestrained he his anger, replying courteously unto Bahman:\n\n\u201cO Noble Youth! I pray thee bear greeting unto Isfendiyar, thy gallant\nsire, whose glory hath added such lustre unto the crown of Iran, and say\nunto him that Rustem rejoiceth that at last he is to behold his face.\nBut as for his demand, surely it is the device of the Evil One, and can\nin nowise come to pass, for no man shall ever behold Rustem in chains.\nWherefore, say unto thy glorious sire that the Pehliva of Seistan beg\nhim to honor their house as his guest, and when we shall have feasted\ntogether, then will I go forth unto Gushtasp. And his anger, which is\nunjust, will vanish like unto the morning mist, and all will again be\nwell.\u201d\n\nSo Bahman sped back unto his father, and Rustem followed after to\npresent, in person, his homage unto the Prince. And behold! when he was\ncome near unto the royal camp, the Pehliva dismounted from Rakush, going\nforward upon foot to pay his respects unto Isfendiyar. For he wished to\npay honor unto him, not only as his Prince, but also as the brave hero\nof the Heft-Khan. Now when the two had embraced, Rustem said:\n\n\u201cO Valorous Prince, whose wondrous deeds have filled the world with\nglory, behold, I have a boon to ask at thy hands, for I desire that thou\nenter into my house as my honored guest.\u201d\n\nBut Isfendiyar, whose eyes could not cease from gazing upon the mighty\nform of Rustem, nevertheless replied unto him:\n\n\u201cO Champion of the World! Unfortunately my errand forbiddeth me to eat\nof thy bread and salt, otherwise my soul would joy in thy hospitality.\nAnd alas! though it is grievous unto me, yet must I be faithful unto my\nmission.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem replied unto Isfendiyar, speaking still more earnestly, and\nhe said:\n\n\u201cYet again, O brave Isfendiyar, do I entreat thee to enter into my house\nin friendship. Then will I do all that thou desirest, except only that I\ncannot submit unto the chains, for that would be neither fitting nor\nright\u2014as thou well knowest.\u201d\n\nNow unto this Isfendiyar replied:\n\n\u201cAlas! not only can I not feast with thee, O Mighty One, but,\nfurthermore, if thou wilt not hearken unto my demands, then must I fall\nupon thee in enmity. But, as my soul goeth out to thee on account of thy\ndeeds of valor, to-day let there be peace between us, and do thou feast\nwith me in my tent.\u201d\n\nSo Rustem, hoping that thus unpleasantness might yet be avoided,\nreplied:\n\n\u201cGracious Prince, gladly will I come unto thee, but first must I change\nmy robes, for, as thou seest, I am attired for the chase, and not as is\nfitting unto the guest of a Prince. When thy banquet is ready,\ntherefore, send forth a messenger, and I will come unto thee with joy.\u201d\n\nBut behold! when Rustem was gone, Isfendiyar pondered over that which\nwas come to pass, and his heart was full of care. So he said unto his\nbrother:\n\n\u201cVerily, since the sword must decide our strife, not only have I no\nplace in the house of Rustem, but neither is it fitting that he should\nenter into mine. Wherefore, I shall not send for him to come unto my\nfeast!\u201d\n\nBut Bashutan, shaking his head sadly, replied unto Isfendiyar:\n\n\u201cO my brother, truly it seemeth unto me a pity that heroes like unto\nRustem and Isfendiyar should meet in enmity. I counsel thee, therefore,\nto disregard the unjust demands of our father, for much I fear that he\nseeketh but to ensnare thee.\u201d\n\nThen Isfendiyar was thoughtful, but finally he said:\n\n\u201cTruly I am not deceived as to the desires of Gushtasp, but if I obey\nnot my father it will be a reproach unto me in this world, and in the\nnext I shall have to render account for it before God, my Maker\u2014for so\nteacheth Zerdusht the Holy One.\u201d\n\nSo, though Isfendiyar prepared him a feast, when it was ready he sent\nnot to summon his guest. And behold! when Rustem had waited long, he was\nangry because the messenger came not. Nevertheless, he tarried not at\nhome, but hastened unto the tent of Isfendiyar to see what had befallen.\n\nNow when the warriors of the Prince beheld Rustem draw near, lo, they\ngazed in open-eyed admiration, saying among themselves:\n\n\u201cSaw you ever such limbs, and such a chest on mortal man? Surely\nGushtasp is bereft of reason, or never would he send Isfendiyar thus\nunto his death. But alas! the old Shah huggeth his throne and his\ntreasure ever closer as age creepeth on, caring naught for the welfare\nof Iran.\u201d\n\nBut, all unconscious of the admiration and fear he was exciting, Rustem,\nhot and angry, presented himself before the Prince, saying:\n\n\u201cO Young Man, thou mayest be a hero, but certainly thou seemest not to\nbe acquainted with the laws of courtesy due unto an invited guest, since\nthou deemest him not worthy of a messenger. But perhaps thou knowest not\nthat it is Rustem whom thou treatest thus disdainfully?\u2014Rustem, whose\nglorious deeds have made the throne of Iran to shine as a beacon light\nunto all the world!\u201d\n\nNow Isfendiyar, abashed at the anger of the Great Pehliva, excused\nhimself for his breach of courtesy, saying:\n\n\u201cO Mighty One, verily I had thought to save thee the long, hot journey\nhither; but since thou art come, pray enter, and let us drink a cup of\nwine together.\u201d\n\nNow, thus speaking, behold! Isfendiyar offered unto Rustem a place at\nhis left hand, smiling courteously:\n\nBut Rustem, advancing proudly, said quietly unto Isfendiyar:\n\n\u201cNot at thy left, O Prince, for never yet hath Rustem sat save at the\nright hand of the Shahs of Iran.\u201d\n\nThus spake Rustem, and behold! so majestic was the mien of the old Hero,\nas he thus calmly asserted his rights, that at once a chair of gold was\nbrought and placed at Isfendiyar\u2019s right hand. But, though outwardly\ncalm, the heart of Rustem burned at the dishonor done unto him, and even\nthe wine soothed not his ruffled spirit. Yea, and the unfavorable\nimpression made by the Prince was further increased by his words. For,\nafter drinking for a few minutes in silence, he said:\n\n\u201cSo thou hast ever sat at the right hand of Kings, Old Warrior! Strange!\nfor surely it hath been said unto me that Rustem is sprung of evil\nstock. Now, truly, is not Zal, thy father, of demon extraction? And was\nhe not reared by a vile bird that gave unto him garbage for nourishment?\nSo, at least, it hath been reported unto me.\u201d\n\nAlas! this was an insult too biting for Rustem to bear with any degree\nof patience, so, frowning angrily, he said:\n\n\u201cThou and I, O Prince, can boast of the same origin, as thou well\nknowest, since we are both descended from Husheng the Shah. Why, then,\nuse such injurious language? Yea, and would it not, perhaps, be becoming\nfor Isfendiyar to remember that but for the honor and fidelity of Rustem\nand his house unto the Shahs, Isfendiyar of the Heft-Khan would not be\nnumbered among the heroes of Iran? But, after all, what hath he done?\nWhy! he hath slain Arjasp, one puny King, while over against that is the\nlong record of Rustem\u2019s glorious deeds, which need not to be recounted.\u201d\n\nNow Rustem\u2019s vehemence and the disdainful tone of his voice made it hard\nfor Isfendiyar to remember the courtesy due unto a guest, but,\nrestraining his anger, he said softly unto him:\n\n\u201cO Modest One! Why dost thou raise thy voice so high and speak so\nloftily? For, after all, thou wert, and art still, but the slave of the\nShah, dependent for thy very breath upon his clemency. And after all,\nwhat were thy seven boasted labors to my terrible Heft-Khan? And who, I\nask you,\u2014by the power of his sword\u2014diffused the blessings of the faith\nof Zerdusht throughout the world? Verily, Rustem hath performed the\nduties of a warrior and a servant, but Isfendiyar the holy functions of\na sovereign and a prophet. But now have we boasted enough, for behold,\nthe day is almost ended and I am hungry. Let us eat and drink,\ntherefore, for to-morrow will we meet in enmity upon the field of\nbattle.\u201d\n\nSo a great banquet was spread, and the two heroes sat down to feast,\nRustem astonishing Isfendiyar greatly, for never had the Prince dreamed\nthat mortal man could eat and drink so much, and he wondered not now\nthat Rustem\u2019s might was reckoned equal to that of a hundred strong men.\nWhen the time of departure was come, however, once more Rustem begged\nIsfendiyar to be his guest on the morrow, but again the Prince refused.\nThen the Hero knew that words were idle, and he was sorrowful in his\nsoul, for within himself he said:\n\n\u201cTruly the Evil One is in this whole affair, and no good can come of it.\nNow if I suffer these chains, men will mock that Rustem permitted a boy\nto bind him, and the dishonor of it can never be wiped out. Yet if I\nslay this stripling on the morrow, the glory of a lifetime will be\ntarnished, for men will say that in his last days Rustem lifted up his\nhand against one of the royal house.\u201d\n\nNevertheless, concealing his sorrow and dismay, he replied gaily unto\nIsfendiyar, saying:\n\n\u201cSo be it then, O Stubborn One! to-morrow will we meet in conflict,\nsince naught else will content thee. And behold! when I shall have\nlifted thee lightly from off thy saddle, straight will I convey thee\nunto Silver-crowned Zal, who shall place thee upon the ivory throne,\nwhile upon thy head a crown of gold shall glitter. Yea, and when that we\nhave feasted, right loyally our troops shall fight for thee as King, and\nwe will serve thee faithfully as thy Pehliva forever and a day.\u201d\n\nBut Isfendiyar, thinking that Rustem mocked, said angrily:\n\n\u201cOld Man! Verily thou hadst best save thy breath for combat, since\nto-morrow, by the aid of Zerdusht, will I make the world dark unto thine\neyes.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, laughing, said:\n\n\u201cO Foolish Youth, when Rustem wieldeth his mace, behold, the world\ntrembleth, and the head of his enemy falls. Consider, therefore, thy\ncourse.\u201d\n\nNow when he had thus spoken, Rustem rode forth from out the tents of\nIsfendiyar, and though his lips smiled, his heart was heavy with\nforeboding. Nevertheless, when he was come unto his palace, he commanded\nthat his armor and implements of war be brought before him. Then, as he\ngazed upon them, sighing, he said:\n\n\u201cO my raiment of battle, verily thou hast rested long, yet once again\nmust I don thee for combat. And alas! I greatly fear me that it is for\nmy last fight.\u201d\n\nBut behold! when sunshine once more flooded the world, then the Pehliva\nthrew off his sadness, for he resolved once more to speak persuasive\nwords unto the Prince. So, having received his father\u2019s blessing, he\narmed himself for battle, and rode forth unto the tents of Isfendiyar,\nand lo! when he was come near, he shouted gaily:\n\n\u201cHo, Brave Isfendiyar! Why sleepest thou when the hero with whom thou\nwouldst try thy strength hath come forth to meet thee?\u201d\n\nNow Isfendiyar, at this call, quickly issued from his tent, and, leaping\nupon his charger, rode like the wind unto his waiting antagonist. So the\ntwo met, the old warrior and the young, and truly they were a doughty\npair. But Rustem\u2019s efforts at persuasion were vain, for Isfendiyar would\nhear of naught but battle.\n\nSo, after the useless controversy, behold, the Champions began their\ncombat. Now they began the fight with their spears, but as the contest\nlasted for long hours, they tested their strength and skill successively\nwith their swords, clubs, and lassos; but still the end came not. For,\nthough they fought until both they and their horses were worn out with\nweariness, neither could prevail. So they stopped them awhile to rest.\n\nBut behold! as they rested, Bahman, the son of Isfendiyar, rushed up to\nhis father, informing him that Rustem\u2019s lieutenants had provoked a\nbattle between the two armies, and that as a consequence two valiant\nyouths, sons of Isfendiyar, were slain, and the Shah\u2019s troops put to\nrout with great slaughter. Then was Isfendiyar transported with rage.\nCalling aloud unto Rustem, therefore, he said:\n\n\u201cHo, Old Man! Dost thou hear this? Thy chiefs have fallen upon my\ntroops, killing my two brave sons. Verily, I had thought such treachery\nbeneath the Mighty Rustem.\u201d\n\nNow when Rustem heard these words, behold, he trembled like a leaf. But\nhe said:\n\n\u201cO Isfendiyar, I swear unto thee by the head of the King, by the sun,\nand by my conquering sword, that no part have I had in this matter. Yea,\nand to prove it unto thee, I swear that whoever hath been in fault, even\nthough it be my dearest, lo, he shall be bound hand and foot and given\nover unto thee for vengeance.\u201d\n\nBut, unplacated, the Prince cried angrily unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cVerily, O Treacherous One, thy words have a pleasant sound, but I say\nunto thee, it is idle to kill the snake that the peacock\u2019s death may be\navenged. Thine own blood, therefore, shall pay for that of my sons, for\nverily my arrows shall make the world dark unto thine eyes.\u201d\n\nNow thus saying, Isfendiyar seized his bow, and whiz! whiz! went a\nshower of arrows through the air, fastening themselves in the body of\nRustem and Rakush, his steed. Yea, twice thirty arrows were there in\nall, and not one of them was there that did not wound the Hero or his\nhorse, while Rustem\u2019s missiles fell harmless upon Isfendiyar, because\nthat Zerdusht had charmed his body against all danger so that it was\nlike unto brass.\n\nThen Rustem, seeing that Rakush was like to perish of his wounds, and\nfeeling also his own strength going from loss of blood, cried unto\nIsfendiyar:\n\n\u201cBehold, night is at hand, O Angry One, and since even heroes cannot\ncombat in the darkness, go thy way, and we will meet again in the\nmorning.\u201d\n\nBut Isfendiyar, seeing that Rustem staggered in his saddle, said:\n\n\u201cOld Man, think not to escape me thus, for yet there is light enough to\nfinish our combat.\u201d\n\nBut Rustem replied unto the Eager One:\n\n\u201cNot so, O Isfendiyar! Farewell, therefore, until morning.\u201d\n\nNow so saying, quickly Rustem turned him and swam across the stream. And\nbehold! Isfendiyar was amazed, for he knew that both steed and rider\nwere sore wounded. Then, standing upon the bank, with his lips he\nreviled the fleeing Hero, but lo! in his heart he was filled with\nadmiration and wonder at his prowess.\n\nAnd now, Rustem having escaped him, sorrowfully Isfendiyar returned unto\nhis tent, where he mourned over the bodies of his two sons. But when the\nnight was far spent, lo, he placed them on biers of ebony, in coffins of\ngold, and sent them unto the Shah with this message:\n\n\u201cO King of Evil Devices! Behold, I am sending unto thee the first fruits\nof thy seeds of guile. Isfendiyar is yet alive, but Heaven alone knoweth\nwhat may befall to-morrow.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: Isfendiyar seized his bow, and whiz! whiz! went a shower\nof arrows.]\n\nThen the Prince said unto his brother:\n\n\u201cO Bashutan, my brother! Verily this Rustem is not mortal. For neither\nwith my sword nor javelin could I do harm unto his body formed of rock\nand iron. But, thanks unto Zerdusht, the charmed arrows have done their\nwork, and it will indeed be wonderful if the Mighty One liveth\nthroughout the night.\u201d\n\nMeanwhile, when the wounded Hero, of whom Isfendiyar spoke thus\nfeelingly, was come into the presence of Zal and Rudabeh, behold, they\nrent the air with their cries of woe; for never yet had Rustem returned\nunto them vanquished; neither had any man e\u2019er done such harm unto his\nbody. Now they cried out sore in their distress, and Rustem, too,\nlamented, for the pain of his wounds was great. Presently, however,\nseeing that the case of his son was indeed serious, Zal bethought him of\na remedy. So he said:\n\n\u201cO my glorious son, mourn not so bitterly, for yet there is hope for\nthee, since in this, our extremity, once more I shall call unto our aid\nthe Wondrous Bird of God.\u201d\n\nSo at once Zal went forth unto a high mountain, taking with him three\ngolden censers filled with fire, and as many mighty magicians, who\ncaused the fires to glow brighter and ever brighter. And lo! at the end\nof the first watch of the night, Silver-crowned Zal dropped into the\nbrightly glowing fire the glorious golden feather of the Simurgh. Then\ninstantly a mighty stir of wings filled all the air, and the Wondrous\nBird of God dropped down beside her child, listening sympathetically\nunto his plaint. And, the story being told, the Simurgh said:\n\n\u201cLet the Mighty Rustem and his glorious steed be brought unto me, for\nlo! there is healing in my wings.\u201d\n\nSo quickly the magicians hastened back unto the palace, and though\nRustem and Rakush had scarcely strength to move, yet went they unto the\nmountain with all the speed they could, pausing not until they were come\ninto the presence of the Bird of God.\n\nAnd now the glorious Simurgh, swiftly passing her golden beak over the\nbody of the wounded Hero, drew thence four wicked arrow-heads. Then\ncaressing the wounds softly and lightly with her fluffy wings, lo, in a\nmoment, Rustem felt all his strength return. Yea, and Rakush, too,\nrejoiced, neighing, and tossing his mighty head for gladness when that\nthe six charmed arrow-heads troubled his peace no more; and then, the\nwork of healing done, the Simurgh said unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cAlas, O Son of Zal! Wherefore hast thou entered upon combat with the\nson of the Shah, and the beloved of Zerdusht? For verily it can bring\nthee naught but woe; and there is little that even I can do to aid thee.\nFor never hath there appeared in the world so brave and so perfect a\nhero as Isfendiyar. Yea, and the favor of Heaven is with him also, for\nin his great Heft-Khan, by some clever artifice, he succeeded in killing\na Simurgh, and the farther thou art removed from his invincible arm,\ntherefore, the greater will be thy safety. For alas! in the Book of Fate\nit is written that whosoever sheddeth the blood of Isfendiyar, he also\nshall perish miserably, never again knowing joy in this life, and also\nsuffering pangs in the life to come. But if this fate dismay thee not,\ncome forth with me, and I will reveal unto thee a way to lay thine enemy\nlow\u2014if the stars decree that his hour is come.\u201d\n\nSo, wishing not to face defeat, Rustem mounted into the golden chariot\nof which he had heard so oft from his father, and the Simurgh bare him\nfar, far away, even unto the shores of a mighty sea. Now there she put\nthe Hero down softly in a garden wherein grew a tamarisk-tree, whose\nroots were in the ground, but whose branches pierced unto heaven. Then\nthe Simurgh said:\n\n\u201cO Glorious Son of Zal, I pray thee choose from this tree the longest,\nstraightest and finest branch that thou canst find, for to this tamarisk\nbough is bound the fate of Isfendiyar. Yea, and after thou hast secured\nit, make it yet straighter before the fire, search out a well-tempered\narrow-head, feather it well, and if Isfendiyar\u2019s hour is come, this is\nthe weapon which, when directed unto his forehead, will cause him to\nperish, for only through his eye can this hero be wounded, since\nZerdusht hath made the rest of his body invulnerable. But yet once more\nI counsel thee, bring this matter to a good end, for so shalt thou\nescape much sorrow.\u201d\n\nNow having thus spoken, behold, the Simurgh carried Rustem safely back\nunto the palace of Zal, bidding him be of good cheer. After her\ndeparture, however, the Hero hastened to carry out her commands as to\nthe fashioning of the fateful arrow.\n\nBut behold! when morning was come, Rustem mounted upon fiery Rakush, and\nrode serenely forth unto the camp of Isfendiyar. And lo! his antagonist\nyet slumbered, for he thought of a surety that Rustem must have perished\nfrom his wounds during the night. So, beholding that Isfendiyar yet\nslept, Rustem, lifting up his voice of thunder, cried:\n\n\u201cHo, Brave Crocodile of War! Is it a time to slumber when thou hast\nchallenged a hero to combat? Get thee up, for verily Rustem is not\naccustomed thus to be kept waiting.\u201d\n\nNow when Isfendiyar, thus awakened, beheld that it was really Rustem who\nawaited him without the tent, he was amazed. But quickly donning his\narmor, and mounting his horse, he soon appeared in the presence of\nRustem, saying unto him:\n\n\u201cO Elephant-limbed Warrior! Yesterday thou wert wounded almost unto\ndeath by my arrows, and to-day there is no trace of them either upon\nthee or thy steed. Pray how is this?\n\n              \u201cBut, then, thy father, Zal, is a sorcerer,\n                And he by charm and spell\n              Hath cured all the wounds of the warrior,\n                And now he is safe and well.\n              For the wounds I gave could never be\n              Closed up except by sorcery.\n              Yea, the wounds I gave thee in every part\n              Could never be cured but by magic art.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, replying unto Isfendiyar, said:\n\n\u201cO Royal Archer! Know that if thou wert to shoot at me a thousand\narrows, they would all drop harmless unto the ground. Therefore, let us\nbe friends, and not only shalt thou be placed upon the throne, but all\nthe treasure of the house of Zal shall be thine.\u201d\n\nBut Isfendiyar replied impatiently unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cBrave Prater! Wilt thou never cease from thy idle talk? Now once for\nall I say unto thee that never will I forsake the paths of God by\ndisobeying my father. Choose, therefore, between chains and battle.\u201d\n\nThen Rustem, seeing that his submission was not accepted, though he had\noffered to sacrifice much, bent his bow, and laid the arrow of tamarisk\nin rest, and so held it while he prayed unto God. And lo! the Prince,\nnoting that the Hero delayed, thought that he did so from fear, and he\ntaunted him. Then Rustem, hesitating no longer, let his arrow fly toward\nhis enemy, and behold! it sped straight unto its mark, piercing the eye\nof Isfendiyar, so that the bow dropped from his hand, and he clutched at\nhis horse\u2019s mane. Yea,\n\n                \u201cAnd darkness overspread his sight,\n                The world to him was hid in night;\n                The bow dropped from his slackened hand,\n                And down he sank upon the sand.\u201d\n\nNow long Isfendiyar swooned, and his kinsmen and chiefs, beholding what\nhad befallen, rent the air with their woe. But the Prince, when he\nrevived, said unto them calmly:\n\n\u201cO Heroes of Iran, trouble not yourselves on account of my death, for it\nis not Rustem who hath slain me, nor the Simurgh, nor yet the magic\narrow, but my father, who knowingly sent me forth unto my death, and\nverily the curse of the Great Prophet shall fall upon his head. As for\nthee, O Rustem, being but the instrument of fate, thou art guiltless in\nthis matter, and that thou mayest know how I honor thee, I desire that\nthou take unto thee Bahman, my son, and rear him for Iran, even as thou\ndidst noble Siawush, for lo! it hath been revealed unto me that Bahman\nwill sit upon the throne that hath been denied unto me.\u201d\n\nAlas! having thus spoken, behold, Isfendiyar sighed, and the sun of his\nlife was set, and great was the lamentation for the brave young hero\nlost unto Iran. As for Rustem, sorrowfully he made ready for Isfendiyar\na coffin of gold, causing it to be lined with silken stuffs and perfumed\nwith amber. Then he laid therein the valiant hero-prince of the\nHeft-Khan, and all beholding him wept with bitter sorrow. Tenderly then\nthe coffin of gold was placed upon the back of a slow-moving dromedary,\nforty others following in its wake. And lo! there followed after them\nthe brave army of the Prince, clad in robes of mourning, while Bashutan\nmarched at the head of the sorrowful train, leading Isfendiyar\u2019s horse,\nwhose saddle was reversed and whose mane and tail were shorn, while from\nits sides hung the armor of the vanquished one. Now thus it was that\nthey brought brave Isfendiyar back unto the palace of his fathers, and\nbehold! all the world mourned this great loss unto Iran.\n\nBut while Iran sorrowed for Isfendiyar, behold, Bahman grew up in the\ncourts of Rustem, the Pehliva loving him as a son. For in his heart he\ngrieved bitterly that by his hand brave Isfendiyar had fallen. Yea, and\nhe gloried not in his last great fight, even though he knew that now his\nstar would shine on undimmed unto the end, and that the children of\nOrmuzd would sing his praises through all the ages as the one great\nunconquered hero of the Persians.\n\n\n\n\n                          THE DEATH OF RUSTEM\n\n\nLo! it is chronicled by Firdusi, who, in his great epic poem, hath made\nimmortal the heroes and kings of Persia, that Zal in his old age had\nborn unto him a son of remarkable beauty. But alas! when the astrologers\ncast the horoscope of this beautiful babe, they read therein that few\nand evil would be the days of Shughad; that he would be the ruin of the\nhouse of his fathers, also bringing destruction upon the land of Iran.\n\nNow Zal was overwhelmed with dismay when this message of the stars was\ncommunicated unto him, and he prayed continually unto Ormuzd that he\nwould avert this terrible fate from the head of his boy. Yea, and he\nreared him carefully, sparing no pains to inculcate in the youth the\nprinciples of truth, honor, loyalty unto his house and unto the King.\n\nThen, when Shughad was come unto man\u2019s estate, Zal sent him unto the\nKing of Kabul, who, when he saw that he was tall and handsome, and fit\nin every way to sit upon the throne, showed unto him great kindness,\neven giving unto him his daughter in marriage, and providing for him\nbountifully.\n\nNow the King of Kabul paid tribute unto Rustem, every year being\nrequired to send unto the Hero of Seistan a bull\u2019s hide as a token of\nsovereignty. And alas! this was a great grievance unto his soul, for he\nwas proud in his spirit and desired to be bondsman unto none. So it was\nnot alone kindness which prompted him to take Shughad unto him as his\nson, for in his heart he hoped thus to have the tribute remitted.\n\nBut behold! when the proper time came, Rustem sent his messenger as\nusual to demand the bull\u2019s hide, which made the King very angry. So, in\nhis disappointment, he hesitated not to express his opinion of Rustem\u2019s\nconduct unto Shughad, stirring up his mind against his brother. Then\nShughad, becoming angry and discontented also, said unto the King:\n\n\u201cVerily, since my elder brother hath behaved unto me thus unkindly, in\nmy heart he shall be unto me no more than a stranger. Let us consider,\ntherefore, how we may ensnare him.\u201d\n\nSo all night the King and Shughad talked and pondered how they might rid\nthe world of Rustem, and at last they decided upon a scheme.\n\nConsequently, it came to pass that presently the King of Kabul gave a\ngreat feast, and when all had become excited with wine, behold, Shughad,\nthe son of Zal, began to boast of his lineage, saying:\n\n\u201cVerily, Shughad alone of all this great company should be toasted! Yea,\nand I except not even the King, our host! For is not the Mighty Rustem\nmy brother? And do I not come from a long line of heroes, extending from\nHusheng the Shah even unto Zal of the white hair?\u201d\n\nNow hearing this, lo, the King sprang up in pretended wrath, saying:\n\n\u201cUpstart! Thinkest thou to lord it over me, the King of Kabul? Verily,\nnay! For thou art really no brother unto Rustem, since thy mother was\nbut a slave in thy father\u2019s household. Therefore, boast not so loudly.\u201d\n\nThen Shughad, feigning great anger, hastily left the banqueting-halls,\nthreatening to call forth Rustem to avenge the insulting words of the\nKing. So, with guile in his heart, the Prince rode forth unto the palace\nof his brother. And behold! after they had exchanged greetings, Rustem\nsaid:\n\n\u201cAnd how fares it with thee at Kabul, O my brother? Art thou still happy\nand contented in the King\u2019s palace?\u201d\n\nThen Shughad, rejoicing at the opening thus given him, said:\n\n\u201cI pray thee do not speak unto me of Kabul, for the word is hateful unto\nmine ears. For verily this night hath the King insulted me beyond\nbearing. Yea, and thee, too, and my father! So I came away in a rage,\nand never will I return until the vile words which he spake of my family\nare avenged.\u201d\n\nNow when Rustem learned what had been spoken by the King of Kabul, he\nsaid unto Shughad:\n\n\u201cO my brother, trouble not thyself concerning this matter, for verily it\nshall bring thee naught but gain. Alas! ever hath the King of Kabul been\nvain and arrogant of spirit, but for this he shall be humbled unto the\ndust, for no longer shall he reign in Kabul, since his crown shall\nhenceforth grace thine own fair brow.\u201d\n\nSo, at once Rustem set forth to avenge the wrongs of his brother, but\nlo! when they were yet far from Kabul, they were met by the King, who,\nbowing himself low in the dust, said unto Rustem:\n\n\u201cO Lord of the World! Thou beholdest before thee, with uncovered head\nand bare feet, the proud King of Kabul. Pardon, therefore\u2014thou who art\ngracious as the River Nile\u2014the foolish words of thy slave, spoken when\nhis head was troubled with wine. For lo! his mouth is filled with dust\nand his soul with sorrow and repentance.\u201d\n\nNow hearing these words of humility, Rustem\u2019s anger was appeased.\nGranting unto the King forgiveness, therefore, he graciously consented\nto be his guest. So a great banquet was made ready to celebrate the\nreconciliation, and as they feasted the King lauded his wondrous\nhunting-grounds, wherein the deer and the wild ass furnished such\nexcellent sport, and he invited Rustem to hunt therein for a day before\nreturning unto Seistan.\n\nSo Rustem, who loved the chase almost as well as the field of battle,\nconsented to remain the King\u2019s guest for yet another day, for he\nsuspected not that poison lurked in the honey of the monarch\u2019s words.\nBut alas! in a certain part of these beautiful hunting-grounds, the\nschemers had caused to be dug treacherous pits, lined thickly with\nswords and lances and hunting-spears, yet no man would have suspected\ntheir existence, so cleverly were they covered over.\n\nOn the following day, therefore, the King directed the hunt unto the\nplace in the forest where the pits were hidden. And behold! Shughad ran\nbeside the horse of Rustem to show unto him the path. But when they were\ncome unto the place of peril, Rakush, smelling the newly-turned earth,\nreared high in the air, refusing to advance. Then Rustem, thinking he\nwas afraid, commanded him to go forward; but Rakush, backing, refused to\ngive ear unto his master\u2019s voice. Now this made Rustem angry so that\nlightly he struck him with his whip, though never before in all their\nlong wanderings together had he done so. Then, alas! surprised and\nmaddened by the stroke, Rakush sprang forward, but only to fall into one\nof the treacherous pits.\n\nNow sinking into the midst of this cruel bed of pointed weapons, many a\nghastly stab and many a cut in limb and body received Rustem and his\ngallant steed. Yet from this awful grave, at one prodigious spring,\nRakush escaped with his master still upon his back. But alas! what\navailed that mighty effort? For, down again into another pit, yet\ndeeper, both fell together. And though again they rose, and yet again,\nit was only to be engulfed once more, and yet again. Yea, seven times\ndown prostrate, seven times bruised and maimed, did Rakush struggle on,\nuntil mounting up the edge of the seventh pit, all covered with deep\nwounds, both horse and rider lay exhausted, Rustem swooning in his\nagony.\n\nBut when once more the mighty Hero opened his horror-stricken eyes upon\nthe world, lo, he beheld Shughad his brother, smiling in triumph at his\nside. Then knew he unto whom he owed this infamous treachery, and he\nsaid:\n\n\u201cThou Wicked One! Is it possible that thou, the son of Zal, hast\ncontrived and wrought this evil deed against thy brother? Verily thy\nheart is as black as thy shadow, which shall not long darken the earth.\u201d\n\nThen the treacherous Shughad, trying to justify his cruel deed, said\nsternly unto the dying Hero:\n\n\u201cVerily, God hath decreed this awful vengeance to recompense thee for\nall the blood that thou hast shed in thy long life as a warrior. Not I,\nbut He, hath determined thy fate.\u201d\n\nNow at this moment the King of Kabul drew near, feigning great anger and\nsorrow when he beheld the dying one. And he wailed:\n\n\u201cAlas the day! That the Mighty Rustem should perish so ignobly, and as\nmy guest! Quick, bring the matchless balm for Rustem\u2019s cure, for the\ngreat Champion of Iran must not be allowed to die a death so wretched!\u201d\n\nBut Rustem, smiling scornfully, said unto the treacherous King:\n\n\u201cO Man of Wile! Right well thou knowest that Death, that cometh unto all\nmen in their turn, is the only physician that now can heal the great\nRustem of his wounds. But why should the mighty son of Zal complain of\nFate? For verily, many a mighty King hath died and left me still\ntriumphant, still in power unconquerable. And behold! yet there liveth\nvaliant Feramurz, who will be revenged upon thee for his father\u2019s\ndeath.\u201d\n\nAnd now the Mighty Rustem sighed, saying unto Shughad in a weak and\nmournful voice:\n\n\u201cVerily, my spirit will soon be free! But alas! it grieveth me sore that\nmy faithful body may this night be food unto the wolves and lions.\nString, therefore, my bow, and place it in my hands that I may appear\nunto the wild beasts that would devour me, even as a live warrior, ready\nto defend his life. For our father\u2019s sake, O Shughad, refuse not thy\nbrother this last request.\u201d\n\nSo, suspecting naught, Shughad drew the great bow from its case, and\nplaced it in Rustem\u2019s hands, smiling with satisfaction to think that his\nbrother\u2019s end was so nigh. But verily he smiled not but a moment, for\nnoting the strength with which Rustem gripped his bow, and the peculiar\nlook of his eye, shuddering with terror, quickly Shughad dodged behind a\nplane-tree close at hand. But useless was the shelter, for though the\ndimness of death was come over the eyes of the Hero, he yet spied\nShughad where he hid, and whiz! went an arrow, straight through the tree\nand the wicked Shughad, transfixing them together. And Rustem, when he\nsaw the fate of his brother, was content, knowing that he could do no\nmore harm unto his house.\n\nBut alas! of all that mighty hunting-party not a knightly follower\nescaped. For Zuara and all the others perished in the treacherous pits\nof the traitor King, save only one, who quickly fled with the dire news\nunto Seistan.\n\nThen Zal, in agony, tore his white hair and rent his garments, lamenting\nbitterly for Rustem, crying again and again:\n\n\u201cWhy was I not present, fighting at his side? Why could I not die for\nhim? Wherefore, alas, am I left alone to mourn his memory?\u201d\n\nBut behold! though bowed to the earth with grief, quickly the\nwhite-haired old warrior sent Feramurz forth with a great army to avenge\nthe death of his father. And verily the work of the Hero was complete.\nFor not only did he make of Kabul a desert, but he laid low the head of\nthe treacherous King and all his race. Then the work of vengeance\nfinished, lo, he sought out the body of Rustem, and of Rakush his\ngallant steed, and bare them back in sorrow unto Seistan, where they\nwere placed in a noble tomb.\n\nAnd alas! never was there such wailing in the land of Iran as for Rustem\nthe Mighty. Nay, not even for the glorious Shahs of Old! And well might\nit be so, for never again did Persia rejoice in such an unbroken line of\nheroes, and never did she achieve such telling victories, for with\nRustem her glory departed; yea, for many long years!","title":"The Story of Rustem, and other Persian hero tales from Firdusi","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":106428}