The Story-book of the Shah, or Legends of Old Persia

THE

STORY-BOOK OF THE SHAH OR

LEGENDS OF OLD PERSIA

THE HE-GOAT

Frontispiece

KING JRMSHED AND THE GENII.

THE STORY-BOOK OF THE SHAH OR

LEGENDS OF OLD PERSIA

ELLA AUTHOR OF

"

C.

SYKES

THROUGH PERSIA ON A SIDE-SADDLE

'

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAUDE COOPER AND DECORATIONS BY ETHEL R. SYKES FROM PERSIAN SOURCES

LONDON

JOHN MACQUEEN 49,

RUPERT STREET, W. 1901

Gbese Stories ARE

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO

MY LITTLE GOD-DAUGHTERS ENID, JOAN AND

KATHLEEN

5

PREFACE THE

legends re-told

old

well-known to the the

of

Siege

Odysseus

Troy

the

to

in

book are as

this

Persians of to-day, as were or

the

Athenians

adventures

of

time

of

the

in

Pericles.

Some

eight centuries have

now passed

the poet Firdausi, the Oriental these ancient tales

embodied them

Homer,

of Kings and

in a fine epic

Nameh," which has been

since

collected

Heroes, and

" Shah poem, the

called

the

"

Iliad

of

the East." This,

alas

!

I

have not read

545005

in the original,

PREFACE

VI

but

I

as

have endeavoured to make such characters Rustem,

Jemshed,

teresting local

own

to

English

colour to

readers,

book by

my

experiences,

Sohrab,

gained

and

and

others,

have given

depicting, from

a

during

in-

two

my

years'

some of the aspects of and the different manners and customs

residence in the country, Persia,

of

its

inhabitants,

as

they are

the

at

present

day.

In

many

cases

outline of the incidents,

have taken only the bare

I

story, filling

and have

it

in

tried to avoid the repetition

and verbosity of the

original,

which would not

appeal to the Western mind, as Eastern.

with suitable

it

does to the

CONTENTS

i

.

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED,

.

.

.

/

.

i

II

THE STORY OF KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN,

.

45

III

THE

STORIES OF ZAL

AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM,

73

IV RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,

.

.

95

V RUSTEM AND SOHRAB,

.

.

.119

.

VI

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANfjEH,

.

.

.

;

.

.

.

.

.143

VII

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM,

'

.

169

VIII

THE STORY OF

ISFENDIYAR,

.

.189

LIST

OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

KING JEMSHED AND THE GENII,

.

.

Frontispiece

KING JEMSHED AND THE SLAVE-GIRL,

.

.

Facing

FERIDUN AND THE GOOD GENIUS,

.

ZAL AND RUDABEH,

....

>j

23 54

,,82

RUSTEM FIGHTS WITH KING AFRASIYAB (FROM A PERSIAN PAINTING),

.

RUSTEM AND THE WHITE DEMON,

MANfjEH

IN

.

.

101

.

,,114

....

KING KAI-KAUS TRYING TO FLY,

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB,

.

HER TENT,

.

THE COUNCIL OF THE WISE MEN,

.

.

,,122

.

.

,,150

.

.

,,183

138

ISFENDIYAR CONQUERS THE KING OF INDIA

(FROM A PERSIAN PAINTING), ISFENDIYAR AND THE DRAGON,

.

.

190

.

.

204

I

The

Story of King Jemshed

CHAPTER IT has

seemed

to

children might

me

I

that perhaps

like to

some English

hear the stories that have

delighted boys and girls in Persia for so

many

hundreds of years.

We

ourselves "

Killer,"

Puss

know in

all

about " Jack the Giant-

Boots,"

and a host of those

friends of our childhood, and, later on,

acquaintance

much -travelled

Jason,

and

Ulysses, but few of us have

come

with

Hercules,

1

and

we make

A

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH across

the white-haired

King Jemshed,

mighty Rustem, and

renowned

The

that

tell

that

relate

you.

many hundreds

ancestors dwelt

their

Zal, or

and others as

of these

is

propose to

I

Persians

years ago

it

of

the Elburz

in

mountains, a lofty range to the north of their

They were wont

country.

to sleep in caves

on

the hill-sides, and were clad in the skins of the

animals which they had slain for food with their

bows and arrows, each man and owning no allegiance

living for himself,

But

to anyone.

after

a while they chose a king, Kaiumers by name,

and he

was

assembled

and

tigers

forest,

to

wise

do

that

him

came from

and

before the

so

and

in

the

homage.

their lairs

wolves

monarch

even

in

animals

The

lions

the distant

leopards

crouched

company with the fierce

wild boar and the fleet-footed ass of the desert.

Kaiumers strong,

but,

who was

the

and

prospered

grew great

and

unfortunately, he had an enemy,

King

of the 2

Divs or

Demons,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Persian

the

mountain

soldiers

son, for

the

to

their

fastnesses.

Kaiumers grieved

bitterly for

his pride as a king

and

terror

in

fled

Demons

hurt,

overflowed the Persian lands,

insolence

and, in the

the loss of his

was severely

of their triumph, treated

the lawful inhabitants as their slaves.

But the Gods above, who always guard the right,

would not

long,

and

one

suffer this state of things for

a

day

mysterious

and

awe-

inspiring voice was heard by old Kaiumers in

where he

the remote cavern

lay

hid from his

enemies.

"

"

the bravest of thy subjects to thy

Summon

standard,

Cease thy wild despair,"

and victory

shall

So the monarch roused to

fight yet once again

manded

his

dearly-loved

to

lead his forces.

to

human

it

said.

crown thy arms."

himself,

and, resolving

for his

kingdom, com-

grandson,

Husheng,

This youth did not

trust

help alone, but called the wild beasts

to assist him,

and

it

is

said that

4

even the birds

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED of the air gave valuable foe

by

flying in

aid in

their faces

confusing the

and making swoops

at their eyes.

The sight,

army of Demons was a terrible enveloped as it was in flames and clouds great

won

of smoke, but the heroism of the Persians the

day,

Husheng

particularly

distinguishing

Demon King and

himself by slaying the

ous members of his family in single

As was always

the

case

whole army was routed leader,

in

those

days,

the its

and the panic-stricken Divs were purand

which tore them to pieces as they

From now onwards

a

combat.

on the death of

sued by the tigers and wolves

secure,

vari-

and

the kingdom of Persia was

civilization

climax in the

panthers,

fled.

long

grew apace, and reached reign

of

Jemshed,

the

grandson of the valiant Husheng. Persians speak of the

wisdom and power of

mighty monarch as we do of that of King Solomon. The Demons were subservient to

this

5

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH his

and he made them build magnificent

will,

palaces for

him.

launched

also

They

vessels

on the Caspian Sea, and even went so far as Jemshed on his throne from one

to transport to

city

write

another in less time than

takes to

it

For seven hundred years Persia en-

it.

joyed a Golden

Age under

During that time no

favoured by the Gods.

one died or was his subjects,

was

this king, so highly

and Jemshed, along with

ill,

the very heyday of youth

in

and strength, old age being unknown. But the greatness of the

monarch

with

gratitude due his people

There everyone

owed came of

his

all

a

Gods

to

he forgot the

whom

when

day

subjects

mansion

of

was

a fairy dream.

like

he and

their happiness.

to

commanded

he

assemble

great square in front of his palace.

the

inflated

prosperity

and

pride,

the

to

his

built

king,

by

the

the

Now

this

Demons,

All the outside walls

were covered with beautifully-painted 6

in

tiles,

and

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED many windows and

the of

fretted

with

building

stonework,

was

so

of looking-glass,

bits

encrusted the

that

and sparkled as

glittered

made

were

balconies

which

if

whole it

had

been besprinkled with diamonds.

And we have

can

never

which

to-day,

quite

because the

made

Persians

manner

the

forgotten

Demons

the

kind of ornamen-

see this

still

Persia

tation in

King

in

Jemshed's

palace.

were

Inside, there

fountains,

and

on which to pictures

hangings, palace

The

lie.

and

halls

lofty

silk carpets

covering soft divans

of to-day,

but,

were

walls

embroidered

everything

with springing

silks

much of

mere men not being able

hung with

and

jewelled

a

Persian

far

grander,

like

course,

make

to

things

as

well as the Genii can.

The city,

to

range,

palace the

stood

north

covered

in

the

of which

with

snow,

midst

rose

the

the great

of

the

Elburz

Volcano

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Demavend sending up

smoke,

its

curling

lazily

into the clear blue sky of a Persian winter.

In front of the palace was placed the of mighty

on

Jemshed,

carried from place to place in

an

the twinkling of

he

which his

kingdom

was

It

eye.

throne

could

a

many

that

sunshine

lit

great

brilliant

have ever heard

it

Divs,

gigantic

Jinns,

while

was almost

too

gaze

array

of

and

Afreets,

on,

and

cat-headed

fearsome-looking

a

Peris,

graceful

and the

not.

to

eye

stood a great

it

it

up,

every

of,

As

you have

mortal

for

dazzling

around

you

in

handi-

the

work of Demons, and was studded with precious stone

be

held a magnificent awning over

kind of

fairy,

it.

After a while the brazen trumpets blew, the

toms-toms were the

vast

crowds

patience to

hear

for

them thus

beaten

became

see their

what

by

men's

all

agog

hands,

and

with

im-

mighty monarch, and to

purpose

to assemble. 8

he

had

commanded

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED At

warriors

came

Jemshed, surrounded by his mightiest

last

and the most learned of

his

subjects,

from his palace and mounted the

forth

throne, while

the people

all

on

fell

their

faces

before him, and did obeisance.

He other,

wore many silken and a

over

one

coats,

mantle outside

fur

all

gorgeously-embroidered trousers

the rest

were

the ;

tight

his at

the ankles, and his slippers were of pure gold, while on his head was a big, many-coloured tur-

ban with a huge diamond blazing

At

the present

day the

several coats, one over

in front of

it.

Shah of Persia wears

the other, but, as they

are usually of buff or dark cloth, and his trousers like those of

a European gentleman, you would

not consider him very fine in appearance.

On

this

ficent that

occasion Jemshed looked

so

magni-

from his loyal subjects arose a loud

and prolonged the Persians

"

still

pleasure in the

Bah

!

bah

show

" !

their

same manner. 9

of admiration, and

astonishment and

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH moment

After a

the great

commanded

sceptre

and

and be

silent.

an

In

Demavend smoking," Universe," Persians "

all

"

the

as

Jemshed began, understand whence comes it

that

fear

the

all

frontiers are

you

Poverty

land?

of

on the to

your prosperity.

and

this

approach

Famine and

are.

as

World,"

well for

you are always young and

kingdoms on our

we

the

is

Disease

Death are driven from

never

Shelter of the

monarch

greatest

earth,"

that

"

so

went,

saying

Asylum of

"it

is

an

call their ruler.

Subjects of the

Why

rise

was

there

to listen to the

the

to

people

and one could almost "hear

intense stillness,

eager were

his

instant

his

raised

King

Why

it

and need

fair,

old

and is

age?

The

not favoured as

Pestilence

visit

all

other

nations, Death garners them in by thousands, and those he spares grow old and feeble.

What

is

Here

the reason of this difference the

King paused 10

for

" ?

a moment, and

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED shouts

from

"

of

the

subjects saw

his

frown

dark

and

concourse,

great

for

silence,

Gods

Hail to the Mighty

arose

ensued

surprise

brow of

the

upon

gather

then

with

" !

a

their

monarch. "

You

say your welfare

Gods!" he

cried out in

is

I,

the

the

all

me

ceed from

good

and Sickness and

shed himself rest,

that

you enjoy proyou not that

from

among you?

understand that Jem-

to

your joy and

all

goodness and greatness proceed

?

impious

speech

was

at

first

with great acclamation by the vast

even

as

them of turned

it

"

from him

This

you

Know

away Death

the source of

is

all

so,

driven

Poverty

Are you too ignorant

the

"Not

gifts

who have

King,

from

or worms.

Know

myself?

gift

anger.

moles

foolish ones, blind as

you not that

a

is

they "

to

Look the

shouted, at

a

Demavend

mountain. 11

" !

The

crowd, but,

arose

cry

received

and

among all

eyes

snow-covered

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH volcano had

suddenly become of a dusky red

and a huge black cloud issued from the and was wafted down towards the plain,

hue,

crater until

it

hovered over the awe-struck people who

turned to Jemshed for aid in their terror. But,

the

even as his subjects gazed upon him, of

grandeur

away. of

the

The gorgeous

unsightly

palace

the

ruins,

King vanished

proud

fell

and Jemshed's royal robes

heap

throne,

gem-studded

wonder of the world, crumbled

the

a

into

into

became

dust,

fluttering

rags such as the very beggars would disdain.

Along the ground glided venomous snakes, and loathsome lizards crawled among the while

populace,

a

veritable

and

black,

black

the

army

of

cloud

huge

of fat-bodied,

scorpions,

hairy

down

rained

yellow

tarantulas

and

swiftly-running centipedes.

On

all

sides

were

the Dwellers in the

clear signs of the

anger of

High Heavens, and

as the

people shrank away from the horrible reptiles 12

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED and

insects,

they cried out that they would no

obey Jemshed as

longer

he had

lost

their

because

King,

Gods through

favour of the

the

his impious pride.

Poor

He

monarch!

arrogance,

and

to

the

paid

day of

last

made

regretted that he had ever

His

speech.

The

for

bitterly his

that

his

boastful

however, came too

regrets,

he

life

nobles and warriors, seeing that the

late.

Gods

were against him, respected him no more, and

many

gave

actually

an Arab King,

their

who was

allegiance to

a slave to

Zohak, the

Iblis,

Spirit of Evil.

Accordingly, Persia, his

Zohak

which was

far

own kingdom, and

determined larger

sent

and

to

conquer

richer

than

a large army into

that country.

Jemshed did the

guard

his land

from

hordes of wild Arabs that flowed into

but, alas,

his

his best to

very

in

vain.

soldiers,

it,

His power was gone, and

who 13

used

to

think

they

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH could

never be conquered

were

with

he rode

as

now

them,

him

cursed

head

their

at

only their

if

on

his

King

openly,

milk-white

charger.

At

came a

last

The

terrible

day when

Persian

entire

army The archers would not draw

lost.

fight.

all

refused

was to

their bows,

the slingers threw their stones on the ground of putting

instead

the officers

and

into

their

swords

unfasten

the

left

not

did

them

their in

slings,

their

heavy

and

sheaths,

battle-axes

from their saddles.

Jemshed

galloped

to

and

fro

whirling his huge, spiked mace, to kill

them

the Arabs.

among them,

and threatening

make ready

against

But not a single man cared

for the

if

they did not

King's anger, though once every subject would

have prostrated himself until

At

commanded

the

monarch's feet

to rise.

Jemshed saw that all his efforts were and as he did not wish to be made

last

useless;

at

14

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED

close

Arab

the

by

prisoner

he

upon him,

shovel-shaped stirrups

As

dug the corners of into his steed and

horse was the

his

swiftest

King soon out-distanced him, and became

after

in

Persia,

dis-

the sent

riders

wanderer

a

his

cloud of dust.

Arab

the

without a

of the earth,

face

a

the plain in

appeared across

now thronging

hosts,

on

the

and with

friend

foes.

many Where far

fertile

was

could he go

slopes

frown,

the

and

West

mountains,

the

lay

but this country

Demons and

by

who

Genii,

him now, though only a back they had trembled at his

would assuredly time

the North, on the

of Mazanderan,

inhabited

short

To

?

Elburz

the

of

side

kill

obeyed were

his

the

lightest

Arab

On

behest.

hordes,

and

far

South ran the Persian Gulf, which report said

was

full

of crocodiles and sharks and

sea monsters, which were

many

other

in the habit of

com-

ing inland to devour the wretched inhabitants. 15

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH On

thinking over

make

decided to

and perhaps

reconquering his

You would even

the

at

roads,

lost

not

there

time

in

obtain

travelling

a

day,

on

carried

when

has

everyone

comfortable

can

in

room

the

the day's

march but

is

aid

in

Persia,

comfortable

to

from

get all

of

over,

place

the luggage mules.

for

you

is

And

you reach

no

and often very dirty

a caravanserai unless the weather

warm enough

in

must do the best you

a perfectly bare in

very

pack-saddles

hotel,

his

no railways and very

are

place on horseback, and

to

if

kingdom.

think

present

As

process.

few

Jemshed

way towards India, and,

his

take service with some powerful king

possible,

there,

these things,

all

to pitch

your

is

tent.

Jemshed, however, had no baggage and no tent,

and he did not dare to enter the cara-

vanserais

for

fear

of

being

recognized.

the shelter he could get was in small

hut,

made

of mud.

16

Day

All

some peasant's after

day he

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED traverse

broad

scarcely-defined

track

would

barren

a

towards

which he

hills,

riding

plains,

along

of

range

would painfully

a

cross

;

and every now and again a dreary expanse of desert

had

to

be passed.

These deserts

Water

the traveller.

to

at long

distances

On

one

is

and there

apart,

or beast.

occasion

Jemshed

hanging from his saddle, drop,

holes,

and

which

the precious

yet

is

nearly

The

thirst in these terrible wastes.

last

light matter

only to be found

man

of any kind for

no

Persia are

in

no food

water-skin,

was emptied

he had not

of

died

to the

reached

the

he had been told would contain liquid.

was

It

still

winter,

and

the nights were bitterly cold, but during the day

down from

the sun blazed straight

a turquoise

sky on mounds of yellow sand, which his tired horse

would

avoid

as

far

as

possible,

which often had to be crossed as they rose long chains before him. 17

B

but in

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH At rider

no

milk-white steed could carry

the

last

and the king struggled along

further,

the

in

wearily

its

loose

sand,

his

com-

faithful

panion stumbling after him.

Two

now

Shiraz,

quaffed

suffered

all

the

fill

his

the

strength

and the King went on

behold,

to

he surmounted the

of sand

hills,

growing

at

pressions in

Water

he saw a

their

base,

thirst,

his

the poor

stagger

to

its

his way, feeling a

great despair overwhelming him. as

wines of

parched mouth.

the morning of the third day,

horse had not feet,

choicest

the agonies of

swollen tongue seeming to

On

and Jemshed,

miserable days went by,

who had once

little

But,

lo,

and

crest of a chain

tamarisk scrub

and some shallow de-

the ground below him.

at last

!

He

threw himself down, and

dug with his hands in the sand, which became moister and hole, and, in

began

moister as he flung

a

moment

it

out of the

or two, the precious liquid

to trickle slowly into this primitive well.

18

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED When his

he had quenched his

body

dried-up

expand

blessed moisture, his

up

his

back

first

again

he should be too

with

difficulty

astrakhan hat with water,

lest

felt

the

thought was for his

With some

horse.

faithful

and

thirst,

he

filled

and hurried

late.

The poor animal lay stretched out and gasping, but when Jemshed poured the liquid down its

throat,

was able

it

where

to the holes,

would never

to get

it

up and follow him

drank and drank as

if it

stop.

Eastward, ever eastward, day after day, week after

The

week!

glorious

Persian

sunsets

flamed in the sky behind Jemshed, and the ranges barring his

and purple

tints,

the stars shone

England. False

with gorgeous

while every

night the

up

rose

moon

sky of darkest sapphire in which

sailed across a

"

way

lit

a

brilliancy

before

morning

with

Long

Dawn" would

darkness would

fall

often

unknown the

curious

wake him, and then

on the world again 19

in

until

a

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH crimson streak in the East appeared and grew broader and broader.

eastward

sky

Then, be

would

flocks of tiny rosy clouds,

all

at

once,

the

sown broadcast with and the sun himself

would leap into the heavens to begin a new day.

But even the longest journey has an end, and

at last

dom

of Zabulistan.

Jemshed found himself

in the king-

This realm, which now forms

part of India, used to send tribute every year to

the once proud

now

entering

fear of his

it

as

King of a

Persia,

who was

homeless wanderer,

life.

20

in

CHAPTER

II

GURENG,

the

had

a

daughter,

Ferooze or Turquoise by name,

so

beautiful

hardest

that to

King

of

Zabulistan,

the Court poets worked their

all

similes

find

ceeding loveliness.

They compared her

the cypress, her walk to that of the

her face to the

full

her

describe

to

moon,

her

lips

pheasant,

to the rose or the tulip

confessed that

no words

do

figure to

to

and her cheeks

could

ex-

;

sugar,

but

justice

all

to

the brilliant splendour of her glorious eyes.

As was many

only

natural,

lovers, but, so

far,

this

fair

maiden

had

she had not cared for

any of them, and her devoted 21

father

said

that

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH he would never force her to marry unless she

do

herself wished to

She had an

old nurse from

who

was

besides

reading

universe

from

woman

Kabul, a

enchantments of the Afghans,

skilled in all the

and

so.

able

to

foretell

the

future,

many hidden secrets moon and the

of

the

the

stars.

This aged crone had prophesied often to her lovely mistress that she would

become the

wife

King Jemshed, whose power and achievements had been the talk of every tongue, and

of

the

Princess

was

so

proud

the

at

prospect that she was scornful and the princes

woo

who came from

far

brilliant

haughty to

and

wide

to

himself

And, King Gureng was deeply impressed by the prophecy of the her.

Kabuli

indeed,

nurse

the

until

evil

tidings

reached

him of the conquest of Persia by Zohak, and the disastrous flight of

Now at the

it

city

came

to

its

pass

of Zabul

in

22

monarch. that

Jemshed arrived

the

month

of

May,

To face page

THE SLAVE-GIRL

SEES KING JEMSHED.

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED when

the

was

world

the

were

roses

rejoicing

full

the

in

and

bloom,

all

sun-

delicious

which would too soon become of almost

shine,

The poor

unbearable strength. enter into

to

in

the city-gate,

a

refugee wished

walled enclosure,

big

shaded

trees

by

outside

and cool with

running water, to repose after his long journey.

But

to

his

he

surprise

found

guards

who informed him

posted

that

the

Princess was inside, disporting herself with

her

the

at

entrance,

maidens,

and,

therefore,

of a

tree

beauty, that

by

so

intruder

Jemshed was too

enter the garden. further,

no

threw

himself

outside.

down

might

tired to

in

the

go

shade

His marvellous youth and

undimmed by

the

hundreds

of years

he had dwelt on the earth, and uninjured

his terrible misfortune, at

notice of a slave-girl

To

of the gardens.

King answered

once attracted the

who chanced

that formerly

powerful, but that

to

come out

her inquiries the dethroned

now he was 23

he was rich and too poor even to

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH buy wine, and he begged the

some of

favourite drink, as

his

the

Princess and

would lessen

her train of girls

inside

had been rinding the time pass slowly that day, and all listened

garden

somewhat in

it

give him

mind and body.

his miseries both of

The

girl to

great

rushed

up

informed

when

excitement to

her

beautiful youth

them,

in

and,

the

slave-girl

prostrating

mistress

royal

the

that

herself,

the

most

world was resting out-

and had begged her to give him wine as he was weary with travelling. side the gate,

Ferooze,

who was

not lacking in curiosity, at

once rose and hastened to the entrance, and as soon as her eyes

fell

on the stranger she

a strong affection for him

come

into

her garden.

felt

and invited him

to

Jemshed hesitated

to

comply, as he feared his disguise might be penetrated,

and even when the lady told him who

she was, and that her every wish was law to her father, he

still

hung 24

back.

But when she

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED gazed at him with her melting eyes and held out her hand to him, he could no longer resist

charm and

such

entering the

and,

loveliness,

garden, he walked beside her along the shady avenues.

Soon they came

around which

tain,

a leaping foun-

to

fine carpets

and

soft cushions

were spread, and the Princess bade the stranger seat himself beside her, clapping

a signal to her slaves to

her hands as

bring the noon-day

meal.

The

we

food was not like that to which

accustomed, and was served

on

golden

are

trays

placed on a silken cloth laid on the ground.

There which

is

chopped sikhs,

on

was

a

boiled

and

meat

which are

long

great

and

rice

butter

vegetables

;

of

pillau,

mixed

with

kabob-i-

also

mutton and onion roasted

bits of

wooden

mound

skewers,

and

chilav

kabob,

a very favourite dish,

where tender pieces of

meat are

pile of

laid

on a big

are eaten with

butter

snowy and raw eggs.

25

rice

and

Plums

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH and apricots flanked the meats, and there were so

many tire

only

kinds of

I

would be unkind on

them

taste

for

had

to

eat

to

my

describe

the

as

part,

As

yourselves.

knives and forks,

that

sweetmeats,

you were

would

it

and

them,

you cannot no

there were

Princess and her guest

with their fingers, as the Persians

do at the present day, and you would be quite astonished to see

not at if

you

all

how

neatly they do

an easy matter, as you

try

to

eat

boiled

Ferooze drank only water snow,

but

the

slave-girl

rice in

will

in

a cup

handed

It

it.

soon

is

see,

that

way.

filled

with

Jemshed

a

brimming goblet of wine, and as he quaffed it his melancholy vanished, and he told the Princess that the ruby-tinted juice of the grape

helped him to forget his enemies and misfortunes,

and inspired him with courage

the world again.

As he spoke

to

face

his eyes glowed,

and he held the golden cup with such a grace that the royal girl was convinced he could be 26

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED none other than King Jemshed secretly sent a trait

slave

the palace for a por-

to

of the once mighty monarch,

compare

it

sat,

broken

two

doves

and,

wall,

another.

on

perching

began to

The

near

fluttered

a

perceiving them, and

bow and

"Now, which

"

aware that no warrior strong an

arm

Perhaps the

his

bow, and the royal beauty,

he

it

to him.

"shall

cried,

velled

to

see

in

with

sign

have

I

" ?

own hand

for the

falling ever "

deeper

Now,

the

if I

lady "

hit the

whom

I

?

Ferooze

of assent,

and mar-

what ease 27

not

kingdom has so

admire most in the world be mine

bowed her head

are

you

or so sure an aim as

in love, yielded

mate,"

shoot?" she play-

I

in

But Jemshed held out

she could

arrows.

bird shall

asked Jemshed.

of

and coo with one

bill

Princess

do, sent for her

where

fragment

anxious to show the stranger what

fully

order to

in

with the features of the stranger.

Meantime they

and she

himself,

the

handsome

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH the bow, which

stranger handled

men

her father's

dove was

not

one

of

The poor

of war could bend.

and then the lady took the bow, and asking whether she should have as husband the man whom she loved if her aim were

slain,

she

true,

transfixed

cess

were gazing

ing

in

their

hobbled up aside

at

eyes,

other

dove

the Prin-

one another with love shinthe old nurse

from Kabul

them, and pulled her mistress

to

inform

to

the

As Jemshed and

through the heart

her

that

the

beautiful

youth

was no other than the King of Persia himself, whom Destiny had led to this spot to be her

And

husband.

to

a slave appeared

make

assurance doubly sure,

carrying

the portrait of the

once mighty monarch,

which the Princess

vited her guest to look

at.

At the clad

in

sight of the

of the

King,

gorgeous robes, crowned with jewels,

and seated on piece of

likeness

in-

his

wondrous throne, the master-

Demons, Jemshed burst 28

into tears,

so

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED was the remembrance of

bitter

his

past

splen-

dour as compared with his present wretchedness.

But even then he would not confess that he

was the

and long did of both the lady and

original of the

he evade

the

portrait,

inquiries

her nurse, so fearful was he of being captured

Zohak

by the myrmidons of his

name.

However, vailed

the

he betrayed

if

at

the

last,

love

great

and

he

of

Ferooze out

poured

whole history of his misfortunes

pre-

her

to

and the

downfall of his kingdom.

The maiden, one

of

the

as

she

fairest

listened

of pictures.

to

him,

made

She wore a

loose-sleeved jacket of silver gauze richly

broidered with gold, silk

long

full

trousers

of

were a very marvel of the loom, and the

thick

with a

plaits little

You must sat

her

em-

of her

black

hair

were

crowned

jewelled cap. not think that

on chairs as we do, 29

for

she and Jemshed

such things were

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH unknown then

in

on

their

way,

you

very uncomfortable, and you

will

but few of them.

are

and

heels,

find

will

if it

and even now there

Persia,

you

to

try

the

present

When

and they

day,

English chair at

all

the

sits

don't

a pleasant kind of

his

he was

woes,

thoughts for awhile, of

it

for

fairest

lost

and forgot

woman

that

world

the

in

in

long.

like that

find

an

seat.

the royal wanderer had finished

of

recital

you do

if

the same, every Persian

all

But,

in that

sit

get cramp in your legs

at

sat

No, they

the

gloomy the love

was

his,

should he care to accept it

Then

the

Princess

laid

her hand upon his

arm, and, looking into the depths of his eyes, said

" :

The

anger

of

the

kindled against you, but ever. their

Even now they wrath

is

and

you

here,

will

become

give

cooling. if

it

you

30

has

been

not endure for

you

a

sign

that

They have brought wed with me, you Zabulistan when my

will

King of

Gods

will

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED father

no

is

he

for

more,

no

has

son

to

succeed him."

Jemshed answered, however, that he dreaded misfortune should come upon Ferooze, should he marry her, and he felt that he

lest

ought never to allow her to join her

with

lot

a being accursed of Heaven.

So

they

one

with

argued

another

until

they were interrupted by the old Kabuli nurse,

who came

with

"It

limping up to them.

in the stars that

my

you,

"

King Jemshed

she

!

be

struggle

as

The words

you may, of

Jemshed, and,

the

it

one.

will

aged

be

"

No

whom

Des-

Strive

and

all

woman

wed

to

exclaimed.

mortal power can keep apart those tiny has ordained shall

written

is

mistress, are

in

vain."

convinced

bowing low before the Princess,

he vowed to love and serve her to the best of his

power and

The Ferooze

mollah to

all his life

or

long.

priest,

who

had

taught

read and write, and to understand 31

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH the

was now sum-

of her religion,

mysteries

moned, and he married the royal

pair accord-

ing to the customs of Zabulistan.

But the Princess sent no messenger her

father,

King

Gureng,

to

tell

she had

she feared his anger greatly, and was

as

done,

what

of

glad to think that he was away in a distant part of his dominions.

The women now came

to

dance and sing

before the newly-wedded couple, piling up great

couches of fresh pink roses on which they

and listened

clined

You would

to the music.

not have considered the dancing

a very interesting performance, for at all

re-

it

was not

brisk or lively.

Two

slave girls

wards,

and

attitudes,

one

backwards

and then

shuffled

backwards and

threw

themselves

woman

being able to

until

into

for-

various

bend right

her head touched the ground,

to raise herself slowly again, very red

in the face.

Some

of the slaves beat tom-toms

32

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED drums loudly with

or

played

on

guitars,

and

instruments all

while others

their hands,

the

rather

looking

rest

You

sang.

like

would

have thought that the singing was a succession of

and

yells

the sounds

screeches,

in

going to be

fed,

the

of course,

but,

the Princess enjoyed

When

somewhat

it

greatly.

young couple with

and summoned one

amuse them with

poets to

Jemshed and

singing and dancing were over,

the attendants sprinkled the rose-water,

resembling

the Zoo when the animals are

tales

the

Court

of old

Kaiu-

of

mers and his grandson, the valiant Husheng. I

daresay

had

surprised that

of

Persia

Ferooze she

would have been much

known

Jemshed

King

that

would

her story and

be

hundreds of years after both

related

of

in

them

were dead, and that Persians of to-day would

crowd round some Dervish eagerly to the oft-repeated

But

so

it

is,

in scores, listening

tale.

and the names of the proud 33

c

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH and

monarch

his

the boys and

to

those

of

bride

fair

are

as

familiar

of far-off Persia as are

girls

"Dick Whittington"

or

"Jack

the

###=##

Giant- Killer" to us.

The weeks

of the

honeymoon

glided by like

a delicious dream, and Jemshed loved his wife

more dearly than he could ever have done the old days of his pride,

when he cared

in

for

no one but himself.

The

was

Princess

mine can

describe,

far

happier than words of

though the news that King

Gureng was coming back shadow over her great joy.

"Whatever may would say to from If I

I

me

shall

befall us in the

future,"

she

"nothing can take away weeks of peerless happiness.

herself,

these

must pass

to his capital cast a

all

the rest of

not feel that

I

my

life in

misery,

have paid too 'high a

price for Jemshed's love."

When King Gureng

returned to his palace,

34

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED and was informed that

his

daughter,

the apple

of his eye, had married without his permission, his

wrath

and

her

was nurse

into

her for

reproached

At

mere stranger.

and he summoned her

great,

the

and

presence,

royal

having united herself to a this

the

Princess could

no

longer contain herself, and, reminding her father that

he had always promised that she should

wed

the

man

with

the

news

the

shed,

she that

greatest

she astounded him

loved,

husband

her

world

the

king

was

Jem-

had ever

known.

The her

old

Kabuli nurse

then

prophecy had been

explained

fulfilled,

and how the

marriage that she had foretold long ago

now come Gureng's it

really "

power

?

thanks,

to

face

pass,

my

as

with

gleamed

Jemshed he

and

who

exclaimed.

"

she spoke satisfaction.

here

is I

how

and

in

had

King "Is

my

owe you hearty

daughter, for having captured such

a noble prize for me.

I

35

shall

send him bound

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH deadly enemy, and the

his

to Zohak,

me

the Arabs will give

change

a fine kingdom in ex-

But the

him."

for

at her father's feet

be

threw herself

She

bidding Gureng re-

such a deed of treachery would

that

at

punished

severely

Doom, and

telling

harm

to

were

the

her

husband,

of

Day

great

him that she would

befall

words had some

To

girl

and wept exceedingly.

lamented without ceasing,

member

King of

die

and

if

her

on the monarch.

effect

console her, he promised to give up his

cruel

design,

and said he would do what he

could for his son-in-law, even to giving him an

army with which

to re-conquer his

the Princess rushed off joyously to tell

Jemshed

to

him the good news.

But,

as

thinking

often

over

again, and,

happens,

the

knowing

matter, full

destroy the kingdom that

So

kingdom.

his

enemy

had

changed

well that

36

his

mind

Zohak would

of Zabulistan

taken

on

King Gureng,

if

refuge

he knew there,

he

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED called a council of his chief

men and

told

them

of the matter.

They were that

Jemshed

selled

when they understood

horrified

was

the

in

and coun-

country,

master to seize him at once, and

their

imprison him,

as,

Arab King would

the

if not,

most certainly invade Zabulistan. But

Ferooze,

whose

had

suspicions

been

aroused by the calling together of this council at

an unusual hour, had hidden herself behind

one of the of

the

silk

chamber,

word of the

As soon

which draped the walls

carpets

had

and

as the last

man had

band, for not

my

haps

her

in

a moment was to be "

eyes "

!

the

left

white

and rapidly made her way

(mantle),

to him,

heard

every

discussion.

she glided out, swathed

of

thus

room

chaddar

to her hus-

lost.

"

Light

she exclaimed, as she hurried up

you must leave

for ever, for

my

me

father

you under a strong guard 37

is

at once,

and per-

resolved to send

to the cruel

Zohak."

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH She was not a woman

when

to

way

give

to

her

was anything to be done, grief therefore she wasted no time in laments, but most trusty slave to get a peasant

her

sent

there

for her

dress

Then she

husband.

stained his

white skin with the juice of the walnut, sewing the gold and jewels that she possessed into

all

a

which she fastened round his

belt,

When

would

few

that

and

Jemshed,

my

sight,

years,

kissed "

tears until

for in

recognize

she

her heart, saying,

back

waist.

he was ready to go, she saw with joy

before

for

him once

Go

mighty with

all

now, my keep you are gone out of my

me

which they

him

lie

lord

;

I

many grey and sad

will flow without ceasing."

But he could not leave her without pressing her again and again to his heart.

And

once more, he set out as a wanderer on

then,

the

face of the earth.

From was

his

place to place he travelled, and so great

misery that he hardly ever 38

slept,

and

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED became days

more

more

and out

dragged

what end have

I

their

exhausted

weary

been born into the world?"

of a great tower in I,

whose

"To

length.

he exclaimed one day, as he lay

"Am

the

as

the

glory

fertile

once

the shade

in

land of India.

reached

Heavens, to perish thus miserably?

had never been granted the while he thought and wept,

him and hid from

his

Oh, that

gift of life

soft sleep

eyes the

the

to

"

I

And

!

overcame

approach

of

Destiny.

A

cavalcade

was

passing

near

the

tower,

headed by an envoy from the court of Zohak,

and the noble looked carelessly down

man

sleeping

the disguise,

as he rode

by him.

he recognized

at

the

In spite of

Jemshed

at

once,

and, springing from his horse, he called on his soldiers to secure the in chains

The the

back to

cruel

capture,

royal prize,

and led him

Persia.

Zohak was delighted

to

and ordered the prisoner 39

hear of to

be

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH dragged before his throne, that he might gloat over the

man whom he had

in vain to get into his

long tried

power.

The wicked monarch tive as

for so

taunted his helpless cap"

he stood bound before him.

now your crown, where where are

all

is

your loyal subjects?" he asked,

and

mockingly,

Where

your kingdom, and

is

his

grew

rage

greater

as

Jemshed boldly defied him.

He

then

gave the once mighty

King

his

modes of

death,

but

choice of various painful the Persian laughed at

him

to

do

his worst

;

him

and

tortures, died with a smile

Meanwhile waited,

the

eagerly

poor

disdainfully, daring

at the last, after cruel

on

his lips.

Princess

interviewing

wept

and

every fakir who

had begged his way from Persia to Zabulistan. But the weeks and months passed by without bringing her any news, so at last she began to

hope

that her

Alack,

husband had made good

her hopes

were but 40

his escape.

ill-founded

!

One

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED day she heard a Persian beggar chanting sing-song voice

in a

:

"Khoda

guft bidde,

Shaitan guft nidde,"

which means, give, but

in

"

English, *

Satan says,

God

don't give.'

At once she summoned him and questioned him as

The

shed.

tells

you

to

"

to her presence,

to the fate of

King Jem-

long-haired, wild-eyed fakir, with a

hung over

leopard-skin

direct from the

his shoulders,

had come

Court of Zohak, and had been

crowd which had gathered round the hapless Persian monarch to see him pant

among

the

forth his last breath in anguish.

Therefore,

hoping

the unfortunate the

way

in

for

large

alms,

he gave

Princess a detailed account of

which her husband had been put to

death. It

was too much.

Ferooze fainted back on

the cushions of her divan, and no sooner had

she

come

to

her

senses

41

than

she

drank

a

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH draught of deadly poison, telling her sorrowing

maidens that

was impossible for her was her misery.

it

to

live

any longer, so great

King Gureng,

towards

conduct

treacherous

mourned

repented too late of his

alas,

his

lovely

and

Jemshed, the

all

daughter

rest

of

##=**# man.

his days, dying a broken-hearted

This

the

is

story of great

which every boy and

girl

in

King Jemshed, Persia has heard

a score of times.

And when relates

carved

the

his

and

tale,

for

gourd

narrative,

on

to-day some

he never

crowd of

wandering Dervish

then

alms fails

the

end

of

He

"

will

say,

King Jemshed was as a man who seeks hide

from his enemies,

camel,

thinking,

forward on again,

its

in

his

neck he

and yet folly,

will

his

the

impress the moral

to

listeners.

round

passes

at

that

rides if

Lo, to

a lofty

he leans

be unobserved.

Or,

he was as the partridge of Azerbaijan, 42

THE STORY OF KING JEMSHED which imagines winter-time

if

The

snow.

is

it

it

great

mighty Gods by

secure from the hunters in

do but bury

head

in

the

had offended the

monarch his

its

overweening

pride,

and

no long journeys, no disguises could hide him from

their

gaze,

all-seeing

and avert the just

punishment of his presumption. here

the

fakir

turn

will

fixedly at the people,

doer

slowly

"if there

among you who

Even

so,"

and

be some

and look evil-

gather around me, do

what he may, he can never escape from the terrible

Eye of

Allah."

43

i The

',

Zohak and

Story of King

King 'Feridun IN

this

the

cruel

story

am

I

tyrant

Jemshed, and

was

charitable

his

blameless

all

of

that

the

flocks

is

continual life

the

to

Iblis,

of

greatly

when

son led a

he

was

who appeared

him as a holy man, and discoursed so 45

so

reward him

His

day

in

Zohak's

Gods

the

King

quoted

and

Arabs,

almsgiving.

until

still

wicked.

and herds

tempted by the Evil Spirit to

is

a disposition that

multiplied his for

name

whose

King

you about

tell

Zohak who murdered

Persia as a type of father

going to

beauti-

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH fully

of

high matters,

the

that

young Prince

was completely deceived by him. As soon as Iblis saw what an impression he had made, he ceased talking, and when Zohak implored him to continue, he said that he could Prince would

not say another word unless the

swear to grant him one wish.

The young man,

feeling sure that the desire of

must be righteous, assented but he was thrown into an agony of mind when so pious a Dervish

Iblis

;

revealed to him his horrible plan.

father

is

now

old

and no longer

King," said the Evil

him and

when Zohak ness,

Iblis

"Then

I

Spirit.

on the throne

sit

"Thy to

"Thou must

in his stead."

be kill

And

refused to consent to such wicked-

forced

will

placed thee in

fitted

kill

my

him

to

his

will

by

saying,

thee myself, for thy oath has

power."

The

Prince was not

brave enough to face the idea of death, and actually pit as

allowed the Evil Spirit to dig a deep

a trap in the middle of the private path 46

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDIJN which

This

Prayer.

and when

House

from the palace to the

led

over with

covered

Iblis

grass,

King went that evening to

the good

perform his devotions, he

fell

headlong into the

and perished miserably.

hole,

now

His son

ruled

his

in

but was

stead,

completely in the power of the Evil One,

promised world

if

to

make

he

would

him

king

of

the

him

in

all

so he

day.

Up

and

had fed only

on

made savoury

dishes from

beasts,

bread

fruit

One evening

this

pheasants

found his meal Iblis

to

whole

many

;

but

Iblis

kinds of birds

and each day delighted the King

with some fresh exhibition of his

roast

who

obey things. grew more and more wicked every to this time Zohak and his subjects

And

and

of

and

Zohak

appetizing that he

begged

and so

skill.

clever cook appeared with partridges,

ask him for whatever he desired.

"

I

have but one small wish, oh, noble King," said the wily Spirit,

"and

that

47

is

to kiss thy shoulder."

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH The monarch,

only too glad to gratify such an

easy request, at once drew up his loose Eastern sleeve,

and

pressed his lips to the shoulder,

Iblis

and vanished immediately.

But,

and behold,

lo,

the twinkling of an eye, two horrible black

in

on

grew

serpents

the

touched

spot

the

by

Devil's mouth.

All the wise

magicians,

wonder,

and

fro

Iblis

of the

them

of

alone

could

and he was nowhere

have to

it

could

to

see

in disguise,

if

hungry

removed

be found.

a reverend-looking doctor

Iblis

see

the

cure

the

to

Zohak, and the snakes writhed

on his shoulder as

and craved

the doctors,

kingdom came astrologers

none

but

unfortunate

men

and

the

came

King.

to

for food.

the

spell,

But one day to the It

was

palace really

and he informed Zohak

that

had been foretold long ages ago in the stars the Arab King was to be afflicted with

that

these terrible serpents which would

miserable throughout his 48

life.

make him

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN At

these words

monarch nearly

the luckless

was roused by the horror, pretended doctor, who said that if two human swooned with

but

were offered up

victims

the serpents every

to

would soon be

the

Iblis

went away, hoping that Zohak,

spell

ing his advice,

human

And

broken.

day,

in

follow-

would slay a great part of the

race.

And now began

a time of terror and anguish

Arab King, because every day two youths were slain, and Zohak's cruelty and tyranny became greater for the unfortunate

subjects of the

than words can describe.

was

his

joining

fact,

so dreaded

name throughout his own and the adlands, that when King Jemshed fell from

favour

the

In

offered their

of

the

Gods,

master's

the

throne to

Persian

nobles

Zohak, saying

that

they would rather have the slave of the

Evil

One

as

put

for a friend

we have to

read,

death

the

And

than for an enemy.

Zohak captured and unfortunate

49

cruelly

Jemshed,

D

and

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH over

ruled

Persia

his

in

stead,

his

taking

beautiful sister for his wife.

But yet more punishments were the

man who had

Evil,

in store for

sold himself to the

and one night he was

Power of

by a

visited

terrible

dream. In the

it

he was attacked by three warriors, and

youngest of them

with an iron mace,

him

hit

on the

head

and then bound him with

ropes and dragged him along to some fearsome

doom.

At

terror,

and

this point

wise

men

y. yet

dawned,

he woke up with

immediately

called

yells

together

of the

of his Court, although day had not

and

demanded

of

them

the

meaning of the dream. rr

But the magicians, fearing slay

them were they

tation,

to

the

lest

tell

King might him the interpre-

pretended that they must have time to

study the question thoroughly.

was too much frightened

Zohak, however,

to wait long,

and on

the fourth day insisted that they should speak.

50

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN Trembling with the

of

meaning-

King," they

said,

who

Feridun,

fear,

"a

shall

men

the wise

dream.

the

"Oh,

thee

mighty

be born called

child shall

slay

then told

and

take

thy

crown."

The Arab King was nearly mad with terror when he heard the fate in store for him, but resolving to do what he could

from sure-footed Destiny,

save himself

to

he ordered that his

spies should discover whether there were any child

the

in

kingdom

called

by the name

of

Feridun.

After

many

conferences

with his magicians,

he learnt that his destroyer would proceed from a particular family, and accordingly all

the

members

of the

to

tribe

commanded

which

be-

it

longed to be bound and brought before him.

The

father

of Feridun

ominous command, but was once

put

aged

to

to death.

His

captured,

wife,

make her escape 51

on hearing

fled

and

this

at

however, man-

with

her

infant,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH which she

one

on

left

of the

slopes

of the

in charge of a herdsman, a pious

Elburz Range

man, who feared the Gods, and who gave away the

milk

mother

of

felt

his

that

cow

in

The poor

charity.

was

her child

safer

in

the

herdsman's cottage than with her as she wandered

the

among

At the end of the herdsman,

her

in

on

soldiers

a dream to

the

very

appeared

the herdsman and

cow

in

three

saying

care; and, indeed, for

mountains, moving

pathless

from village to village

it

all

flight.

she returned to

years that

the

Gods had

remove her son from was well

next at

her

day

told his

that she did so,

Zohak

and

the pasturage and his tribe

nay,

his

killed

even the

punish them for their share in But the boy, the object of sheltering Feridim. their expedition, could nowhere be found, for herself

to

the mother and child had taken refuge with a

wise Dervish

who

lived in a cave

of the fire-belching Volcano

52

on the side

Demavend.

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN If

ever

you

to

go

the

Tehran,

present

Mount

capital of Persia, you will be sure to see

Demavend, the Range,

and

it

tallest

become

will

you, as you look at

how

notice

it

high Elburz a

friend

and

it

But

was not quiet as

for ever belching forth

now and then

every

flames would burst out, and

to

times a day, and

glows rosy-red at sunset.

Smoke was

summit,

its

quite

many

it

the time of Feridun

now.

in the

peak

it

in is

from great

broad streams

of

melted metal, called lava, would pour down

its

sides

in

fiery

These

floods.

were red-hot, and destroyed everything

in their

Sometimes awe-inspiring rumblings would

path.

be heard,

shaking the earth for miles around,

and occasionally making

all

the mountain totter and

fall.

And

the

chosen

home

Demons. 53

the dwellings near

some holy Dervish,

none, save perhaps

would ever dare to climb

was

rivers

terrible

to the summit,

of

many

Genii

for

it

and

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Here

of the

good were wont

to rest during their flight to

the other world;

also the souls

Persians

the

for

Demavend

thought

When, however, Feridim and shelter

the

that

with

the

his

the

hermit,

pious

mother took

was bold and feared nothing, began about the great mountain. a

near

voice

him

which

have decreed that you

will

Feridun

some

started

surprise,

a for

little,

boy,

who

wander

to

One day he heard " The Gods

said

:

destroy the wicked

Zohak and become King of Persia

in

of

top

reached almost into the Heavens.

in his stead."

and looked round

he had imagined himself

alone.

But as he gazed, a

seemed

to

sort of floating mist

be rising from the ground, and slowly

became not

" !

a form like a gigantic man. "Fear the figure continued, " I am a benevolent

Genius,

and wish

to

help

you

to

become a

worthy King of Persia."

And

He

the

Spirit

was as good as

taught the boy Jiow to 54

ride,

his

how

to

word.

draw

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN the

bow and

him

wield the sword, and instructed

many hidden mysteries which were to prove of much use to him hereafter. At the age of sixteen, the young Feridun, in

with the face of a falcon and the eye eagle,

had

day he told

come

for

mother that now the time had

his

him

of an

of a leader of men, and one

the air

avenge the death of

to

His poor mother wept

bitterly,

his father.

and did her "

him from the attempt.

best to dissuade

How

can you, a mere boy, fight against the power-

"He

King Zohak?" she exclaimed.

ful

take your rue the

me

life

with cruel tortures,

you were born.

that

day

desolate and

wretched?

I

and

I

Why

will

shall

leave

cannot bear

to

part from you."

But Feridun answered that the Gods would help the

he his

the

good

right

and having bade farewell

Genius,

descended

way

;

to

who

Mount the

him

aided

Demavend

haunts

55

of

greatly,

made

and

men.

to

If

you

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH had seen him on the

Genius,

its

nostrils

breathing smoke from

the animal

and

the gift of

his white horse,

harnessed entirely with

you would have said he looked a Prince very

least.

^"^IA

He/ was

clad

chain-armour

;

from head

his

helmet

studded with gems, and

foot

to

and

in his

cow-headed mace,

a huge

gold, at the

in

hand he

in

golden

were

shield

carried

of the

memory

animal whose milk had nourished him

in

his

Genius,

he

early years.

Following boldly

the

approached

counsel

of

the

the magnificent

city

where

King Jemshed had formerly reigned in such As he came near one of its twelve pomp. gateways,

all

covered

in

observed a great crowd its

head

marched

a

burnished issuing

tiles,

forth,

brawny man

and

holding

he at

a

spear,

from the point of which waved a leather

apron.

This was Kavah, the blacksmith, whose

two sons had been seized that 56

very

morning

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN by the emissaries of Zohak, in

to

sacrifice

grief,

shoulder.

had rushed

into

upon them

Let

us

by

appointed cruelty

is

of this

revolt,

the

the

with

and

stir-

Gods

Arab

freedom. Deliverer

the

he

that

to

free

usurper,"

he hoisted

it

us

" !

has

he

been

from

and tearing

the off

as the standard

and thousands followed him out of

city.

When and

Bazaars,

for

prophesied the

his leather apron,

of

to fight

Feridim

find

"It

cried.

father,

the

from

half-mad

to a sense of their wrongs,

up the people

ring

called "

the serpents growing

Their

King's

be offered up

to

the crowd saw a youth of such beauty

magnificence

dently

about

to

riding

enter

wondered who and what

unattended,

and

the

everyone

this

town,

evi-

gorgeously clad

personage might be.

Every eye was

fixed

upon him, when sud-

denly the rumble of thunder was heard in the cloudless blue sky, from which pealed a

57

mighty

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH " This

voice.

Feridun

is

"

He

behold your King!

it

!

will

"

cried.

deliver

Persians,

you from

the tyrant Zohak."

With one accord the multitudes themselves

before

the youth,

prostrated

him

and hailed

monarch with loud acclamations, march-

as their

ing in his

wake, as he proudly rode through

the fine gateway, confident of victory.

He made

his

slowly through the Bazaars,

way

and the workers

in

painting on

vellum or wood,

lers

and

passed,

fine

in

jewellers,

left

brass and copper, the

fact

their business

everyone

men

enamel-

the

whom

he

and followed Feridun

with great joy.

And

so he

disappointment

came

awaited

Zohak had been Iblis,

the Palace,

to

him,

conveyed

for

by

but here a the

the

wicked

power of

the Spirit of Evil, to the city of Bagdad,

on the River Tigris.

There was nothing for it but to pursue him thither. It was not a very easy journey for a 58

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN accustomed

not

people

glance at

a

that they

had

Hamadam

to

go through the provinces of

stretch

great

was

the

power

who

Genius

befriended

Persians reached

On

their

are

of

River

the

such

you

observe

will

Kermanshah, which

and

However,

of

hilly

desert Tigris.

the

good the

that

Feridun,

Bagdad in an incredibly short march the stony paths became

the heat of the sun did not affect them,

level,

and

you

Persia,

they reached

before

If

marching.

and then came a

countries,

time.

of

map

to

at

hun-

they found

every camping place

dreds of tents, with clear streams running beside them,

and

ready

for

awaiting

actually

the

them,

enormous

multitude in

a

to

huge,

trays

of pillau

Zohak was

eat.

fortified

strongly

tower built on the opposite bank of the

and he

felt

confident

that here

he was

river,

safe,

as

he was guarded by strong enchantments and a talisman of magic virtue.

But

the

Powers

of

59

Good

are

ever

far

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Powers of

stronger than the in

proved

this

The

case.

were Feridun's followers for city

was no

there

was,

question

the

cross

to

it

how

Tigris,

bridge, and the boats of the

were but few and small

Feridun,

and so

Evil,

?

was not

himself,

the least

in

upon the Gods

to

dis-

mayed.

First,

him, he

rode his white horse into the water,

which

suddenly

shallowness safety,

The taken

calling

that

became all

and proceeded stronghold

by human

such

of

waded

help

miraculous

across

in

perfect

to assault the tower.

was

and

means,

Genius appeared to him at

to

however,

not,

be

Feridun's

this crisis,

good giving him

a wonderful wand which would destroy every-

At

thing that opposed him. of the once fell,

the

impregnable

magic

its

touch the walls

fortress

talisman

which

tower was destroyed, and many

and Genii shrivelled up

like

became mere handfuls of

dust.

60

tottered

and

guarded

the

evil

dead

Demons

leaves,

and

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN Zohak was nowhere

But the wicked found, for Iblis

had transported him

to be

to

far-off

India, together with the entire Arab army.

when Feridun had taken

Therefore, of

treasures fair

had freed countless

who had been imprisoned

damsels,

fortress

and

Zohak,

the

by

cruel

they had gone very

Before

that

they

master,

no

would

Zohak

so

was

wandered a homeless a

man

longer

his

Arab King.

far,

joined by the usurper's soldiers,

the

in

and

he

tyrant,

started in pursuit of the

followers

the

all

they

who

obey

declared

their

deserted by

were

cruel

and

all,

fugitive in fear of his

he

of

life.

deter-

great courage, Being mined to be avenged on Feridun or perish in the attempt; and one night he approached the

camp

of the

young Persian King

in

a carefully

thought-out disguise.

A

Persian

camp

is

almost noisier by night

The

horses neigh a great

than

it

deal,

and every now and then one breaks loose

is

by day.

61

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH from

its

fight

and

picket-rope

with

its

rushes

You

enemy.

especial

hardly believe what a

once

at

to

would

disturbance this makes,

as the horses squeal loudly and

one

at

strike

another with their hoofs, while the grooms with

and shouts

cries

to

try

And

they hurt themselves.

the time the

all

donkeys, which carry the bedding of the

little

never

soldiers,

soldiers

of

no one ever went Into such a

way and

at

to

camp once

"

playing

and

thumping tom-toms,

it

bed as

at

embroidered

royal

standard of Persia.

Kavah,

the

camp

with wild

with

62

if

all.

Zohak made

tent,

made

pheasants,

but

now

his

was,

of scarlet

stood

This was

apron that had once blacksmith,

or

seems as

knew where Feridun

cloth

the

sitarrahs

really

this,

because in front of a fine

leather

crackling

dark hours

the

them

and

braying,

round

parties

enliven

some

songs,

from

cease

in

sit

and

fires,

old

them before

separate

still

the the

belonged

to

was

so

it

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN covered with jewels and embroidery that you

would not

have

centuries

was

is

it

recognized to Persia

and

it,

for

many

what the Union Jack

to Great Britain.

Zohak

crept

pulling back the

cautiously

or two, he carpets.

the

to

up

softly

flap

felt

that Fate

had

an

inch

pile of silk

at last delivered

and glided

his foe into his hand,

and

just

saw Feridun lying on a

He

tent,

swiftly

inside

with his sword drawn.

But the good Genius, who was never long from

absent

just in time, his

enemy a

He

mace.

when

King, aroused

Persian

the

him

and Feridun sprang up and dealt terrible

was

blow with his iron-headed

about

a supernatural

to

voice

kill

him

outright

commanded him

to

forbear.

"Stay thy hand, Feridun!

must now crimes.

suffer

the

penalty

Thou, oh Zohak, of thy

The Gods have sentenced

bound with

chains,

and

to

63

f

horrible

thee to be

be cast into a dark

;

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH cavern of

Mount Demavend,

there to drag out

thy miserable days."

And by

even at that moment, Zohak was seized

invisible

air to his

hands and carried

through the

off

doom.

Feridun now reigned over Persia, years the country flourished

many

under his wise rule his

manage

;

he did not

he did his

as

for

exceedingly

but, unluckily,

sons as well

and

sub-

jects.

When

the three

young Princes were of

age,

married them to the beautiful daughters of

he the

King

empire his

into

elder

uncivilized to

Irij,

Persia,

of

Yemen, and then

To

three parts. sons,

he

gave

provinces of

divided

his

Selim and Tur, the

Rum

barren

and

and Turan, but

youngest and best beloved, he gave and he himself dwelt with this son to his

advise and support him in his kingdom.

However, the

elder

this division

brothers,

and 64

by no means pleased the

two

conspired

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN together to oust

take

from his kingdom and to

Irij

for themselves.

it

When

news

the

old

in

changed

of

their

design

who appears

Feridun,

Persia,

advised

age,

life

not

them

resist

so

being

him

give up

he

that

and

successfully,

it

short,

to

Irij

everything to his brethren, telling could

reached

have greatly

to

that,

was not worth

really

while to trouble overmuch about anything.

agreed entirely with his father,

Irij

out to visit his

brothers, and

kingdom was

that his self only

desired a quiet

Jemshed's cruel

fate,

whole world at his the

kingdom

band of any

his

pomp

brothers

of

were

He that

Turan,

to

ceremony, touched

by

his

hearts

with

a

without of

prompt

mission.

65

not

he arrived

travelling

the

had

have had the

a simple way

in

set

them

alluded to it

And when

feet.

friends

or

saying

and

assure

and that he him-

life.

monarch

greatly availed that

in

theirs,

to

E

his

sub-

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH But, as

great

happened,

personal

moved

was possessed

Irij

and

attractions,

wherever

of

he

and the upon of Selim and Tur invariably broke out all

soldiers into

it

eyes

as

applause

unnaturally

were

he

aroused

him,

passed the

them.

jealousy

of

This

not

the

two

when they heard the warriors Irij was far more kingly in appearance than their own princes, and that they and

brothers,

saying that

would gladly march to

battle

under his banner,

Selim told Tur that their brother must be put to death.

And Irij

for

the very next day

Tur began

to

blame

having accepted Persia instead of one

of the two barren kingdoms to the north which

were perpetually harassed by the Turks.

He

refused to listen to the soft words of his peaceably-inclined into

a

fury,

brother,

and, working

himself up

ran upon him with a dagger and

slew him.

Then

these

cruel

brothers

66

embalmed

the

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN head of the young prince, and sent

to

it

old

Feridun.

This monarch was waiting for

the

return

for

their

in

favourite

his

some anxiety and

son,

Many bands

ruler.

young

damsels moving

of music,

in the slow Persian dance,

and processions of men on horseback riderless

but

were

steeds,

who can

ready

picture

leading

welcome

to

the dismay

was known

horrible truth

Irij

when

all

his subjects

was broken rent

and

asunder,

head

of

Heaven

And

as

his

for

of the

cheerful

flaunting

son,

drums

banners

monarch

the

beloved

and

were

interred

the

called

on

vengeance.

the mighty

agonized

the

grief,

drape themselves in

to

The parchment

black.

;

the

?

Poor old Feridun, nearly crazed with ordered

his

had arranged a splendid reception

loyal subjects

fair

of

father,

Gods heard the prayer of the although

perhaps to Feridun

the day of retribution seemed long in coming.

67

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH had no son

Irij

his

to

daughter grew up and was

little

when

but

avenge him,

married,

she became the mother of Minuchihr, and her child

was said by

Feridun and his

The

old

ill-fated heir.

monarch adored

and did everything Persia,

nation,

to greatly resemble both

all

to

his great-grandson,

him

fit

over

rule

to

and the boy was beloved of the whole the soldiers frequently telling him that

they were ready to follow him to the death.

had

Feridun these

for

years,

army and had

been

not

idle

had

he

trained

to

it

a

collected

efficiency that his wicked sons

all

during

vast

such a

pitch

became

seriously

of

alarmed.

From the

of

that

the

young

discretion

valour,

they

Minuchihr,

might be the

sent

a

and, better

messenger but

with

the

old

looked at the costly offerings coldly, 68

and

magnificent

man

of

bravery

thinking part

time to time reports reached them of

presents

to

Feridun,

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN of the envoy with what message he was charged by his masters. The nobleman then explained that Selim

inquired

and Tur were deeply penitent on account of the murder of

and begged for pardon, as had persuaded them to do the

Irij

the Evil Spirit

deed against

wicked their

father,

send

his

Feridun

as

a

their

proof

wished,

they

of to

great-grandson

words.

fair

He

forgiveness,

them

would

kingdoms to him. But the aged king was not by

They asked

will.

;

and,

be deceived

bade the envoy

masters that Minuchihr intended to

tell

visit

that this

was no

the nobleman a host of his

kingdom,

presents

The

idle boast,

his

them,

but at the head of a great army, and, to

him see

if

their

resign

to

to

let

he showed

of the mightiest warriors

and then sent him and the

away with angry contempt.

brothers were

decided to strike the

much first

69

vexed, blow,

but,

having

marched

forth

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH head of

the

at

Feridun was

He

said

nowise perturbed at

in

that

towards

armies

their

the

the

walking straight into

was ready

And

in his

as

lions for

prepared

traps

and he exerted himself

them,

move.

this

were but

invaders

Persia.

see

to

that

all

own powerful army. met

the great forces

to

face

and

face,

fought desperately from sunrise to sunset, the

army of Minuchihr winning the day, for the Gods were on the side of the Persian host. Both Selim and Tur were the armies

battle

gave

with

And

when

ascended Turan,

the

great that

to

triumph

thrones

great-grandfather,

worship

him

in all his dangers.

And

of all

being

the

of

the conqueror,

monarch

and observed

the

the

after

two wicked brothers

of the

in their allegiance

returned

and

slain,

to

died, Persia,

the

ever

who

Feridun.

old

Minuchihr

Rum,

counsels

and

of his

most devout

Gods who

had

in

helped

the Persians see in these tales of olden

70

KING ZOHAK AND KING FERIDUN days,

that

prosper

at

punish him sake

those

however

much an the

the outset, in

the

who

Gods

while they

end,

trust

evil

in

will.

71

them

man may will

surely

never

and do

for-

their

Ill

The

Stories of Zal

and the

Childhood of Rustem AND

now

about

the

two

whose names to 1

want

I

at

to

tell

greatest

you

Heroes

something of

present day are applied

the

any man who is especially brave or The most powerful warrior at the

was

Minuchihr

King longed

for

greatly

mighty name.

called

a

child,

snow-white

son

Sam, to

carry

strong.

court

though

much

beautiful

hair.

73

grieved,

and

of

and

he

on

his

But when the Gods granted

desire, the warrior was

the

Persia,

his

because

strong,

had

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH the

All

the

Sam

admired

for

him on account of the boy,

his valour, pitied

the child must be of the race

that

saying

who

Persians,

and

Demons,

would

father

his

bring

of

nothing but misfortune.

And

the general, hearkening to the voice of

the people,

mined

to

called

fell

Zal.

%

Accordingly,

distress

right

tains

and the?e

up

left

except

him,

the

and deter-

he

took

far

ibex,

the

But the Gods

should

perish.

creature,

half

were

not

Elburz moun-

the

hill'

bird,

beast,

leopard,

air./

minded

The Simurgh, half

poor

from any living

the wild sheep, and the birds of the 1

who was

the baby,

to the top of the

child

creatures

much

into

make away with

a

and

Zal

that

marvellous

endowed

with great wisdom, was flying over the mountains,

and, perceiving a

barren rocks,

little

baby lying on the

swooped down and

carried

it

off

to its nest*

According to the

story,

74

a supernatural voice

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM addressed the Simurgh, telling

young of

the

the

who

Zal,

ever

the

to

the

of

Bird in

worthy

than

to cherish the

time would be the father

in

Champion

it

whole

consequence

deserted

child,

and

world,

was

kinder

and

taught

him many languages as he grew up. ' The years passed by, and old Sam often very

and forsaken,

lonely

not given him

whom

times that in spite of his

riches,

night

he

mood than

When

his life fell

some-

thought

his high position

had been a in

failure,

more

a

and

and one

melancholy

and had a strange dream.'

awoke he went

the magicians, tation of the

He

^

all

asleep

usual,

he

Gods had

the

another son in place of the one

had deserted.

he

for

felt

who

told

dream was

straightway

him that the that his son

to

interpre-

was

alive,

instead of having been eaten by wild beasts as all

had supposed, and the

father,

feeling

his

heart burn with love towards the once despised child r

sent

his servants

75

to

search

for

Zal on

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH the

but

mountains,

returned

they

him

to

empty-handed.

And

yet

Sam had

old

again

He

a dream.

saw a young man of a beautiful countenance but with snowy hair, on horseback at the head of a

great

holy

man who

accents,

and

throughout

time

^This

Elburz

the

knelt

slopes

them

son.

And

Simurgh

heard

his

make

situation at once.

prayer his

people,

his

protected

famous

and to

on

the

set

off

their

Gods,

to

gravel

begging

crime and restore to him

as he his

himself

wept and lamented, the

cries

and understood the

-"

and that he must now go the

was

name

Telling Zal that his father had him,

reproachful

warrior

his

father

mountains,

to forgive

in

world.

the

in

Sam

Heaven had

that

would

hand rode a

right

the

that

and

the

his

addressed

saying

deserted son, him,

At

army.

marvellous Bird bore

76

come to

to seek his

him on

own its

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM broad wings down to where the broken-hearted

Sam was

weeping.

It

was not

without

said

good-bye

to

the

him

had trained

so

good

which

Simurgh, but

wisely,

Zal

that

tears

many

beloved

his

foster-parent consoled him by giving him as a

parting gift a feather from

ever thou art said,

"and

wing.

danger burn

in

will

I

*'*

its

and returning of

company

who

father,

the

to

token,"

once come to thy

at

Thus Zal found himself leaving

his

haunts

rejoicing

treated

him

of

the

it

aid.'^

Simurgh

men

and

with

When7

this

in

the

repentant

the

utmost

affection.

The

King was deeply

Persian

interested in

young Hero, and presenting him with

the strange upbringing of the

received

him

graciously,

a helm and mace of gold, while the wise of the court, being scope,

warrior

foretold

of

his

that

summoned

men

to read his horo-

he would be the greatest

generation.

77

This

information

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH greatly fine

delighted the monarch,

and

horses

much

wealth,

who gave him and appointed

government of the provinces of Zabulistan, Kabul, and Ind. his father to the

The his

youth

time

men

of Zabulistan,

was obliged

so

Demons

that his son

was well able

kingdom during

justice

all

the

his

sway,

pitched his

to

with

the

when Sam

to

subdue the

of Mazanderan, rule

he found over

the

his absence.

by the young governor,

Zal, finding that everything listan,

improving

people praised the wisdom and

displayed

made a

that

go with an army

to

troublesome

And

in

seeking ever to converse

mind,

wisest

his

spent

was quiet

in

and

Zabu-

tour through the provinces under

arriving at

last at

camp by a

river

Kabul, where he not far from the

city.

Mihrab, King of Kabul, was of the detested race of Zohak, but, as his grandfather had sub-

mitted to

Feridun,

he was permitted 78

to

hold

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM his

on

kingdom

of

condition

paying

tribute

every year.

was of the daughter maiden king, a wonderfully beautiful

All the talk

the

of

who had many this

Princess,

of Kabul

soon heard that

Zal

suitors.

with skin whiter than ivory, hair

dark as the raven's wing, and cheeks rosy as a

pomegranate like

palace

flower,

was

in

living

of the town,

the fortress-

and very naturally he

longed to see her.

But he could not well become friendly with

knew

her father, as he

that the

King of

Persia

would be angry were he to accept hospitality from a descendant of the wicked Zohak.

So

he said to himself that probably there were

far

fairer

girls

in

Persia

than

this

Afghan woman, and resolved

to

much-praised think of her

no more. Mihrab, pressed

however, had been wonderfully im-

with the

young governor,

beauty

and

he 79

and

bravery

gave

his

of

wife

the

and

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH daughter such an account of Zal, that the lovely

Rudabeh

fell

straightway

love

in

with

the

Hero, and horrified her maidens by telling them her

of

whom

affection

she

had

for

this-

never

white-haired

seen.

They

youth

did

their

utmost to make her forget him, but everything

was

in vain, for she

she

could

not

said that she

marry

and

Zal,

would die

if

her

implored

attendants to help her to a sight of the object of her affections.

When

saw

they

that

she

was

really

in

earnest, they determined to assist their beloved mistress,

and

at

and began

Zal,

once went to

the

to

gather roses,

camp

which

of

were

growing by the stream close to the tent of the Hero. Zal did not like this intrusion, servant

to

ask their business.

turned to his

should

it

re--

master and told him that they

were the slaves of the lovely that

and sent a

The man

Rudabeh, and

be found that he was equal 80

in

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM birth to the

she was ready to be his

Princess,

wife.

All Zal's former desire to

lady burned up afresh

in

meet his

beauteous

this

and

heart,

he

loaded the slaves with presents and sent them

back to their mistress.

Rudabeh was much pleased with the jewels and silken garments, but she did not see her

way for

meeting the Hero,

to

him

come

to

the

to

for

it

was impossible

palace

without

the

knowledge of her father and mother.

Her

servants, however, soon arranged a plan.

Their mistress asked leave of her

parents

to

go for a few days to a beautiful castle in the country,

and

after sunset

lady-love.

to

retreat

this

young Zal came

and stood under the balcony of

Rudabeh

leant over the

his

balustrade,

and they talked together eagerly, but soon the darkness

of evening

longer see each

down her

fell

other.

and

Then

they the

could

Princess

magnificent hair and invited 81

no let

Zal to F

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH climb up by

the balcony, and

to

it

were together they became

lovers

when

the

in

ad-

lost

miration of one another's beauty, their affection

growing from a small stream Zal said to the Princess

be

shalt

Rudabeh,

must be kept race of Zohak.

"

love,

oh, alas,

thou art of the hated

must ask advice of

I

flood.

alone,

Our

wife.

for

mighty

Thou

coun-

my

before demanding thee from thy father."

cillors,

Rudabeh answered, happiness

in life

belongs

Then

"

My own

Zal,

himself

woo me

and death after

away,

and

my

heart

embracing

her,

to thee."

tenderly

and

They

them of

told

were

the

hated

of the

next

morning

men

of Zabu-

his intended marriage.

astounded

to

hear

that

wished

to

wed

a

chieftain

young

race

my

mightiest kings

in vain, for

assembled a council of the wise listan,

all

beloved,

The

in thy hands.

is

of the earth shall

tore

my

secret,

into a

:

of the

Serpent

their

maiden

King,

and

advised him to send a messenger with a letter \

82

ZAL AND RUDABEH.

To face page

82.

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM Zal was very angry but

at once to his father.

he followed their counsel, and his envoy arrived

some weeks in far-off

The

later,

hot and dusty, at Sam's

old chieftain

at the news, but, his aid,

was

at

first

he became overjoyed when they

that the

his

son with Rudabeh,

Gods would

who would be

told

bless the marriage of

and would give them the

the world had ever known. letter

thunderstruck

having called the magicians to

him

a child

camp

Mazanderan.

warrior

greatest

So he

sent a kind

back to the impatient Zal, but said that

the betrothal

must be kept a secret

war with the Demons was

over,

himself lay the matter before

until

the

and he could

King Minuchihr.

Therefore, the lovers did not venture to meet again, but wrote

Now

this

one another

letters

every day.

sounds a simple matter, but

it is

not

nearly as easy to write a letter in Persian as is

in English.

First of

all

It really is

it

quite a serious business.

the writer has to choose a large sheet

83

x*

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH

I

paper out of a tied-up

of

has

smoothed

Tf

then

As

work.

to

sets

he takes a pair of

little,

off a piece the size

and cuts

scissors

and

a

it

when he

and

roll,

he wants,

there

are

no

on

his

tables or chairs in Persia, the scribe sits heels, holds the paper up in his

hand, and,

left

dipping his pen into a tiny bottle of ink on the floor,

begins to

going

from

opposite

He

way

draw

in the letters

the

right

to

what we

to

the

very slowly,

left,

just

the

do.

has an odd habit of writing his

over the sheet, so that the reader

is

letter all

obliged to

look at the top, the bottom, and the sides of the paper,

? ^ \ W*o

v <

p"

M*

as well as

in

the middle

and even a

;

well-educated Persian takes quite a long time to

read even a few lines of writing.

The

ink stands up on the shiny paper used,

and does not sink for the writer

crosses out licks

the

if

into

it.

This

is

he makes a mistake.

a wrong word offending

as

letters

we out

convenient

He do,

but

with

84

VI* ** fc)

never

^

he his

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM tongue it

and when the

;

epistle is at last finished,

has to be signed with a

rubbed over with

seal,

which

is

first

and then pressed down

ink,

on the paper.

But we must return

knows how

Everyone secret

and

;

one

and Rudabeh.

Zal

to

hard

day

unlucky

to

is

it

the

keep

a

Princess'

mother found out that there was some mystery in

the

She went

air.

and questioned that she

her,

to

her daughter's room

and the

girl

at

once said

was engaged to be married to Zal, and him more than all the world.

that she loved

Her mother was that

Sam

approved

not angry ;

was informed of the

when she knew

but when Rudabeh's father matter, he

fell

into such a

passion of rage that he, might have killed his t

daughter

He

if

her mother had not held him back.

said that

certainly

the Persian

deprive him of

his

King would most kingdom, and that

perhaps he would be put to death, of Rudabeh's

folly.

At 85

last,

all

on account

however, his wife

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH soothed him, and he promised not to hurt his

daughter

if

she would come into his presence.

And Rudabeh fear,

her

all

attire

and

proud

appeared,

her most costly garments,

in

instead

jewels,

as

man

noblest

"

a penitent. in the

her face was so

full

world

of

" !

in

coming

am

I

without

laden with

mean

betrothed to the

she exclaimed, and

of gladness that her angry

father hardly dared to

blame her

for thus giving

her heart away without his consent.

But things did not go smoothly

When Sam the

Demons

for

some

time.

returned in triumph from conquering of Mazanderan, he told Minuchihr

about his son's betrothal, and the King was greatly angered.

good the

He

explained that

Feridun would be

all

the

brought to nought

descendants of the Serpent

mastery lead an

the city

The

in

Persia

;

and he

King

requested

army against Kabul and and its inhabitants. chieftain

work of the if

got the

Sam

to

utterly destroy

of Kabul heard of the King's

86

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM design through spies, and his hatred again rose against his daughter, for he

knew

that

he had

but a small army and could never resist the vast hosts of the Persian monarch.

Again he threatened to kill poor Rudabeh, and this time he thought of putting her mother But

also to death.

his wife

succeeded in calm-

ing him, and in the end persuaded him to send

Sam

her to

Kabul with splendid

at

jewels, and

horses,

Sam was amazed them, because he

great Zal's

love

But he

anxious

of

at

the riches brought

to

feared

was

the

he

soon

bore

happiness

displeasure

of

some time he would not accept

his feet, but for

Minuchihr.

gifts

beautiful slaves.

his

to

many monarchs,

mother he

King

remembered

son, and,

more

of

anger

would do

him he his

the

saying that

than

the

told

the

utmost

to

arrange the marriage.

A Then Zal went Persia

to

plead

to the court of the his

own 87

cause,

King of when

and

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Minuchihr heard that the astrologers were in favour of the

all

he gladly gave his

wedding,

consent, and Rudabeh became the happy wife

of the white-haired Hero..*

After

all

belonged great

their fears

love

and disappointments they

one

another

seemed

only

to

at

and

last,

become

to

their

stronger

and stronger as the weeks and months glided quickly by. as

But, earth,

nothing

endures

visited

Rudabeh became

so

the ill

young

happy

that

was

losing

his

in

despair

beloved

wife.

at

her,

the

and

thought

and she became ever thinner and

weak

whole

kingdom

approaching end.

And one day

of

her of

The days passed

by,

move from

guest, couple.

too

to

this

the doctors and,

all

magicians could do nothing for

husband

on

ever

for

unwelcome

Trouble, an ever

so

more

once

'

her couch

Zabulistan

;

paler,

and the

mourned

her

/

as Zal sat beside her

88

he burst

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM into a flood of tears,

tore

rich

his

garments,

"Ah,

anguish: leave

me

childhood

Why

!

his

not

the

save

it

my

his

in

Simurgh

on the mountains

did

and

breast,

out

calling

did

why

starve

to

and beat

life

my

in

for

such

a wretched fate!"

Even drous

as

he spoke,

Bird brought back a

the feather,

of

the won-

of memories

host

and he suddenly bethought him of

to his mind,

its

parting

by him unheeded

till

her room like a

And

now.

to

and

up

he threw upon the

fire.

his

in

Rudabeh's

rushed

from

in

a few

hand,

which

madman, returning

moments with something all at

which he had kept

gift,

astonishment he sprang

And

name

the

,

once there was a great darkness,

but Zal held his wife in his arms and told her not to be afraid, as the

he had often

make her

talked

well

room seemed

to

again.

be

Simurgh, about which

to

her,

And

filled

89

in

with

was

coming

to

a moment the a huge, winged

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH which

creature

man

" :

grief?"

Why

happy

Wonder

and

all

And

will

Rudabeh,

boy,

a

unmeasured

ere long be the will

be

called

Follow

my

advice

to

do

well."

the

telling

and

feather from

this

who

of the World.

go

after

a

of

of

voice

"I can cure your

will

moreover, you

father

the

1

way

give

the

to all

inquired of Zal.

it

wife, and,

with

spoke

Hero what him

presenting

with

wing, the marvellous

its

parted as mysteriously as

it

for

another Bird de-

had come, and the

young Princess soon recovered her health and spirits.

And

the prophecy of the

for a child

was born

so big that he

Simurgh came

to the beautiful

true,

Rudabeh,

looked a year old on the day

of his birth, and

it

is

said

that at

eight years

of age he was as strong as the most powerful warrior in the kingdom.*

Rustem was

his

name, and the whole world

rang with praises of the wonderful boy 90

who was

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM beauty and strength that the Persians

of such

used

to

to

the

Gods

them-

Mihrab,

his

two

grand-

him

compare

selves.

Sam

Old

and

came

fathers,

in

to

pomp

and were greatly amazed

The boy

and might. nought

for

feasting

and music, but back

in

full

young his

him

grandson,

he

that

sur-

"

them, for

care

I

women

fair

long to be always on horse-

I

as

go

to

leading all

yet

forth

brave

deemed the

into

men him

to

too

and

world,

fond mother did what she could

to

keep

at her side.

Now the

to

said

and wine,

armour,

But

battle."

their

find

the warriors in their armies in valour

all

passed

visit

to

it

happened that Zal had charge

great white

Minuchihr.

It

elephant

belonging to

was a savage

beast,

of

King

and was

always kept fastened with a heavy chain

;

but

got loose and ran about the town

one night

it

killing all

whom

it

met.

91

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH The

cries

and shrieks of the poor townsfolk

woke up Rustem, he rushed to the

on guard what him,

castle gate to

was

iron

seizing his

and,

the

ask the soldiers

matter.

but implored him not

mace,

told

They

venture forth

to

;

and so angry did he become that he knocked one man down, and then broke the heavy lock of the door, and ran out into the streets. Yells of terror

spot

where

and women

the

him quickly

guided

the

was trampling men

elephant

and

in the dust,

to

in another

moment

the enormous brute charged straight at the boy, its

waving

trunk

and

then

to the

struck

creature,

down dead people

it

it

was

in

who had

sent

quite close

to him,

for

a great heap. fervent

a

moment,

Then

thanks

92

fell

the grateful

to

the

them such a Champion

need.

and,

the huge

spectators,

staggering

returned

aloud.

roaring

with his iron mace,

amazement of the after

and

angrily

Rustem waited until

in

Gods their

ZAL AND THE CHILDHOOD OF RUSTEM Zal it

now

was

felt

time

high

go and take a evil

fort

was

nable,

and

his

being

try

men determined failed

of camels with bags of

the

of

father

well-nigh

as he

might,

to

Sam.

impreg-

inhabitants

of

it.

had never

But Rustem

to accomplish

to

themselves as merchants,

want

the

slain

to get possession of

what force had

The

him

surrounded by a vast desert, and

the warrior Sam,

been able

his

begin told

on Mount Sipund, held by

besides

castle,

to

So he

Hero.

men who had

This

Rustem

for

a

as

public career

such an achievement

that after

do.

and,

salt,

They

by guile disguised

loading a string

set out for the fort.

Sipund were

luckily

in

of salt at the time, and they welcomed

caravan

warmly,

buying largely from the

pretended merchants, and giving them lodging for the night.

But as soon warriors threw

as

it

off the

was dark, the

Persian

long robes .which

they

wore as merchants, and advanced to the house 93

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH of the governor.

The alarm was

and a

given,

desperate fight ensued

between

and Rustem's followers

but the son of Zal did

;

such marvellous deeds that not a

from

the

fortress,

everyone

found

wealth

their

beyond

man

from

nor downwards being destroyed.

townsfolk

the

escaped

the

The

wildest

goverPersians

dreams

the palace, and, loading up their camels with in place of the salt, they burnt the castle

the

to

ground,

and returned home

to

in it

down Zabu-

listan.

Thus his

did

felt

avenge

grandfather,

great

welcomed they

Rustem

their

that

son

this

the

death

of

and Zal and Rudabeh

with

exceeding joy,

was but the

first

of

for

many

mighty deeds that the young Hero would perform.

And now you have as a boy, and will tell

if

the

heard what Rustem did story has pleased

you another time what he did

was grown

up.

94

you, after

I

he

IV Rustem, the Champion of

World

the IN

my

tem it

last

killed

was

growing sore

story

a

related

I

furious

how young Rusand,

elephant,

well

for

Persia

up,

for

very

the

that

soon

she

indeed,

Hero was would

need of his strength and valour.

have Pious

King Minuchihr, at the age of a hundred and twenty years, passed away, and his son, In spite, howNauder, reigned in his stead. ever,

of

all

the wise

new monarch i/nearly

rose

in

ruled

advice

of his father, the

so unjustly that the nation

revolt,

and,

95

to

make

matters

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH King of Turan, seeing how badly

worse,

the

things

were

in

Afrasiyab, in

command.

The Turanians marched in

high

spirits,

the

Sam,

a large

raised

Persia,

invade the country, and put his son,

to

army

going

invincible

across their frontier

they heard that old

because

had just

warrior,

been

summoned by the mighty Gods to his last rest, and they knew that the white-haired Zal was

own

hardly equal in prowess to their

General,

Prince Afrasiyab.

Their hopes of victory were terrible

the

engagement soon took

Persians were utterly

put

him

to

monarch of Zal,

the

however, had

the good

in

which King,

at

once,

thus

becoming

Persia.

Turanian

own way, s"

death

a

their

place,

routed,

for

hands of Afrasiyab, who

falling into the

Nauder,

realized,

and,

no

conqueror

intention

have

of

letting

everything

hearing that a descendant

Feridun was living 96

in

his

of

retirement on

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE the

Rustem

Elburz mountains, he sent

the

of

slopes

him the crown.

to offer

WORLD

This Prince,

Kai-Kobad by name, was endowed with every virtue. He was not at all surprised at the object of Rustem's

sent

He

flown in

visit,

because the Gods had

him a curious dream on the previous night. dreamt that two white Persian hawks had

down

their

to

him,

beaks,

carrying a golden diadem

which they had placed upon

his head, thus signifying that

he was to reign

over Persia. Accordingly, he accompanied Rustem to Zabulistan, where Zal had gathered a large army, and the soldiers received

great

enthusiasm,

with loud

at

the

boyish

must he

honour,

have

could

post.

feel

a

him with

their

Kai-Kobad

acclamations.

appointed young ajrid__the

hailing

him as

Rustem one of

his

king

once

at

generals,

Hero was highly delighted but

told

mace properly

Zal, therefore,

that

father

his

and

a

horse

equipped for

he

before

his

new

gave him the enormously G 97

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH heavy iron club always used by old his

battles,

and

him

told

But

of a steed.

take

to

Sam

in

choice

his

was not an easy matter,

this

/for none of Zal's horses could bear the weight

A of the Hero when armed with his mace, and

Rustem spent

several

days

in

the grassy uplands where the steeds

found no animal that would

At

last his

\ following

him

to

killed

fell

eye

who

anyone

which

foal,

but the grooms advised

with

proceed

but

fed,

suit him.

on a beautiful roan

mother,

its

about

roaming

mare

caution,

as

the

attempted

to

seize

had

Demon

blood

the

in

its

young

one,

veins.

Rustem, however, paid no attention to

their

warnings,

and,

swinging his

lasso,

soon

Rakush by the neck. As he mare rushed at him in a fury,

caught the roan did

so,

biting

the

and

kicking

thought that his

But

the

last

wildly,

hour was at hand.

Hero, who

elephant, was not

and the beholders

to be

98

had

faced

dismayed by

a

raging a

mare,

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD however

and with one blow of

infuriated,

clenched

dropped dead

the animal

fist

his

his

at

feet.

Then

mad

Rakush, bounding about

half-

wildly,

fear, and so strong that he pulled Rustem along after him, had to be subdued,

and

with

this is the

famous

The

horse.

about

many

tales

about

the

Hero

speak

of

ever

Rustem got

his

tell

almost

as

marvellous

animal

as

which

in

way

Persians

this

himself,

one

indeed

without

they hardly

mentioning

the

other.

Perhaps

some

of

you

may

how Rustem looked when he Kobad

like

rode

to

with Kai-

head of the Persian army

at the

know

to" fight

against Afrasiyab. t

He

one

in

was much Persia,

taller

compare with him prince.

He

had

and gleaming

and broader than any-

and the only man who could in

size

was the Turanian

straight features, a

teeth, while his

99

white skin

black hair hung

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH down

to his shoulders

was much

indeed, he

in

like

any handsome, well-born, But though

young Persian of the present day. nearly everybody fine

In face,

silky locks.

in Persia possesses

a pair of

dark eyes, yet no one has such flashing eyes

as those of Rustem.

The

soldiers used to

sparks of

fire

when

and

of battle,

the

that

much

terror

as

Hero was

they

double their ordinary as

say that they shot out

size,

in the

expanded

to

midst nearly

striking the foe with

did the blows of the great

iron mace.

The young when silks

warrior disdained to wear armour

fighting,

as

and always dressed himself

gorgeous

those

as

worn

by

grooms going to their weddings. His and full trousers were usually of striped from

Bokhara,

colours,

and

wound a gay

rivalling

round

his

the

rainbow

jewelled

in

in

bride-

coats tissues

their

skull-cap

he

scarf as a protection against the

sun.

100

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD Rakush was equally with

encrusted

fine,

and

gold,

his

saddle-cloth

of

His master usually

Resht embroidery.

richest

harness was

as his

guided him by means of golden shovel-shaped

pommel

of

covered

with

the

fair

the

leaving

stirrups,

the

over

reins

needlework

exquisite

Afrasiyab

naturally

himself

in

very eager to engage

sable carried

but him,

and

before

him,

Rustem

at

waving

with

once

old

spurred

Sam's

banner

black

his

was an

Afrasiyab,

riding a great

black chain armour,

charger,

in

he singled out the

huge leader of the Turanian army. in

and

combat,

single

spite of Zal's remonstrances

all

was

made by

Rudabeh and her maidens.

Rustem was

clad

high

which

saddle,

peaked

the

alarming

figure,

Rakush towards

battle-mace

in

a

threatening manner.

The two Heroes and

who

Fortune felt

that

fought for nearly an hour,

seemed his

to

foe

101

smile

was

on

given

Rustem, into

his

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH hand, lifted

As

he

caught

and

belt

Afrasiyab's

the Prince right out of his peaked saddle.

But the time

for

come

The

as

yet.

rescued by

his

to

Afrasiyab

the

warriors,

not

and he was

broke,

girdle

had

die

battle

going on

with renewed fierceness.

And no words

can

of the

tell

deeds of the

youth, Rustem.

Wherever he

rode,

the Turanians were affirmed that

men on joy

as

own

the

of

Champion

even

the

whole

enemy

fled

world

back

country.

Then ensued Kai-Kobad

is

and old Zal hailed him with

when, towards evening, to their

It

sword,

more than a thousand

he slew

that day,

the

his

brandishing

slain in scores.

a

ruled

period

of

wisely for

which must have seemed very

profound

peace.

a hundred years, dull

to

Rustem,

but on his death the Hero had plenty of em-

ployment again.

was a vain and

Kai-Kaus, the new monarch, foolish

man. 102

His pride was so

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD great that he

deemed there was no one

whole earth equal easy prey

to

the

to

and so became an

him,

the

of

wiles

the

in

Demons who

hated mankind.

One day an

Evil

minstrel, sang before

an

country

of

the

king,

of

description

alluring

Demons,

It

is

the

the great heat of Persia to

the dwellers in hills,

of

chanted

sovereign!"

know

abode

the

nor have

which snow

we

lies

the

Mazanderan, that

monarch

the

spring,

Div.

at once.

it

oh,

mighty

"We

never

summer which take

a

and gave such

determined to set forth and conquer "

as

disguised

Spirit,

the

refuge

forces

the

in

ever the intense cold during

upon the ground, and everyone

huddles round the iron pots of burning charcoal.

The round, forth

and

roses

tulips

bloom the whole year

and the bulbul never its

little

Believe me,

that

soul

in

ceases

ravishing

to

pour

melodies.

he who has never been to

Mazanderan does not know what happiness 103

is."

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH As he

ceased Kai-Kaus sprang up, and, with

a mighty oath, swore that before

were that

he would be a

set

kingdom should be

His warriors looked

many moons

happy man,

truly

for

his.

one another

at

in dismay,

for the

Demons were

but as

the

foolish

Kai-Kaus considered that

he was

far greater

than King Jemshed or the

greatly dreaded as

foes

;

good Feridun, he paid no attention to anyone, and even old Zal's words of warning fell on his ears in vain.

Therefore, in a short time, the monarch and his V'

army

set

out

on

the

journey

long

to

Mazanderan, leaving Zal and Rustem to guard Persia during their absence.

Things went smoothly defeated the

army

and were about to enter

when

the

emerged mountains.

at

of the

King

caves

their

After

Persians

of Mazanderan,

his capital in triumph,

White Demon and from

The

first.

this

104

the

his in

myrmidons the

whole

Elburz

campaign

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE

A pitchy

failed disastrously.

WORLD

darkness enveloped

the Persian army, and such huge hailstones

The

killed.

with

rest

taken captive by the

them

of

sight,

Mazanderan

be

were

Demons, who, depriving

them

gave

to

monarch

their

fell

them were

upon the soldiers that thousands of

locked

the

to

up

in

King of his

dun-

geons.

When

the sad

news of the overthrow of the

Persians reached Zal and Rustem, the latter at

once saddled Rakush and started off alone to

/Mazanderan chose

to

was

his

free

short

The way he

King.

but

full

of

and

dangers,

while he slept in a forest on the

first

night,

he

was awakened by a great noise and hurly-burly, and starting up he found that the faithful Rakush

had

been

attacked

which, however, he had

and

teeth.

by a huge

killed

with his

Rustem was angry with

his beloved

horse for having run such a risk by the lion alone, and told

him

105

lion,

hoofs

in future

fighting to neigh

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH awake him

in his ear so as to

at the first sign

of danger.

During the next three days the two painfully

Eastern

fierce

friends

The

toiled across a trackless desert.

sun

down

glared

from a cloudless blue sky

upon them

there were no trees,

;

no water, and, as the slow hours passed, the Hero

and

his steed

were

from

at the point of death

Kneeling on the burning sand Rustem

thirst.

besought the Gods to

assist

him

work

the

in

of rescuing his King, and, even as he prayed,

the Dwellers in the

High Heavens

sent

him an

answer of hope.

A

wild sheep

trotted

by,

and the

taking

it

to

be a good omen, followed

caught

it

up

at last as

brackish

water

in

a

it

it

and

drank from a pool of

little

was coming on apace, and slain

warrior,

and devoured a wild

grassy oasis. after the ass,

Night

Hero had

which came to

drink at the pool, he wrapt himself up in his

long mantle and prepared to go to sleep on the 106

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE sand,

however,

him

first,

if

any

evil

midnight

a

palling

aspect

crept

swiftly,

neighed

monstrous silently

loudly,

retreated

the dragon

saw

to his feet,

thing

happened

had dropped

again as soon as the warrior to sleep,

ap-

Hero.

the

to

up

same

the

Exactly

of

dragon

and Rustem, springing

nothing.

awake

Rakush

bidding

thing should approach.

At

Rakush

WORLD

off

and Rustem became exceedingly angry

with his horse, because he had roused him on

two occasions when there was no danger. even threatened

He

to kill his faithful friend should

he disturb him again unnecessarily, and poor

Rakush was grieved

Dawn

unkindness.

monstrous

The

was

made

dragon

noble

to the heart at his master's

its

woke up

horse

when

breaking third his

the

appearance.

master

once

more, expecting a torrent of abuse, but, luckily, this

at

it

time Rustem perceived his with drawn sword.

terrible, that

had

it

The

foe,

and rushed

conflict

was so

not been for the aid given

107

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH by Rakush, who tore and kicked

his teeth,

have

a

fallen

it

prey

at the dragon's hide with

violently, the

to

fearsome

the

However, the Gods helped him

was

thanks

proceeded on

He

;

beast.

the

dragon

overcome, and Rustem offered up

at last

hearty

Hero might

for

their

before

protection

he

his way.

had now to cross the Elburz Range by

Sometimes Rakush

difficult

and stony passes.

had

clamber up places almost as steep as

to

the sides

of a

walk

behind

And

here

master

slid

holding

and

on

there

down long

over the

checked

side

by

horse's

tail.

and

his

steed

gravelly

slopes, stopping

little

projections of

Once poor Rakush went

of an abyss,

a patch

the

to

the

themselves at intervals on rock which jutted out.

Rustem would

and

precipice,

of

but his

tamarisk

fall

scrub,

he lay without any movement, neighing

silk

and his

Rustem quickly unwound the cummerbund or waistcloth which

master for help. long

to

was

108

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD every Persian wears,

money and

ful

both

for

beast in these mountains, as the ibex

victims

fell

Rustem's

bow,

the

to

while

in

small herds, and

in

was

a very

climbing, and

it

to be free of the into

of

were

valleys

little

ascent

tiring

aim

unerring the

patches of grass and plenty of

down

his faith-

ground again. was plenty of food

and moufflon roamed about

It

to

to firm

Luckily there

easily

carries

and managed

Rakush and then haul

comrade up

man and

which he

in

sorts of things,

all

round

it

slip

and

streams.

with constant

was indeed a pleasant change mountains at

last,

the charmingly wooded

and

to

drop

country of

Mazanderan.

That evening the Hero found a meal ready and a flask of wine, together with a

cooked

mound

of

barley

laid

on

the

bank

of

stream where he halted for the night. rally,

both

lighted,

he

and

the

Natu-

Rakush were highly de-

and as they ate and drank 109

their

fill,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH a beauteous close to

a cup of

a blessing on

as he did so.

ment

his lovely

Demon,

by

down

To

wine,

of the

asking

mighty

and amaze-

his horror

companion was at once turned

it

had time

Rustem knew

when he had

And

vanish.

to

that he

had now crossed

the frontier of the haunted country deran, and,

bounty

he handed

jet black in colour, which, luckily,

he slew before this

food,

name

the

in

her

to

the ruby-coloured it

Gods

into a

sat

Rustem.

Wondering whether it was that he owed the appetizing her

and

approached,

lady

of Mazan-

struggled with Rakush

through a region where darkness reigned both

by day and

night,

district, rich with

Here he came

he emerged into a beautiful

waving corn. into conflict

governor of the province, his troops

that

and seized

and,

was

imprisoned,

110

Aulad,

having

their leader,

Aulad should lead him

Kai-Kaus

with

the

routed

he demanded

to

where

and

should

King show

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD him the

entrance of the cavern

the great

White Demon.

Aulad was amazed \

man and

daring to his

fight

hordes,

the

at

idea

battlefield

but,

just

of a

to

thinking

outside

single

the

punish

Rustem

the

by

Demon

with the White

Persian for his boldness, he led fatal

inhabited

to the

on

capital,

which the chivalry of Persia had been routed

Some hundreds

so disastrously. warriors

and from

the

were Hero,

the

having now

fatigues

Demon

of the

encamped on the

still

of his

ground,

somewhat

rested

long journey,

chal-

lenged their general to single combat.

Whenever Rustem put

his

he usually succeeded, and exception to

was fled

slain,

to

the

the

and

rule.

his

hand

to

this instance

The Demon

terrible-looking

the

anything

was no chieftain

followers '

city

un-

once passed through

the

mountains,

leaving

guarded.

The conqueror

at

great gateway of the town in triumph,

111

Rakush

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH much

being so

pleased with his master's prowess

And

that he neighed incessantly with joy.

King and

blind

warriors heard

his

the mighty war-horse even

of

free

with

shouted

them,

all

And

chains.

tem's

soldiers

inhabitants,

vaults

the

led

mace,

heavy

underground

the

where

had been locked

their

dun-

their

guide their deliverer to where they in

voice

Rustem had come

that

geons, and, knowing

in

the

the

might

bound

lay,

fearing

warrior

to

Kai-Kaus and

in,

to to

Rusthe his

and helped him to

break down the doors of their prisons.

A

great crowd of pale,

haggard-looking

men

rushed out, and surrounded him with cries of

Hero was

joy,

but

that

every one of them, from the King down-

wards, sult

of

was all

what use a

blind

flinched

the

stone his

blind.

army be? from any

Was

to

this

perceive

the

and hard fighting?

perils

to Persia

horrified

re-

Of

would a blind monarch and

And foe,

he,

who had never

however

112

terrible,

wept

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD from

sheer

now

and

despair

and

spoke,

the

Hero, "

words, took hope again.

"you who the

are rightly

World,

deed

we

call

of prowess.

to

listening

Rustem,"

named

the

he

eyes in

we

can

in the

Demon

White

great

see again

is

by

blood of the monster.

a vast cave on the side of

Son

vend.

invincible,

The into

call

upon you

Persians upon

shouts,

way

He

in

our

bathing

hid

lies

Mount Dema-

of mighty Zal, grandson of

we

said,

Champion of

has deprived us of sight, and the only

which

his

for yet another

upon you

The

Kai-Kaus

sorrow.

Sam

to slay our foe

the " !

hearing this broke forth

and Rustem, ever ready

and never so happy as

when

to fight,

the odds

were

a hundred to one against him, salaamed to his

mounted Rakush and galloped off to At last he found the entrance the mountains. sovereign,

to a

dark cavern which seemed to lead into the

very heart of the awe-inspiring volcano,

Dema-

vend.

113

H

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH This was

Demons

with

filled

aspect, but the

fearsome

of

Hero rushed among them,

slay-

ing as he went, until he passed right through the cave and

stood on

When

ingly bottomless abyss.

accustomed

the

to

brink

the

covered

and

was

fast

It

asleep.

and Rustem knew

now about meet

thy

sword upon

to

that the

doom

!

he

saw

with

fate

"

a

huge hair

Demon,

of Persia was

Come

shouted,

his brazen shield,

became

white

White

the

be decided. :>

his eyes

he

gloom,

monster below him,

seem-

a

of

forth

and

clanging

his

and suddenly the

enormous creature stood before him armed with

a great millstone. "Art thou tired of

life,"

the

"that thou darest to invade thy name,

so that

I

Demon

my

retorted,

Tell

lair?

me

may know from whence

comes the rash being I am about to destroy." But when Rustem spoke of his mighty grandfather, Sam, the subduer of the

the monster was

terrified,

114

and

for

a

Demons,

moment

To face page

RUSTEM AND THE WHITE DEMON.

114.;

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE staggered back at the dreaded

WORLD When

name.

he recovered himself, he hurled the millstone, which

short of

fell

its

aim, and in another second

Rustem were struggling together in mortal combat, the Hero calling again and again he

and

upon the Gods

Of

that

to this day,

to aid the right.

fearful

for

Demon

now

the

both

wounds,

Now

it

Hero and

the Persian

monster

seemed as

if

received

both must

But the Gods did not desert worshipper.

talk

appeared to get the mastery,

man and

until

Persians

such a fight never raged since

the world began.

and

the

conflict

Miraculous

strength

many die.

their

faithful

was

vouch-

safed to Rustem, just as he began to feel that

he must give up the combat from exhaustion.

Once more he

seized

his

savage

foe

arms, and this time hurled him with such force

on

in

his

terrific

to the stone floor of the cavern that the

monster expired, rending the

air

with shrieks.

Thereupon many hundreds of 115

lesser

Demons,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH that

owed

their

existence solely to

Demon, dropped dead rest

fled

far

in

White

the

the cavern, and the

away from the haunts

man-

of

kind.

Rustem now

up fervent thanksgivings,

offered

some of the blood

and, collecting in his helmet

of the

White Demon, he made

his

way back

King Kai-Kaus and his warriors, triumphantly giving them the horrible fluid, with which they

to

saw as well as ever

bathed their eyes, and

all

they had done in their

lives.

Before Persia,

the

soldiers

could

return

King of Mazanderan, who was a the

that

other

fair

a battle had to be fought against the

had the Demon hosts said

to

his

armies struggled

seven days,

for

in

and

at

sorcerer,

employ. with

It

and is

one an-

the end of that

time neither was victorious.

However, on the eighth day, Rustem made up his mind to attack the King, because he felt

that

if

that great Magician

116

were destroyed

WORLD

RUSTEM, THE CHAMPION OF THE followers

his

no more heart

would have

for

fighting.

he

Therefore,

monarch and made a

fierce

with his drawn sword.

out

the

attack upon

him

singled

specially

him

Persians

saw with amazement

of

to the

great mass of

So

heavy

Rustem and

heart,

was

Mazanderan

was about

as he

Just

to pierce

quickly

the

that

was

could

Rustem

had

ringing

cheers

that

it

not

move

come

to

he

even

King I

it,

lifted

human

thy

of Magicians

up it

and,

If

!

form

as

rescue.

the to

usual,

Amid

enormous

the tent of

at

it

thus:

once,

oh,

thou refusest to do so

break thee into a million atoms, fine as

will

dust,

a

hundred

a

King Kai-Kaus, and then addressed to

King into

turning

the

to

boulder, and staggered with

Return

the

rock.

soldiers

"

all

and

Heaven."

human

scatter

thee

Upon

this

shape,

and

to

the four

winds

King resumed Rustem bound and the

117

of his

led

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH him

to

Kai-Kaus, who commanded his instant

execution.

And turned

then, laden with

home

hear more

in

triumph

of the

you have only begin a new

treasure, ;

doings

to look at

story.

118

and

if

the

you

of mighty the

army

re-

care

to

Rustem,

next page and

V Rustem and Sohrab IN

my

home

last story

told

I

after his great

you that Rustem went

exploit of killing the

White

Demon, and he and everyone else thought that Persia would now be at peace for a considerable time.

Kai-Kaus was such a stupid king

But

he was perpetually

falling

kind or another, and you

when

I

tell

into

trouble

that

of one

will scarcely believe

me

you that before long he was taken in this wise.

He

conquered the King of Hamaveran, and

cap-

tured

and

prisoner again.

his

lovely

It

happened

daughter 119

for

his

wife,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH doing these things, he was foolish enough

after

to

go and stay with

his father-in-law,

threw him into a deep dungeon.

who His

at once

beautiful

Queen, who had done her best to dissuade him from partaking of her father's

same

cast into the

hospitality,

was

as her husband, as she

cell

declared that she would rather die than be separated from him.

You

can hardly imagine the terror and com-

motion caused

A

ment

of

seized

in Persia

the

this

by

monarch,

opportunity

this

to-

second imprison-

Afrasiyab at once

for

invade the kingdom

with a large army.

Everyone felt that Rustem alone could save his King and country, and that Hero, remarking that he did not fear meeting a host of a

thousand his side,

men

as long as he

mounted

his faithful

hundred

had the Gods on

Rakush and

started

off to the rescue.

As was

usual,

assisted

the great

Champion of the World

by the Dwellers Above, and soon 120

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB Kaus

set

at

armies

the

routed

liberty,

King on the Kai-Kaus was not worth

Afrasiyab, and replaced his But,

indeed,

of

throne.

trouble he gave to his faithful warriors,

all

the

for

no

sooner was he delivered from the fear of wars

and

invasions

foolish

The

pride. for

pondered

of

vantage

than

long the

heart

his

Iblis,

wily

how

ambition

King, and one day sent a guised as a servant,

he

swelled

with

of

Evil,

Spirit

could

ad-

take

and vanity of the

Demon

to him, dis-

who persuaded him

to fly

in order to explore the secrets of the heavens.

The

magicians,

after

much

upon a novel plan of flying been invented

in

consultation,

hit

balloons not having

those days.

They

fixed four

javelins in

an upright position

light raft,

and put a piece of meat on the point

of

at the corners of

each javelin, and the monarch sat

middle.

in

a

the

Four strong and hungry eagles were

then tethered to the corners, and, as each bird flew

upwards

to seize the meat, the Persian

121

King

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH was far

carried higher

and higher

into the air

and

away from his kingdom.

At

however, the poor eagles became ex-

last,

hausted, and King,

and

together,

and

birds,

found

raft all

themselves

down

fell

a

in

dreary

Here the monarch was discovered by Rustem and some of his warriors when he was

desert.

the

at

their

of

point

plain

his

from

death

of

starvation,

speaking brought him

folly.

After

spending

to

days

forty

and

a sense in

seclusion

and penitence, he became a changed

man and

ruled wisely and piously

of his

X

Now

that Persia little

to

was

do,

free

his

leisure

salt desert.

one of these expeditions he came to the

kingdom of Samengan, and during mid-day sleep, while the sun was at its height,

far-off,

his

rest

from wars, Rustem

and employed

hunting the wild ass in the

On

the

life.

had but in

all

little

his beloved

Rakush was

the inquiries he

stolen from

made were 122

him.

All

in vain, the frightened

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB Persians do to-day,

peasants affirming, just as that

they had not even

"seen the colour" of

the horse.

Accordingly the Hero went in high indignacomplain to the King of the country,

tion

to

who

received him with great honour,

him

to

begging

men

spend the night in the palace, while

scoured the neighbourhood for the missing steed.

When Rustem was ment the was

curtain at

raised,

alone,

his

astonish-

the entrance to his

room

and a most lovely maiden entered,

attended by a slave.

The

had

women,

never

to

cared

for

who

great warrior,

had never

and

wished to marry, was much taken aback at vision of beauty,

to

be done

" ?

and inquired of the lady what

"Is there some gallant

she wanted.

this

he asked

" ;

feat of

do you wish

arms

me to free " Demons ?

some prisoner from the power of the " I want none of those "No," she replied, things.

King,

I

and

am Tamineh,

the daughter of the

have heard so 123

much

of Rustem's

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH mighty deeds that that stole

I

am

resolved either to marry

great Hero, or die unwed.

mighty Rakush, hoping

the palace."

besought

She then

Rustem

who

is,

lure

to

you

on her knees and

fell

demand

to

it

I,

to

her

hand

in

marriage on the morrow. y./

The

Persian

Hero

could

not

being

help

touched at her extreme beauty and earnestness,

wed her

and, promising to

if

her father would

give his consent to the match, sent her away rejoicing.

And on

Tamineh became

next

the

the

day

gladness throughout the kingdom for

s

A

many

days.

But Heroes do not care to spend much time in ease,

and Rustem, hearing that the Demons

were invading Zabulistan, hour's notice, in order to '

lovely

and there was great

his bride,

As he

go

an

to the help of Zal.

parted from her he gave her a talisman,

telling her to bind

the

left his fair wife, at

it

round the arm of her boy,

Gods should grant them a

him news of her welfare 124

son,

and

if

to give

as often as possible.

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB Tamineh was very unhappy

Poor

when her husband

left

when her son was born mighty,

a

child

strong

who grew up the very image The boy was everything

Hero-father.

world to the Princess, and

granted him a son, that a daughter

was she

first

the

neglected

had

been given

that

her

and

of his in

when Rustem

her presents and asked whether the

afraid

at

her, but rejoiced greatly

the sent

Gods had

mother said to

them,

so

husband would take

young Sohrab from her if he knew the truth. The Hero was at first disappointed to hear that he had no son to follow in his footsteps as the

Champion of the World, but very soon he

nearly forgot

all

about his

visit

to

Samengan,

and how he had wedded beauteous Tamineh. Indeed,

before

many

religion,

years had past,

he mar-

was permitted by his wife, and a son was born to him, Feramurz

ried a second

as

by name, who became a mighty warrior when he was grown up. 125

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH But young Sohrab grew stronger day by day, and when

his

mother used

to

him about

tell

the mighty deeds done by his renowned father,

and he said

the boy's eyes blazed with pride,

he

must

go

blessing.

The

tears

that

Rustem

to

and

to

seek

his

of

the

entreaties

Princess could not keep him long by her side,

and as soon as

he

master

could

every

man

and

every horse in Samengan, the youth, mounted on a steed of the race of Rakush,

rode

out

into

world

the

his

find

to

father,

announcing that he intended to conquer Persia

and put Rustem on the throne. Persia's

Afrasiyab,

Hero and

the young

an army wish

to help him,

in life

was

to

enemy,

heard of

intentions,

and sent

deadly his

saying that his greatest

subdue King Kaus.

But Afrasiyab had no intention whatever of

handing over Persia to Rustem succeeded

wanted

to

in

conquering

rule

over

that

the

126

if

his

country,

land

soldiers for

himself.

he

He,

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB told

therefore,

two generals of his army

the

must on no account

that they

let

Sohrab know

which of the Persian warriors was his mighty he hoped that the

father,

as

would

kill

one another

in

two

Champions and that

ignorance,

he himself would then be able

to

seize

the

kingdom. Accordingly, the vast Turanian to invade

Persia,

young

on

army

set out

way passed a

its

guarded by a mighty warrior.

great fortress

This

and

doughty Sohrab, of

soldier

sallied

forth

to

test

whose prowess he had heard,

saying that he would very soon lower his pride, but the result of the fight was not what he expected, as he

and of

taken the

brave

was speedily thrown from

a

all

in

portcullis

the

of

lioness,

the downfall of her clad

However, the daughter a maiden fortress,

prisoner.

governor as

his horse

was

so

Champion

angry

at

seeing

that she herself,

armour, issued from under the stone of the castle

and challenged Sohrab.

127

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Rustem's son thought that a mere boy was

round

noose

flung his

her

amazement

to see

had recovered from

"

she

I

said,

if

her go

let

my

thou wilt

Sohrab

let

me

"

free.

maiden

Noble Hero,"

to release me.

father's

much gold and many

thee

his

Before he

fell off!

his astonishment the

beg of thee

as the apple of

pulled

masses of beautiful black hair

as the supposed boy's helmet

implored him to

and

neck

But what was

lady from her horse.

the

he

and, rushing towards his foe,

defying him,

He

eye.

jewels for

my

am

I

will

give

ransom,

return to the fortress."

but

consented,

was

sorry

his

for

good-nature, for the entire garrison slipped

during the

night,

away when the daybreak demand the ransom, no one

and

at

young Hero went to was to be seen, for the party had the

to

Persian court,

and

told

Sohrab's wonderful valour that for

Rustem

The

to

come

Persian

at

fled

in

haste

such tales

King Kaus

of

sent

once to the aid of Persia.

monarch had not treated the 128

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB v

Champion of the World well of late years. He seemed to have forgotten how the warrior had delivered him from the power of the White

Demon, had starvation

rescued him from death by

also

the

dungeons of the King of Hamaveran, and again had found him in the where the eagles which carried him desert, thither

He

/,

almost

in

had dropped him. gave no further ignored him when

and heaped

benefits

who would never

was

his days

far too in

far

he came

Rustern, to

court,

upon unworthy blow in their King's favourites,

peril.

The Hero, though

tude,

to

strike a

defence were he in x

honours

deeply hurt at this ingrati-

proud to complain, and spent Zabulistan,

where he and old

Zal instructed the young Feramurz

in all

make a mighty warrior. However, when the messenger galloped

the

arts that

into

the courtyard of Zal's palace with the news of Persia's

danger,

Rustem never 129

hesitated for a i

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH He

moment.

called

his

to

saddle

to

grooms

Rakush, and bidding a servant ride with him,

and lead a

third

horse on which were wraps

and

provisions, the great

bye

to

Champion bade goodand mounted his

those dearest to him

beloved steed. In the days of his youth, the to

ride

attire,

but

into

now

battle,

clad

that age

all

Hero was wont in

silken

gay

was creepjng^ upon him,

he did not disdain armour, and on this occasion

was equipped from head to foot in black mail. When he arrived at the Persian camp, he

was greatly interested in the descriptions of Sohrab, and wondered sometimes if the youth could possibly be his son, and whether

Tamineh

might perchance have deceived him. Indeed, of

one

Rustem,

when another,

the two armies

and

in_ disguise,

halted

made

his

came for

in

the

way

sight night,

into

the

Turanian camp, and managed to catch a glimpse of young Sohrab as he banqueted in a fine tent

130

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB with

the

For

generals.

was

moment, he

a

astonished at the likeness of the youth to old

Sam, but must be

the

resemblance

merely due to his own

imagination,

he soon

and he made up

felt

his

that

mind

to

kill

his rival

as

speedily as might be.

The

youthful Hero, on his side, was keenly

anxious that

Rustem's tent should be pointed

out to him, and the Turanians having captured

a Persian

soldier,

who had

foolishly

lingered

the main

body of the army, Sohrab this man. He asked him to eagerly questioned tell him to which warriors the different pavilions behind

when

belonged, but

the prisoner observed

how

interested he appeared to be as to the position

of Rustem's the

Champion

arrived that tilty

encampment, he assured him that of

the

World had not

from Zabulistan.

This

as yet

he did fearing

Sohrab might slay the Persian Hero by subif

he knew that he were

131

in the

Persian camp.

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH On

the

as

brayed

trumpets

drums

the

morrow,

a

signal

and the

beat that

was

battle

about to commence, and when the Persian and

Turanian hosts stood another,

armed opposite one

young Sohrab stepped

between

space

fully

and

them,

loudly

boldness,

indeed,

for,

the Persian monarch, life

at Sohrab's

known

was well

in

feats

of arms,

lose his ful

encouraged

life

if

so

his

that

bow

former years. for

Moreover, Kai-Kaus, caring only

had not

that

a consequence of the

of pleasure he led, could not bend the

draw the sword as

or

as

open

challenged

King Kai-Kaus to single combat. Everyone was thrown into a panic it

the

into

warriors

one and

to all

luxury,

excel

in

feared

to

he went forth against the youth-

Champion.

f\ Therefore, lost unless

Now

there

friendship,

everyone cried out that Persia was

Rustem would come is

to the rescue.

a Persian proverb

which says that 132

if

broken

regarding it

can be

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB mended again been

cut,

And

like

a piece of string that has

but that the knot will ever remain.

was with the King and the Champion of the World. Rustem had not delayed for an so

it

hour to go to the help of his country, but when,

mounted on Rakush, he arrived

at the

Persian

camp, there was such a feeling of constraint be-

tween him and Kai-Kaus,

in spite of the

monarch

showing him every kind of favour, that the Hero soon retired to his

which he ordered to be

tent,

pitched at the rear of the army.

on the

quilts,

padded with

his bed, as they

cotton,

Here he

lay

which formed

do the couch of every Persian he smoked countless kalians or

nowadays, and

water-pipes while awaiting events.

A

confused

after

awhile,

coming

murmur and

of

voices

crowd

a

in the direction of his

reached

appeared tent,

to

him be

which was

easily recognized because of the huge Simurgh

embroidered on "

Rustem

!

its

curtain

Rustem

" !

by Rudabeh.

he heard voices

133

calling,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH "

Champion of the World, come

rescue of thy country

And

he

as

wondering rounded by

an

and

hasten

from

emerged the

at

excited

to

the

the

cries,

pavilion,

he was

sur-

throng begging him to

eager

save

forth

" !

honour

the

of

Persia,

as

Sohrab was taunting the King with cowardice.

The Hero had but

not intended to fight so soon,

when he understood

single warrior

Sohrab,

he

who dared

face

to

donned

quickly

mail, and, telling

the

that there

was not a

the youthful

black suit

his

everyone on no account

enemy guess

his

name,

he

went

of

to let forth,

followed by Rakush.

But when he stood face to face with his boyish "

opponent, he was touched with pity at his extreme youth, and urged "

I

will

yield

young Sohrab if

him at

to give

once "

replied.

if

up the combat.

thou art Rustem,"

Tell me,

I

beseech thee,

thou art he."

The Champion

" replied,

134

I

am

but the servant

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB He

of that mighty Hero.

himself would never

stoop to fight with such a boy as thou."

Rustem, and the

So were

torn,

swords

their

broken,

armour

fight began.

was the encounter

fierce

and

and

after

that their spears their

bent,

But neither would give

awhile they threw

aside

shattered clubs and their bows, having shot all

their arrows,

chain

they themselves bled from

many grievous wounds. way,

When

he rushed towards

the youth heard this taunt,

and began

their

away

to wrestle together.

But neither could get the smallest advantage, and, as night

was

fast

to

the

combat

postpone

approaching, they agreed until

the next day,

both Heroes being somewhat weary with their twelve hours' struggle.

Rustem thought foreboding,

superior to

plored

the

feeling

of that

him as a Turanian

morrow with deep his youthful foe was

the

warrior,

and Sohrab im-

generals

to

whether his enemy were Rustem or 135

tell

not,

him as

if

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH it

were

his

against

the

Champion he would be

that

But the generals obeyed

father.

of Afrasiyab, and insisted that

commands

the Persian warrior was not

soon

as

Therefore,

fighting

Champions met

face

Rustem

as day to

at

broke,

Sohrab

but

face,

all.

the two felt

such an overwhelming affection for his adversary that he begged talk with

him

two began

Rustem declined wrestle

to

He

sand.

when Rustem customs

of

was about

called

Persia to

out, kill

to

after

down upon

to

"It

the

despatch him is

jagainst

an enemy

has been thrown to the ground twice." at

and

do,

mightily, and

awhile the youth hurled his foe desert

and

to be his friend

in peace.

This, however,

the

him

until

the

he

Sohrab

once stayed his hand, moved by a strange love

for his adversary.

As

it

was now the hour of

sunset the combatants decided to finish their fight

on the morrow, and

camps

retired

for the night.

136

to

their

different

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB The Turanian with

Sohrab

for

were

generals

having

when he had him

very his

spared

angry

opponent

in his power, saying that the

Persian would by no means have been as

had

bearing

the

been

cases

for-

and,

reversed,

indeed, they were right.

Old Rustem prayer to the

he

for

help,

passed

Gods

many hours

that

imploring their

night,

perceived

fervent

in

Turanian

the

that

Champion was stronger and more active than

Age was

he was.

his once boundless strength,

was

Hero

slowly taking from the

and

little

by

little

stiffening his limbs, so marvellously supple in

former years.

He

understood

all

too well that

the renewal of the combat would be the end of his

life,

And

unless supernatural help were granted him. he,

who had never

the Dwellers

failed in

devotion to

Above, was not forsaken

in

his

dire distress.

When in

the

the two Heroes stood face to face again early

morning, suddenly a marvellous 137

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH strength

flowed into Rustem and he

felt

even

stronger than he had ever done in the old days.

With a he

fell

glad outcry of gratitude to the

upon Sohrab, and the combatants swayed

way and

this

Now now

Gods

one

that, interlocked in

seemed

a deadly embrace.

get the advantage and

to

the other, and the two armies watched this

wrestling match with bated breath, knowing that

on

its

result

At

last

hung the fate of two kingdoms. Rustem noted that his enemy's

grasp was getting weaker,

so,

his strength in

one stupendous

Sohrab

ground, and

to the

dagger into his

A

cry

at

putting forth effort,

hejhurled once drove his

side.

of terror and indignation

the Turanians, while the Persians yelled

these

with

with things,

What was

for for

Rustem

but

joy,

shame

all

his

noted

unchivalrous

horror

dying youth murmur,

from

none of

was suddenly overcome

he

his

rose

shouted and

"

I

138

deed.

when he heard

the

invaded Persia solely

To face page

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB.

138.

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB to

my

find

mighty

father,

most assuredly avenge

World

of the will

kill

"

you

thrown

ground as ,

When

the

soul

me

Champion

of honour, and

my

second

a

will

Remember," the

that

having ended

for

you

had

is

death.

my

young Sohrab continued,

He

Rustem.

he

before

life

time

the

to

the rule of Persia."

is

dawned upon the old

the awful truth

Hero, he, who had never shed a tear and never

known

pity,

horror of

it

fell

fainting to the

earth

all.

After a time sense returned to

that he

confessed

and he

he

was the son of Rustem, and then

was

himself

The young Champion, he had the

him,

Sohrab whether he had any token to

asked

show

with the

felt

faintly

great

Hero.

murmuring

that

a strange love for his father from

moment he saw him

strip off his coat of mail,

his son's

that

first,

besought him to

and he would

arm the amulet given long ago

Princess of Samengan.

139

find

on

to the

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH And when Rustem knew by his child

had

before him,

lay

killed

him,

no longer! life."

But

tiny,"

he

thus

My

and that he himself "

exclaimed,

sword

end

shall

can

I

" said,

live

miserable

my

Sohrab would not permit.

this

out.

fall

he

the token that

"

Des-

has ordained that things should

Thou,

oh, father,

must

live to

be

the bulwark of Persia."

When

the armies saw their Champions lying

prone on the desert sand, they believed that both

were dead, and a still air,

bitter wail of

woe

arose into the

mingled with the sad neighs of Rakush.

After awhile galloped to

some of the Persian warriors

the scene of the

fight,

and found

Rustem supporting Sohrab's head and weeping The boy was trying to console his. terribly. father,

but was himself

the thought of "

I

came

wind!

I

how

filled

short

with bitterness at his

like the lightning and

life I

had been.

go

like the

have been torn from the Banquet of

Life before

I

have been permitted 140

to

do more

RUSTEM AND SOHRAB

sadly

but

;

Wine

of the

than sip

his

Existence," he said,

of

were

words

last

for

others.

"Father," he gasped, slowly and painfully, "let the Turanian molested.

in

army depart was owing

It

to

and un-

peace

my

burning desire

to seat

you upon the throne of Persia and not

to the

wish of Afrasiyab that

Mine, and mine alone, was the

it

This Sohrab said

Turanian

of the obtain

the

fair

in

fault."

who

had

land for

And when Rustem had youth

drew

and breathed

the

to

hoped

and

himself,

had used the young Hero merely as his

the

hither.

ignorance of the guile

King, Persian

came

tool.

given his promise,

dagger

from

side

his

his last.

There was no further thought of fighting. The two camps broke up, and everyone returned to his

burning

his

own home,

Rustem,

after

armour and weapons, carried

son back to far great

while

pomp and

Zabulistan lamentation.

141

to

his

be buried with

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH And when

the sad news arrived at

Samen-

gan poor Tamineh was nearly mad with that

feeling

owed

his

death

grief,

to

her

Day and night she wept and made

deceit.

moan

son

her

her cherished

for

child,

until

at

last

the

whom

Gods in mercy took her to rejoin him she had so fondly loved.

Sohrab, Persia

and

I

is

the

*

*

#

#

This

famous

and there

who has hope you

is

story

#

Rustem and

not a boy or girl in

not heard will

of

enjoy

do.

142

it it

often

as

all

and often

much

;

as they

VI

The

Story of Byzun and

Manijeh DURING

the reign of

who succeeded

the

good King Kai-Khosrau,

foolish

tation of the inhabitants of

a

depu-

Aman came

to the

Kai-Kaus,

Persian court to beg for assistance. the

sovereign

run

herds

by

that

down and devoured millet,

country

swine,

their

was

which

fierce,

attack and

Moreover,

the

told

over-

trampled

crops of barley

and were reducing the population

of famine. ingly

their

of wild

They

and

to a state

boars were exceed-

with long tusks, and would at once kill

any one who attempted 143

to drive

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH them

from the

Kai-Khosrau was ever

fields.

ready to assist those in

open

to

his

all

distress, his heart

being

he

called

at once

so

subjects,

a council of his nobles to discuss what would be the

best

of

way

helping

unfortunate

the

Armanians.

was under consideration,

While the matter the heroic

Rustem,

young Byzun, grandson of mighty

started

begged leave

impulsively "

to speak.

Shelter of the Universe

" !

to

his

and

feet

Mighty Kai-Khosrau, he began, "

will

you

permit me, the humblest of your servants,

undertake

among

this

adventure?

I

am,

as

to

know,

all

the youngest of your Majesty's warriors,

but the blows of

my arm

have sometimes been

compared, not unfavourably,

with those of

my

mighty grandsire."

The King astic youth,

the

older

smiled

but a

kindly upon

murmur

warriors,

the

enthusi-

of anger rose

among

who thought Byzun

bold and presumptuous.

144

However,

after a

over-

good

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH young noble was given

deal of discussion, the

leave to go, but, as he was inexperienced and rather

rash, the

commanded So

off

morning,

to

flowing

their

the

for

or thickly-padded

themselves

roll

the open

next

mettlesome horses

with

at

and manes,

while

servants

their

and

journey in

quilts,

up

daybreak

on mules, which carried

jogged along behind

in

the

started

riding

provisions

was

warrior, Girgin,

accompany him.

they

tails

old

tried

the

lahafs,

would

which they

during

the

nights

spent

air.

After some days they reached the outskirts of the forest where the wild boars dwelt, and were

about to set to work with

an

dashed

when Girgin

A

accident.

out

at

them

and

Girgin's

horse,

shied

violently

away

looking the

animal,

ground.

huge from taken

from

throwing

Byzun

the

galloped

145

met

unluckily

boar

behind

by the old to

suddenly a

tree,

surprise,

alarmingwarrior the

K

to res-

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH cue with his spear, and killed the boar, but not before

had torn Girgin's leg so badly with

it

tusks

its

that

the servants had to carry the

down

veteran to a booth of boughs, and lay him

upon a couch of lahafs.

As

poor old Girgin could not move,

had perforce

to

do

the work.

all

He

Byzun was so

excited at the prospect of distinguishing himself that

or

he sometimes rose with the "false dawn," of

"tail

though,

of

the wolf" as the Persians call course,

when darkness the the

first

day.

bow and

fell

he

soon

saw

his

mistake

again upon the world, until

gleam of the

real

dawn heralded

Armed

with a great spear and

arrows,

he

against the savage

it,

waged a

deadly

beasts until sunset.

in

his

war

These

creatures were accustomed to inspire such dread that they

had no

fear of

any man, and would

rush to the attack as soon as they saw Byzun

But now they had found

approaching

them.

their match,

and discovered 146

to

their cost

that

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH one of the very

bravest

different

unarmed

warriors

opponent

to

in

the

Persia

was a and

terrified

peasants.

So hard

Byzun work

did

of a short time most

that in the

course

of the herds were exter-

minated, and, in order to destroy them utterly, the forest which

they inhabited was

burnt to

the ground, hundreds of boars perishing in the flames.

Those

that

tors of the

escaped are probably

the

ances-

herds that are to be seen in the

north of Persia at the present day, and which increase and multiply, because the Persians look

upon pork as an unclean food, and eat

it

never

will

on any account.

young Hero wanted to give Kai-Khosrau a proof of what he had done, so Naturally, the

he commanded the grateful peasants to the heads of

all

the boars

told

Girgin that he was

huge

trophy to the King.

147

cut off

he had

slain,

and

to

take

this

going

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH The

old

warrior's

enforced

improved by the

had

temper

been

not

while

idleness,

his

junior was doing the work and getting all the glory, and he felt that he would be the butt

of countless sneers and jibes court,

Persian

the

at

when everyone knew

had not

that he

killed a single boar.

Therefore

he did his best to persuade Byzun

to leave the

heads where they were, and, when

the young warrior refused, his jealousy grew to

such a pitch that he determined,

if

possible, to

get him out of the way.

That evening as they their

leafy

and

pillau the

wine of

tent,

Manijeh,

the

hail

"The

her as the most beautiful Tall

as

a

cypress,

148

of

in

savoury

goblet

Girgin

of

seized

ever heard of the

best-loved

Afrasiyab?". he began.

ence.

fill

Shiraz,

Have you

their heels

after

goblet

Isfahan or "

on

their

eating

drinking

his opportunity.

glorious

sat

daughter of

poets of Turan

woman

with

skin

in exist-

white as

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH ivory and eyes glowing like the narcissus, she all

captivates

and

hearts,

seen her does not

who has never

he

know what

the word

loveli-

ness really means."

was

raising to his

whether this

"

it

the

silver

which

cup

he

and inquired of Girgin

lips,

would be possible

to get

a sight of

paragon among women. is

Nothing "

answered.

on the

me

down

set

Byzun

spring

months

there

allow

us

a

in

fair

to-morrow,

have

to

are almost

Turan, and the peasants

farsakhs (leagues) from ride

we

warrior

tell

Manijeh's custom to spend the

is

it

old

wily

Here, as you know,

frontier of

that

the

easier,"

bribe

a

very

garden

this

place.

the

glimpse

Let

servants of

her

few us to sur-

passing beauty, and then make our way back to Persia."

This Girgin struction, for

would

kill

said,

hoping to lure Byzun to de-

he well knew that King Afrasiyab

any

Persian

149

who might dare

to

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH make

love

On and

his

to

the

morrow,

rode

he

thing

do.

therefore,

towards

off

which

daughter,

young Hero would

hoped the

they rose early,

Turan,

bidding

servants load the mules and wait

for

their

them

at

a certain stage on the road to Persia.

Before the

of

camp

many hours were of the

huge walnut than

larger

Princess, trees,

pitched

others,

embroidered with

cloth

boldly

advanced

in

a grove

and noticing one

any of the

scarlet

they reached

past,

towards

it.

course, the pavilion of Manijeh,

peacocks,

This

a pile of

silk

inquiringly, saddle,

look

of

carpets.

and

gazed

beautiful

woman

was,

adoration,

of

pace,

reclining

She glanced

Byzun, bowing low

into

they

and as the two

Persians passed the entrance at a foot's

they saw a most

tent

and made of

at

on

them

from

his

her wondrous eyes with a

and

rode

on slowly with

Girgin.

Now

the

young Persian noble was the hand150

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH man

somest

so

Khosrau, the

fair

and

calling

told

her

who he

On

was.

knew

at

baji

first

or

she

inquire

Byzun, directly he

that she

the world for

sight,

nurse,

and

stranger

side

his

Princess, in

him

old

the

follow

to

Kai-

King

not surprising that

is

loved

her

for

of

court

it

perhaps

Manijeh

saw the

woman

the

at

whom

was the only he could ever

care,

so he answered

fully,

and gave the old woman precious jewels,

on

condition

that

all

she

the

nurse's

would

questions

him

allow

to

speak to the beauteous Manijeh.

The secretly

lovers

met

married

that

by

same

a mollah

day,

or

and were priest,

be-

cause the Princess greatly feared the wrath of

Afrasiyab

if

he were to discover that she were

wedded without

his

leave,

and,

above

all,

to

one of the hated Persian race. Girgin rejoiced greatly that Byzun would, in return

no more to

all

probability,

he

was somewhat alarmed 151

when

Persia,

the

but

young

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH came

noble

the

to

grey dawn

cold

that he

he

fore

could

look

your heart

fail

Girgin

"You

began.

at the thought of the slain so

Do

bravest warriors?

Be-

"

he

Byzun,"

you

word,

to sneer at him.

who has

of Afrasiyab,

another

speak

oh,

afraid,

saying

to confide to him.

and began

started up,

the

in

next morning,

of the

had something

couch

of his

side

Does wrath

of Persia's

many

you dread an adventure

which would have rejoiced the heart of King

How

Jemshed or the good Feridun ? rades that

court

at

mock when

will

you have won the

woman

the

in

to hold her as

The young

heart

and

world,

your own

your comtell

I

of

then

them

the fairest

was

afraid

" !

warrior was stirred

to

anger at

this

speech, and replied that he had never had

the

least

wife.

intention

He

merely

with messages for

because

he

felt

of

giving

wished the

that

to

up

entrust

King and his

152

joy

his

in

his

the

beloved Girgin parents,

love

of

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH and

might have a tragic ending,

Manijeh

it

was possible that he might never see Persia again.

The his

old

warrior,

therefore,

bade farewell

companion, and went off on his while

joicing,

happiness last,

sary

the

the

the

in

day

for the

honeymoon passed grove of walnut

by

it

great

At

trees.

was

neces-

Princess and her retinue to return

to the court of Turan.

that

when

arrived

way in

to re-

this

Byzun,

the very jaws of the lion, his wife to let

who saw

clearly

move he would be walking as

him go back

to

it

into

were, begged

Persia,

and

try

and arrange matters with King Afrasiyab from there.

But Manijeh could not bring herself

to

part

from her husband, and that evening, during the interminable dinner, which often began at nine o'clock

and did not end

till

midnight, she offered

him a draught of wine from her own goblet. "Drink to our happiness, Light of my soul!" 153

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH "

she exclaimed. as

now

grave closes over

the

until

we have one

our love endure strong

May

and one death

life

gave him a long look of deep

May

us.

"

And

!

she

he

as

affection

drained the cup to the dregs.

Almost immediately he became very drowsy, drugged, and he slept hour

as the wine was after

the

hour,

while

the

were

tents

caravan journeyed

through

and

struck,

summer

the

night to the city of Turan.

He woke the

the next

anderoon

palace, terrible

and

reproaching

himself in

apartments

once sprang to his

at

rage,

find

to

day

women's

or

of

feet

the in

Manijeh loudly

a for

her treachery.

But she bore

his

all

hard words so patiently,

and looked so beautiful as she knelt weeping at his feet, saying

between her

not

to

let

you return

forgotten your wife, to

her.

If

you

Persia.

sobs,

"

I

could

You might have

and have never come back

forsake

154

me

I

shall

die!

I

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANNER cannot

"

without

live

you

he was forced

that

!

to forgive her.

Byzun had good cause

But, indeed,

because as

anger, that

favourite

his

Persian

soon

as

Afrasiyab

daughter

youth,

he

the

young

sent

for

his

had

his

learned

married

soldiers

to

a

seize

him.

When with

chains,

Afrasiyab's rage

you

raise

slay without

Do

bound King,

Son of a

the

fairest

not

you

how

ages,

know

dared

flower of that

I

mercy any of the accursed Persian

race

who

venture

and

how

much

presumed

the "

limits.

remote

your eyes to

my kingdom

led,

of

"you whose ancestors have

from

?

was

presence

knew no

dog," he shouted,

been jackals

warrior

the

into

to insult

without

here

more

you

me ?

good reason, have thus

who

Prepare,

therefore,

to

die before an hour be past."

But the fear of death did not make Byzun quail before the anger of the

155

King of Turan.

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH He

drew himself up

looking boldly

into

he

"

answered,

remember

that

Rustem, who this

By more

am

speech

And

you

avenge

but

will,

death."

my

made

was

Afrasiyab

as

deadliest

his

yet

who were

a

He

enemy.

and commanded them

standing to

hang

tree

great

the sentence would have

that

been

carried

one of the wisest of the King's councillors

if

not

to

happened

pass

by

moment, and pleaded urgently the

of

life

monarch," he peace,

and

But

in

life

monarch,

opposite the palace.

grew

for

height, and,

he looked upon the Champion

Byzun without delay from

had

if

to the executioners,

near at hand,

out

full

of the

the grandson of mighty

will not fail to

World

beckoned

his

face

me

Kill

I

furious, for

the

of

to

the

if,

said,

all

his

with

"your kingdom enjoy

that

Afrasiyab

"Oh,

captive.

your subjects

at

just

is

mighty

now

at

prosperity.

your righteous anger, you take the

of this

descendant

of great

156

Rustem,

you

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH bring war

will

on

Turan.

The

immediately despatch a large

Persians

army

to

will

avenge

young Byzun's death, and remember, oh, King, that

all

among

none

to

the

warriors

with

compare

World and These

his son,

words

the

captivity

that hanging

He

was

so

the

moon

that

made

Afrasiyab

resolve

to

when you hear what

like

you

will

would have been

he

the

Champion

might

think

perhaps

better.

was chained, head downwards,

pit,

is

of

young Feramurz."

imprison poor Byzun, but his

Turan there

of

in

never see the

again, and over the

a deep

sun

or

mouth of the

chasm the Demons placed an enormous mass of rock.

At share

first

the

Manijeh should

Afrasiyab said that

punishment of her husband, but

all

her maidens implored the King so piteously to

have

mercy on

their

beautiful

she was only stripped left

beside the horrible

of pit.

157

all

mistress,

her jewels

that

and

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH was a hole

there

Fortunately,

placed over the chasm, so that

down food

in

Many eh

could pass

Byzun, and she did her best

to

promising that she

comfort him,

the stone

would

to

never

him as long as Perhaps some of you may have wondered

forsake

what

life

sort of a

lasted.

story Girgin invented

returned to the

when he

without

Persian court

young

Byzun.

He

feared

to tell

should say that he the

warrior

young

the truth,

lest

have

ought

to

from

such

a

the

King

prevented

dangerous

made up a wonderful He averred about a Demon Wild Ass.

adventure,

he

so

they came across this creature on

ward journey, and that the

strength

lightning.

have nothing but lasso

the

of a

He to

said

it

lion,

that

their

tale

that

home-

had hoofs of

steel,

and the swiftness of he advised Byzun to

do with so uncanny an animal,

headstrong

Hero

at

once threw his

and caught the Demon by the neck. 158

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH Thereupon a became dark as

the

arose,

sky

thunder boomed, lightning

ink,

mocking voices were heard, and, when

flashed,

the

storm

terrific

heavens were clear again, Byzun was no-

where

to be found.

Girgin went on to servants

searched

he and

relate- that

for

many

and

hours,

the

only

came across the young noble's horse, which was galloping about wildly and neighing in a very frenzy of

terror.

But when the old warrior made up story,

Khosrau possessed a Magic Cup, could

see

the

them gazed

to

of King Jemshed, him by the Demons.

for

Girgin's

dismay

for his magicians,

make

into

everybody

property

imagine

monarch sent

which he

for-

been the

can

and

in

in

and had been made

You

false

This wondrous Goblet had

everything

whole world. merly

this

he had quite forgotten that King Kai-

the

suitable

159

the

and commanded

incantations,

enchanted

when

Bowl

!

while In

he

a flash

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH saw

Kai-Khosrau

poor

chains, in the horrible

bound

Byzun,

pit,

and unhappy Manijeh

weeping beside the Demon-stone. The whole Persian court rejoiced that

land

the brave of the

Girgin

to

was

young noble

living

but the

;

know

to

the

in

still

King commanded

be imprisoned in a

deep dungeon,

Byzun was

there to stay until poor

with

free

once

more.

Then he commanded Rustem rescue,

and

the

Hero

old

court from his retirement told

Kai-Khosrau

that

army, but would go

!

[

he

come

hastened

to to

Zabulistan.

in

did

not

need

the

the

He an

disguise with a thou-

them pretending to be merchants and camel-drivers. This was an old sand warriors,

f

in

to

all

ruse of Rustem's,

of

who

captured the fortress of

Sipund many many years ago

in

this

manner.

Therefore, a great troop of camels was laden

with jewels,

silks,

embroideries, and carpets, the

animals divided into long strings, 160

the

tail

of

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANl'jEH the leading camel being tied to the head of the

and so

next,

on.

The caravan made reached

a

great

as such

the city of Turan,

when

stir

it

mer-

rich

chandise had never been seen there before, and all

the inhabitants were very eager to buy.

When

Manijeh heard of

came

greatly excited,

from

his

him

knew

one

that

cruelly imprisoned

But the want

was the chief merchant,

whether of

to

his

King

bravest

his

mere

court

?

merchant, I

Byzun, so

But

at

was

warriors

World

the

plans

too

answered the Princess, roughly a

Kai-Khosrau

Turan.

in

Champion of

disclose

she be-

arrival,

and thinking that Rustem,

appearance,

she| asked

its

know

about

not

so

soon, "

:

did

What do the

he I,

Persian

have never even heard the name of

me

"

how

can his fate matter to

this

downfall to her hopes, Manijeh

wept so bitterly

that Rustem's

?

heart was soft-

" Poor maiden, ened, and he said to her, kindly,

161

L

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH I

I

some great

perceive that you are in

Perchance

am

neither a warrior nor a courtier."

The unlucky pathy

caught at the

Princess

Rustem

a

Manfjeh for

prisoner,

a

many

fowl

roast

told

tear.

much

with

listened

sym-

and

her misery and desolation,

in

her whole story with

gave

trouble.

be able to help you, though

may

I

and

interest,

take

to

to

the

Demons, who watched over

the

him, allowed him only bread and water.

In the

the

own

engraved upon

the

of

body

Hero's

signet-ring

it,

which,

gave an exclamation of "

bird

Beloved, what

is

the

Princess,

through

the

hole

Byzun would not

concealed

name

his

when Byzun

saw, he

joy.

Why

it ?

inquired

was

with

as

in

the

tell

her.

she

do you smile ? peered

stone,

but

"

at

him

at

first

All Persian boys are taught their lessons by the

mollahs or

priests,

and these men usually

give their pupils one particular piece of advice.

162

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH "

They

say,

on

secret

she

If

never

with

to

a

you

gives

do the contrary thing

and

advises,

woman

a

trust

account.

any

counsel, always

she

Never

what

be guided by her

in

anything." of course,

Now, see

will

must

mollahs

no one

every

be

to

wonder

will

girl

who

how wrong and

once

at

such

say

reads this stupid

things,

the

and

Manijeh thought so

that

too.

She reproached her husband conduct, saying

that

in

his

all

for his

unkind

misery she had

never forsaken him, and had done her utmost for

him

;

therefore

not trust her

it

was hard that he would

when she had proved her love^so

thoroughly.

Byzun

thereupon

himself, and,

said:

quite

having begged

"Let

whom you Go to him

felt

us

spoke. in haste

He

is

was Rustem with

come

to release me.

and ask of him 163

of

for her forgiveness,

It

rejoice!

ashamed

his plans."

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH The

now

Princess,

herself

the

to

was dark,

it

soldiers

a

betook

World, who

beside the pit as soon

fire

in order to

the spot.

to

hope,

of the

Champion

told her to light

as

with

filled

guide him and his

on her

She,

side,

bade

him beware of the Demon-guards, and, above all,

of their

leader,

who

cherished

a terrible

hatred against Rustem, the slayer of his father, the

White Demon.

Then she the

beguiled all

returned to her husband, and they

time until

nightfall

with talk

of

they would do when Fortune smiled

that

upon them again, and Manijeh

also collected a

big heap of camel-thorn for the bonfire.

When

the time

stood beside it

at every

fiercely

At

it

in

came fear

moment,

for

it

to

be

lit,

she

and trembling, feeding

for

camel-thorn blazes up

and goes out quickly.

last

she heard the tramp of Rustem and

his warriors,

and the

fight

that ensued between

them and the Demons was such a 164

fierce

one that

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH times

at

almost seemed as

it

never be

arrows,

of the

a

Demons whenever

roar

round

their nooses

flinging

terrific

followers

his

swords and spears and bows and

In the midst of

leader

Byzun might

Rustem and

released.

fought with

if

all

was

the

necks

they could.

the tumult of the fight,

and

heard,

suddenly

the

of the Divs, a monster most hideous to

look upon, sprang to the front and rushed at the

my

Champion father,

thy

of the last

"

World.

hour

come

is

Murderer of " !

it

yelled,

armed with a great tree torn up by the roots, it challenged Rustem to single combat. and,

Oh, how poor Manijeh prayed plored the

Gods

for

shuddered

when

the

their

the

about to get the better of

At

last,

a

that

it

she im-

and how she

vanished

again

Champion seemed

it.

however, the rage of the

to such a pitch

made

help,

Demon

and again, just when

How

!

forgot

headlong dash at 165

all

Div grew

caution,

Rustem

with

and the

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH The

tree trunk.

to

avoid

deep

the

Hero

old

charge,

nimbly aside

leapt

and plunged

into the side of the

sword

his

monster as

it

passed,

and the victory was to the Persians.

They pursued some

miles,

the

stone over the mouth of the

up poor Byzun by means of

that

release

away

the

and

pit,

Demonhaul

to

his lasso.

had been done so

secretly

King Afrasiyab had no idea of what was

going on outside

the

during

city

that

and was much alarmed when he heard a loud as thunder, "

for

and then Rustem managed, by a

great effort of strength, to push

The whole

Demons

vanquished

oh

night, voice,

shouting through the palace,

Byzun is free, and " Rustem is here to avenge him The Persians had slain all the guards, and were swarming

Awake,

sovereign

!

!

into

every room,

and gathering

who

killing all

up jewels

and

resisted them,

gold

and

fair

maidens. Afrasiyab,

without

losing

166

a

moment,

fled

THE STORY OF BYZUN AND MANIJEH a secret passage which led

through

chamber hastily

to

barracks of his

the

his

summoning

from his

soldiers,

army he

and

encountered

the invaders at daybreak. Certainly the Persians only sand, but,

as

if

with

Rustem

numbered a thou-

their

at

head,

they were a host tenfold

that

it

was

strength,

and the Champion of the World never

distin-

guished himself more than on that day.

Of and with

course, the Turanians

their

were utterly routed,

conquerors returned to

Persia laden

spoil.

Byzun and Manijeh were received with great honour at the court, King Kai-Khosrau feeling that he could hardly

them

for all

their

do enough

sufferings,

and

that they lived happily together their days.

make up

to

it

all

is

to

related

the rest of

VII

Some of AFTER Rustem

mournful death of

the

retired

kingdom of

Rustem

the Feats of

for

a long

Zabulistan,

young

telling

Sohrab, his

own

everyone

that

time

to

he had quite done with fighting and intended peace with

to dwell henceforth in

But while King Afrasiyab the

of

with, his

great

all

lived,

Hero could not

men.

the services

be

dispensed

and again and again he was called from retreat to do battle with the Turanian

forces.

A

new King,

succeeded

the

Kai-Khosrau foolish

169

by

Kai-Kaus,

name,

had

and

this

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH monarch's father had been cruelly put to death

by Afrasiyab, therefore the enmity between the two kingdoms was unquenchable. But even when no wars were Rustem's

One

day,

in the

utmost

frequently

example, the King's terror,

of a wild ass had

and had

were

services for

required.

as a creature in

burst

the

into

hand,

grooms were the form stables

royal

killed or seriously injured

best horses.

on

of the

many

Everyone agreed in thinking that must be an evil spirit

this disagreeable visitor

in disguise,

vised

and the

from the

as,

courtiers

the king to send fact

for

of having

Demon, he had had

and

officials

Rustem killed

considerable

at

the

ad-

once,

White

experience

of such monsters.

Rustem arrived

and searched

the

neighbouring forest for the pretended wild

ass,

in

haste,

but found that he had no easy task before him, for

whenever he came

animal

and

galloped

in

up 170

sight to

it,

of the it

strange

invariably

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM Rustem could

vanished immediately, and even

do nothing against an enemy which took such an unfair advantage of him.

For three days and three nights the great Champion pursued a shadow as it were, and he and

his

exhausted

Rakush, became completely

horse,

with

and

chase

the

despaired

of

success.

out

tired

Thoroughly

down near a stream needed

rest,

and

Demon

monstrous

giant,

lay

much-

little

he

had

in

the

form of a

digging

up

the

appeared

round him, took up the

soil

and

off

together

a

as

soon

and,

Rustem

last,

take

to

as

asleep, the

at

marched

fallen

earth

and the Champion with

this

strange

find

himself

burden poised on his head.

The Hero in this

perilous

re-assured

choice

presently

position,

when

of two

awoke

the

thou prefer to be

left

and was not

Demon

modes

to

of

offered

death.

greatly

him

the

"Wouldest

on the summit of Great 171

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Demavend, his

far

from any human habitation," said

"or

captor,

thou be thrown into the

wilt

waters of the Caspian Sea

Now

the wily

Spirits loved

to

" ?

Rustem knew act

by

contraries,

and that

a mortal begged them to do a special they would at once do the fore,

considering that

drowning implored

than the

it

Demon

opposite.

would be better he

starvation,

him

if

thing

Thereto risk

besought

leave

to

Evil

that the

to

and the

mercy of the wild beasts on the mountain, as he had a horror

of

being

devoured

by

the

denizens of the deep.

The

result

was

just

what

Rustem

hoped.

The Demon

flung him headlong into the and down he went into unsounded depths.

The Champion

of the

sea,

World was no mean

swimmer, however, and when he rose

to

the

surface,

he knew that he could soon reach the

shore.

He

sters

had

to

contend with various mon-

(none of which are to 172

be

found

in

the

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM make

exceedingly eager to

all

Caspian to-day),

but his good sword speedily

a meal off him,

him of these enemies, and he came

rid

to land

and found

him on

the shore.

back

giant shape,

at seeing the his

Demon, who appeared and was greatly surprised

to the haunts of the

his

in

safely

Rakush waiting for His first act was to gallop

faithful

folly

in

Hero

again,

braving

the

scofHng at him for of

anger

Demon

a

twice.

Rustem, however, had the laugh on this

He

time.

Spirit spoke, coils,

threw his lasso

and the monster, entangled

became an easy

pion cut off

the

as

its

prey.

head and sent

Then it

side

his

the

Evil in

its

Cham-

as a trophy to

King Kai-Khosrau, who was amazed at its size and terrific expression, and who lavished yet further honours and riches on

bulwark of

Rustem, the

his realm.

King Afrasiyab

often

173

felt

bitterly

that

as

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH long as Rustem lived he himself could never

be secure

in his

of

fell

hope

kingdom, but one day a gleam

across

his

young peasant of extraand of a most awe-inspiring

stature

and

countenance,

this

might employ single

passing

Turan, he was

see a

astonished to ordinary

In

path.

through a village not far from

once

at

youth

combat and so

to

Rustem

slay

world

the

rid

he

that

thought

of

in

that

mighty Champion.

The young

said

villager

that

Barzu, but that his parentage

by a mystery which refused to reveal. flattered

when

his

He

presents and promised him

and

riches

in battle,

if

was surrounded had

always

of course,

greatly

mother

was,

Afrasiyab

name was

his

loaded all

him

with

kinds of honours

he would only overthrow Rustem

and the Turanian King on

was well pleased

with

his

bargain,

his

side

when he

found that Barzu could easily overcome eighteen of his strongest warriors at once.

174

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM therefore,

Afrasiyab,

invade

to

got

and put

Persia,

an army

together

Barzu at the head

vanguard, which speedily engaged the

of the

Persian

forces

under

Tus,

and

them

routed

utterly.

Rustem was

In this emergency

and

usual,

at

hatred

with

stalked

from

Hour

after

life-long

to single

encounter

to

host,

combat,

the

youth.

hour they fought together without any

Barzu managed to

result,

until

such a

terrific

disabled.

forth

fired

Turanian

the

defying the Persian generals

Rustem came

his

The

Rustem

strike

blow that his arm was completely wily

cealed the intense

Champion,

pain

that

however,

he was

con

suffering,

and remarking that as the sun was about set,

it

until

camp.

as

morrow dawned, and

the

out

for

rescue,

Afrasiyab,

against

And when

enemy. Barzu

once came to the

sent

would be better

to postpone the

the next day, he returned

Here he

fell

to

combat

the Persian

into despair, as his

175

to

wound

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH was too severe morrow, and with

to allow of his fighting

tears that they

many

on the

night long besought the

all

would come

Gods

to

the

received

an

assistance of Persia in her dire need.

And

even

dawn broke he

as

answer to his fervent

His

petitions.

young Feramurz, who was almost, equal to his

and

at

mighty

if

son,

the

not quite,

father, arrived unexpectedly,

once proposed to wear Rustem's armour

and pretend

be the warrior with

to

whom

Barzu

had fought on the previous day. The Turanian Champion had some doubts

Feramurz was

as to whether

the day before,

although

his

adversary of

he was wearing the

same armour and using the same weapons and horse.

The

Persian,

any discussion on

him

with

an

however,

this point,

indescribable

did

not

allow

but rushing upon fury,

so

confused

Barzu with the blows of his battle-axe that he easily secured

him

in

him with

his

triumph to Rustem. 176

lasso

and dragged

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM And, strange

to

Champion of the World other the

than

his

to the

Barzu was none

that

own grandson,

the

child

of

Sohrab. Thereupon the would-be Rustem became one of his dearest

ill-fated

destroyer of

and

friends,

was revealed

it

say,

accompanied

back to their kingdom Afrasiyab,

naturally,

him

and

Feramurz

in far Zabulistan.

was

bitterly

grieved at

the ill-success of his plan for ridding the world

of Rustem, which had only resulted in the loss of Barzu,

his

own Champion.

as he lamented, a beautiful

before him and

But one

woman was

day,

brought

requested to speak with him

quite alone.

She then sorceress,

told

him

that she

would soon bring Rustem as

no

was a wonderful

and was confident that her witchcraft

living

man

into the King's power,

could

resist

her

charms.

Afrasiyab consented to the plan she proposed,

gave her plenty of money, and sent her Zabulistan in

company with 177

off to

Pilsam, his bravest

M

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH out that she was the

warrior, the witch giving

She bought a

wife of a rich merchant.

house and

close

fortress

to

and offered food and wine her dwelling.

on

which

entered

who

palace,

passed by

of

bravest

Persia's

Her beauty was

hall.

warriors so

great

Heroes gazed at her with rapture wine from drank enchanted joyously

these

that

and the

to all

large

Before very long a day arrived

three

her

Rustem's

goblets which

golden

all

handed

she

sank helpless

Thereupon they and Pilsam bound them with

them.

at her

stout

feet,

ropes and

locked them up in the fortress.

The aged this,

he

be,

hospitality

spells of the

upon

him,

Rudabeh, now his

accepted

not

by

long

know who

after

this lady

her pressing offer of

and entered her house.

But the

from

came

and, being curious to

might

effect

Zal

fair

because

in her grave,

mind.

He

had 178

sorceress

the

image

had no of

fair

was seldom absent loved

his

wife

so

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM well that he never cared to look

other

of any

therefore

woman,

upon the the

face

enchanted

wine did him no manner of harm.

He

left

the lady after awhile, with a courtly

thanks and a khoda hafiz-i-shuma, which Persian

way

of

the

is

However,

saying good-bye.

he was stopped outside her gate by a water-

who had been

carrier

the skin he bore, "

one.

Deliverer "

began,

may

of

in

resting

filled

the

shade,

as

with water, was a heavy

the

poor,"

so

the

man

unworthy son of a dog, speak

I,

Highness?" And when Zal bade him what was in his mind, he said that he had

to your tell

how

noted

the

warriors into

beautiful

her dwelling,

come out

never

suspicions, for

lady had lured three

again.

and that they had This

aroused

the house, and he had, moreover, noted

narrow ress,

Zal's

he had not seen the warriors

in

how a

flight of stone steps led up to the fort-

and had been surprised

to see a couple of

Persian helmets lying near by. 179

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH He

rushed back to capture his hostess,

when she perceived him on her fled

the

up

threshold,

and so into the tower.

staircase

down

Zal pursued her hotly, and breaking

door with mighty blows, he found hind

and entered into a

it,

him.

Things

had

water-carrier

come

not

to the help

Persian

Hero

cause

of

all

fighting, so

summoned

of his aged

prisoners.

the

combat with

mischief,

if

the

Rustem

to

father,

and the

Pilsam and

killed

speedily

leased the three

terrific

The

the

Pilsam be-

have gone badly

might

but she

sorceress,

re-

the

escaped during the

you see she never had the chance

of trying her spells

on the Champion of the

World.

She did not dare tell

him of her

to

return

to

Afrasiyab to

ill-success, but took the

he had given her and went to

money one of

live

in

his

mightiest

the great cities of India.

When

Afrasiyab

warrior had

been

heard

killed

180

that

by Rustem, and

that

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM his

to

plan

nought, he

he

lest

him,

approach

that

he should order their

in-

He

refused

flung

his beautifully-jewelled

pipes

at

many his

to

kill

of

whom

fretted

of

once

Indeed, so

servants

to

execution.

the

to

feared

his

stant

tortured

come

had

latter

a terrible rage.

into

fell

was

angry

the

entrap

his

to

eat

or

drink,

kalians or water-

ornaments slaves,

of

and

his

hall,

threatened

beloved wife and

the

sons

he was so proud.

After three awful days, during which no one in

the

palace

felt

that

his shoulders, Afrasiyab

and summoned

his

his

head was safe on

became a

little

calmer,

doctors and magicians to a

council.

When

they were

all

standing in their long

robes and white turbans with bent heads before his throne,

men, who

he thus addressed them for long

" :

Learned

years have been nourished

by my gracious bounty, now is the time to show your gratitude to your monarch. All of 181

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH you know that

know

you never I

have a deadly enemy.

I

that

this

Turan

of

kingdom

All of

from invasion while Rustem

safe

have summoned you here

is

lives.

order that you

in

may, with the aid of divination and having conthe course

sulted

death

must

Rustem and

'World,

manner

is

it

a

must

also

ordained that this

he

haughtily,

King,

me

tell

we make

hence to

in

what

our several

cried

" :

tell

me

learned

at

Begone

now

time

this

to

your

three

days

the result!"

men were by no means happy

during the interval allotted to them; the stars as they might,

same

or

Lower

the

to

life."

and return

studies,

The

departs

the

I,

first

You

World.

Here Afrasiyab ceased moment, and then, waving them away

from

exits

you

whether

the

predict

planets,

of the

Champion

me

inform

whether

for

the

of

of the

evil

Afrasiyab

prediction

would be

read

they always saw the

written, fleeing

182

for,

for

which was that his

life

but a

page

THE COUNCIL OF THE WISE MEN.

183.

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM weeks

few

When

death.

Rustem,

and would meet a

hence,

they turned to the horoscope of

found that a long span of

they

much honour

and

Hero,

violent

and

his

though

latter

awaited

riches

were

days

life

that

clouded

with sorrow and ended in blood.

On

the morning of the

magicians

bling

and

broke,

Their

lives

knew

if

a

in

nervously

hung

in

Who Let

that

can

surety

whispered

together.

in all probability see

that

we

set

our royal master

can do or say

aside

the

our if

lives

we do

will

be

truth,

sacrificed,

not do so.

183

will

is is

written to

die.

save him.

decrees of Destiny?

therefore, conceal the

speedily,

dawn

for they well

"Brothers," he began, "it

out.

us,

the tremthe

rise.

the stars

Nought

as

he who was the boldest amongst them

last

spoke

day,

the balance,

man among them would At

third

secret

they told Afrasiyab the truth that not

another sun

in

met

Shall

for

and

we

of

a

that

not

all

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH agree that Rustem fore

moon has waned,

another

monarch

The

uncounted years ?

answered

our

that

and

heart,

murmur

a

by

his

in

felt

"

put into words what

speaker had but

man

each

but

to be the light of his faithful sub-

is

jects for

by the sword be-

to die

is

of

khub

was

he ast

(it

is

good), while one old grey-beard said, solemnly,

"Kismet

is

(it

the

fate)."

was

Afrasiyab

predictions

came

into

curious to

naturally

the

of

his

magicians

presence.

know

much

He

was

pleased

particularly

the exact manner of the sup-

posed death of Rustem, and could not be until

the

others

learned man,

to deceive,

vision of the

wounds

in the

at

when they

who had

satisfied

counselled

the

declared that he had had a

Champion midst of

of the

World dying

of

battle.

This decided the Turanian monarch to invade Persia yet once again

But things by

no.

and

for the last time.

means turned out as he 184

ex-

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM his

for

pected,

army was

Rustem and he himself

routed

by

He was

led

utterly

captured.

in chains

to

King Kai-Khosrau, who

put him

to

death,

murder of

his father,

thus

avenging

who had

once

at

the

cruel

formerly married

Afrasiyab's daughter.

Now

the

that

Kai-Khosrau done,

felt

Turanian monarch was dead, that the

work of

his

life

was

therefore he announced to his sorrowing

people that he intended to leave the kingdom to his

and devote himself

son-in-law,

He

said,

fountain

moreover, that he had seen a certain

empire

a dream, and

in

should find selves.

entirely to prayer.

it

the

Accordingly, in order,

his warriors,

went

knew

that

Gods would take him he

set

the

and, accompanied

when he to

affairs

themof his

by many of

forth into the desert in search

of this water.

The some

party rode across a trackless waste days,

but were in

for

no fear of losing the

way because a chikor or 185

partridge

ran

ever

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH them acting as a

in front of

by it.

incessant cry, to be telling

its

At

and seeming,

guide,

them

to follow

the astonishment of everybody,

last, to

except Kai-Khosrau, they came to a very large

and deep pool of water, which the King told them was the spot he had seen in his dream.

Here

Rustem, and

Zal,

dismounted and monarch,

on

fell

weeping

their faces before their at his

bitterly

departure, so greatly

the other warriors

all

approaching

was he beloved by

Kai-Khosrau himself was moved to so

good-bye

them

many

earnestly

journey

^as

their

eyes.

said,

that

arise,

mained

saying

faithful friends, but

begged

start

on

homeward

their

soon as he should disappear from

had been revealed

It

to

him,

he

a most terrible storm would shortly

would

which in

to

all.

at

overwhelm

the vicinity

of

the

any

who

fountain,

re-

and

which would, moreover, cause the pool to vanish away, so that

it

would never be seen again.

After these words he stepped into the water 186

SOME OF THE FEATS OF RUSTEM and immediately sank from

their view,

and

not even a ripple on the surface, for a time, quite

urged

black

a

clouds

speedy

wept

grief.

himself

roused

however,

Zal,

and

overcome with

leaving all

before as

departure,

long,

he noted

gather in the sky,

beginning to

and thought on the storm which Kai-Khosrau

had predicted. Accordingly, he and Rustem, with the greater part

of the

rode

off

warriors,

in

haste,

mounted calling

their steeds

on

the

others

and to

them.

follow

But several of the generals and many were so overcome with not tear themselves and,

spot,

sad

death by the

to

terrific

grief that

away from tell,

were

soldiers

they could

the mysterious all

frozen

to

snow-storm which shortly

*****

broke upon them.

It

is

related

that

at

this

four hundred years old.

187

He

time felt,

Rustem was therefore, that

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH it

was

Heroes, and,

for

fitting

him

to give place to

among whom was

accordingly,

he

and went

Persia

left

to

remainder of his days with old

the

reside for

younger

son Feramurz,

his

Zal in their kingdom of Zabulistan. did

however,

Things,

not

so

go

smoothly

with the Champion as one would have wished.

Perhaps

and

I

had

he

lived

myself believe

too

that

or

long,

he had become so puffed up with

all

had forgotten the Gods

perity that he

perhaps,

was the

this

cause,

his pros-

to

whom

he owed everything.

Be

that as

it

may, a King ruled over Persia

who recked nothing by Rustem to

in

subject him

of

the great deeds done

former years, to

cruel

and endeavoured

insult

;

but you must

next story to understand

read

the

came

about.

how

it

all

VIII

The

Story of Isfendiyar

King Gushtasp, was a youth of surpassing valour, and, what was perhaps more uncommon in that age, he was proISFENDIYAR, the son of

foundly pious. It

was

a new

at this time that the Persians

religion,

Fire Worshippers. of their prising,

brought

They

adopted

and called themselves henceforth

The sun was now

the object

adoration, which was not perhaps suras they saw how its light and heat life

and health

to the

thought that the

Water were

all

sacred

189

whole world.

Earth, Air, Fire, and

and

must

never

be

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH bury their dead

polluted, therefore they did not

we

graves as

in

do,

but placed them on the

tops of high towers.

Moreover, they feared to

blew out a flame with they always

defile the

their

Fire

they

therefore

breath,

extinguished a candle

if

with

their

Persia

have

fingers.

And

Fire

Worshippers

in

these customs at

the present

day, and many

the

others which perhaps you will read about

you are grown

up.

wished

Isfendiyar

borders of Persia as he

knew

much

use,

command

that

he

to

the

all

adopt

on

the

religion,

but,

nations

this

persuasion would

asked

his

father

to

not be of

give

him

of a large army.

Then began a

sort of

Holy War.

The young

Prince conquered kingdom after kingdom, of India,

even the King him with hundreds of all

when

the others,

to

who came

elephants,

was

and

out against forced, like

become a Fire Worshipper 190

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR and

Book

Sacred

the

accept

or

Zenda-

vesta.

King Gushtasp was

so delighted at the

tories of his son that he

vic-

made a solemn promise

should succeed him on the throne of

that he Persia.

But,

had an enemy.

Prince

the

unluckily,

This was one of the generals of the army, who

was

a

such

take him

to

refused

cowardly

him behind

left

The

in

that

soldier

on

his

Isfendiyar

Holy War, and

the capital.

warrior was deeply offended, and thought

day and night how he might do some injury to the Prince, and his opportunity was not long in coming.

While

to

man

his

son was

Persia

from

that

of

was gaining victory after kept on telling King Gushtasp

Isfendiyar

victory, this

plotting

him,

to

take

and had

the crown

even resolved

murder him as soon as he returned home.

Of

course,

none of you can possibly under191

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH stand

how

a father could think that his children

were trying to harm him, but

commonest

in

things

the

it

one of the

is

even nowa-

East,

days.

The Shahs

or

Kings of Persia are usually

afraid of their sons,

as possible.

and keep them as ignorant

They never

allow them to travel,

and surround them with spies cover throne.

whether

They

are

they

order

plotting to

to dis-

seize

are particularly alarmed

hear that one of their sons soldiers

in

around him, or

military matters,

and,

in

is

if

gathering

interesting

the

they

many

himself in

such a case,

they at

once send a message to the Prince, commanding him to adopt more peaceful pursuits.

Therefore,

strange

for

general

told

known

man

you see that Gushtasp

to

it

was not so very

believe

all

that

that his son

was

far

too

honourable a

to have even thought of such things.

became

the

him, although he ought to have

at last so frightened

192

that

when

He Isfen-

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR diyar returned

home

after

his

all

victories,

ordered him to be bound with chains, into a

he

and

cast

that a person

who

deep dungeon.

However,

it

is

well

known

does a wicked act can never be really happy,

and so

On

it

all

from his cruel

was with Gushtasp. he heard murmurs of reproach subjects, who were very angry at the sides

which he had treated

in

way

As

his son.

he rode through the Bazaars on a horse with golden

followed

trappings,

by

his

nobles

in

magnificent clothing, he would hear voices crying:

"Give us

heroic find

back

Isfendiyar! "

young general

out

who

too great.

spoke,

The

!

but

he

done

noticed that

never

vent

people did not give

when they saw

their

could

because the crowds were

loud "bah! bah's" of admiration, hitherto

our

Release

low

as

to

they had

him,

and

he

tones and prostrations

proceeded from fear and not from

love.

In the

army matters were even worse, and the King N 193

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH saw

if

discontent,

on every

soldier's

not

written

hatred,

face,

for

men

the

plainly idolized

their heroic leader.

All this

made

somewhat unpleasant, and

life

Gushtasp, thinking he would like a change, put the off

kingdom on a

charge of his Vizier,

in

visit to old

Rustem

and went

far-away Zabu-

in

listan.

X

The Champion

World received

the

of

his

King with great joy, and everything was done to show honour to the royal guest.

One day possible

camels,

luxury,

laden with tents and every

would be sent

off across the

vast plains towards the mountains,

King and on

his

followers

rode out

their fleet horses late in

would

find the

water, and

The

all

from

Zabul

the afternoon, they

camp pitched by some running made ready for their reception.

next morning,

they would go

and when the

off to

shortly

hunt the

These pretty creatures 194

still

after

daybreak,

gazelle.

roam about the

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR plains in small

surround

draw

closer

and

herds,

them

at

and

a

the

long

closer

riders

in

then

When

.'them.

upon

to

try

and

distance

the antelopes see that the horsemen are getting

nearer they

become much

startled

and

try

to

escape by rushing between them.

The

now

gallop

and

left,

hunters

shooting

right

wildly

and

after

them,

comrades

their

run great risk of being wounded instead of the gazelle.

Moreover,

bad

as

fall,

the

is

it

horses

very easy to have a

go

a

at

and the

over the stony plains,

great

riders

pace

are too

busy using their weapons to be able to guide their steeds.

Gushtasp, however, killed

had no

falls,

and had

also

many

antelopes and

good luck

suing the fleet wild ass across the Salt Desert. in

climbing

He about

in

pur-

Kavir or

spent a few days at intervals the

barren

mountains,

and

brought down many a fine ibex or moufflon with his bow and arrows, and when he needed 195

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH he would roam among the

less fatiguing sport,

low

shooting the pretty kabg or partridge.

hills,

But

must

you

not

think

were

these

that

amusements provided for Gushtasp. laid on silken banquets were Magnificent

the

only

carpets under the trees of fair gardens ful

girls

before the

King

;

long

them

beauti-

and horse-

feats of wrestling

manship were performed clever

;

were always ready to sing and dance

in

his

presence,

and

Dervishes were ever at hand to relate stories,

some

wept,

and

sovereign and

so

sad that

others

so

courtiers

his

who heard

all

merry

that

laughed

till

the their

sides ached.

As

all

these

pleasures

delight

the

Shahs

of Persia at the present day, you will be able to j

judge how

The weeks

*

l

ft

^s
little

change there has been

the land since the time of

King Gushtasp.

passed so quickly in this round

of enjoyment that the monarch actually stayed

two years with Rustem, and there 196 '

->

:?

in

is

no saying

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR how much

might have stopped

he

longer

if

bad news from Persia had not forced him to return

home

in haste.

was not prudent kingdom for long, and

In those turbulent days for a

king to leave his

it

no one can be surprised that Arjasp, one the sovereigns

whom

and compelled

to

thought

Isfendiyar

had conquered

become a Fire Worshipper,

an excellent opportunity to take

it

of

his

revenge.

He

entered

Persia with

ing and burning

in

all

a large army, slay-

directions,

and Gush-

tasp's soldiers could not withstand him, but

routed in every battle.

were

Arjasp even got pos-

session of the capital of Persia, and carried off

the two Princesses,

the King's only

daughters,

to a brazen tower in his dominions.

Gushtasp

in despair

and

his magicians

what was one voice

to :

and asked them

astrologers,

be done. "

called a hasty council of

Release

They thy

197

cried out as with

son

Isfendiyar,

oh

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH Put him at the head of thy army and

King! will

all

go

well."

The poor

Prince was at once brought forth

from his dungeon, and so

weakened by

that he

said

is

it

his sufferings that

all

was

he could

hardly stand. felt

Gushtasp

very

when he saw

penitent

him, and promised that he should succeed him

on

throne

the

from

Arjasp

him

Persia

He

could also

who

general

had

drive

put

to

caused

to believe such false stories of his son. let

Isfendiyar

when he saw shouts

their

seemed

to

his

of

Persians all

faithful

He

compare "

soon

and

and heard

appearance,

he

former strength, and

his

of

him

bygones,

soldiers,

his

at

joy

get back

yelled

be

bygones

performed such feats

and

he

if

country.

wicked

the

death

of

the

valour

with

shahbash!"

till

as

made

mighty

the

Rustem,

they were hoarse.

drove Arjasp from the land, and

King Gushtasp begged him 198

to

take the crown

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR and said he would go

forthwith,

and spend the would

It

Isfendiyar

but

quest,

"

idea.

rest of his

have

if

days

been

into retirement in prayer.

a

good

he had agreed

to his

he became quite

me,

Continue, oh, noble monarch, to be the

your unworthy son,

My

thrones nor diadems. to invade Arjasp

deliver

the

indignant at

Shelter of the whole Universe," he said. for

for

thing

father's re-

my

his

in

I

desire

one wish

"As

neither

in

life

is

own kingdom, and

to

dear sisters from their captivity."

These words greatly pleased Gushtasp, who fondly embraced his son, and told him to start for

the

of Arjasp

territory

as

soon as he and

the soldiers were sufficiently rested.

This the

is

expedition

Heft- Khan or

"

always

spoken "

Seven Stages

of

as

of Isfen-

diyar.

^

Rustem

of valour into

had

accomplished

when he made

Mazanderan

to

his

deliver

199

his

seven

feats

famous journey

King

Kai-Kaus

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH from the White Demon, and now the young Prince was following his example.

campaign against Arjasp, the Persians had captured a gigantic Demon warthe

During

rior

called

this

creature

and Isfendiyar promised

Kurugsar, his

if

liberty

he would help to

rescue the poor Princesses.

The Demon

explained that there were three

The

roads to the stronghold of Arjasp.

would take three months, the next two the

third,

stages

in

the

Heft-Khan,

length.

"This

is

way, oh, noble Prince," said

was by

best ;

but

seven

only

far the shortest

Kurugsar

" ;

but on

/ each day some fearful obstacle must be over-

come.

Wild

dragons,

beasts

death-dealing

dread Simurgh ^ full

of

of perils

is

ever passed along Isfendiyar,

this

district

the path that no it

and the

enchantresses,

haunt

all

monstrous

every kind,

;

and so

mortal has

in safety."

following the

example of mighty

Rustem, betook himself to fervent prayer, and 200

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR announced, that come what

finally

would go by the short road. be

to

upon implored the

he

Kurugsar there-

behind, saying that

Prince could never reach the kingdom of

and would involve himself and

Arjasp,

common

followers in a

displeased

Demon meant

to

as

ney so

that

bound, and forced him

the

great

his

the

army of

set out

on

to

twelve

this jour-

of danger and horror.

As soon

as

the

frontier,

soldiers

had

crossed

Kurugsar bade them advance

wolves,

the

they reached a dreary desert,

because the place was infested

mous

all

This greatly

Accordingly, he

betray him.

men which now

full

Persian

and

to

guide

thousand

destruction.

who imagined

Isfendiyar

ordered him to be act

left

might,

by

larger than elephants,

cautiously,

two enorand with

poisonous teeth over a foot in length.

The Demon had monsters

made

the Persians

scarcely

their

spoken when the

appearance, rushing upon

with indescribable fury, and caus201

,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH a

ing

regular

wounded and

Man

panic.

dying, and

it

seemed as

had no

At with

last

a

skull of

struggle,

effect at

saw

stood

opportunity, and

his

battle-axe

his

one gigantic

open the

cleft

and, after a terrible

beast,

to

managed

the

all.

Isfendiyar

blow of

fell

if

who

thousands of arrows shot by those firm

man

after

heart of the

pierce the

other with his sword.

Kurugsar was feat of arms,

amazed

exceedingly

at

this

which did not please him however,

because he hoped that the Prince would have lost his life in

and free.

"

the encounter with

that he himself

However, he feigned great

Now, oh

for

Gods have bestowed

will

I

royal general,

with a light heart,

I

see

their

set

said:

accompany you clearly that

upon

the

you

steps."

repeated these

on the second day, when 202

and

joy,

favour

and that they are guiding your

The Demon-guide

the wolves,

would then have been

same words

Isfendiyar, quite

un-

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR aided, slew a lion

and

and

lioness of supernatural size

ferocity.

But he warned the young

Hero

that

the

fearsome Dragon, that haunted the third stage,

would be a

far

harder creature to subdue than

the wolves and

lions.

was a fire-breathing

It

monster, with a mouth so vast that

men and

that

it

made

come tumbling

the sides of the mountains.

was

means,

not

but,

to

being

found out a way. or

litter to

overcome

be

of

full

He

be brought

long box, in which

once that

at

Isfendiyar perceived ster

by

resource,

this

mon-

ordinary

he

soon

ordered his takht-i-ravan out.

This

is

a kind of

women and sometimes men

of rank are carried in Persia It

appall-

the earth vibrate, and

caused avalanches of stones to

down

swallowed

and a roar so

horses whole,

ingly loud

it

when

travelling.

has a pair of shafts at either end, to which

a couple of stout mules are harnessed, and, as they jog along, the whole thing sways to and

203

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH most uncomfortable manner

fro in a

who

is

not a good

studded

this

litter

to

be

over with sword-blades, javelins, and

all

and when they reached the country

spear-heads,

Dragon, he got inside

of the

anyone

sailor.

commanded

Isfendiyar

to

it,

shut-to

the

the mules by

somehow managed to guide means of ropes which he held.

He

easy

little

and

door,

had

no

task

to

induce

animals to approach the monster,

a

when

bellow

terrific

forward,

great

poor

saw them, and rushed

it

flames

the

which gave

bursting

from

its

nos-

trils.

In

time

less

terrible creature

into

of

its

its

than

enormous mouth, but

haste.

wounded

it

out again in

The so its

off

the

to

write,

this

it

sorely repented

sword-blades and spear-heads that

cruelly

it

spat

everything

dying agony.

Isfendiyar then finished

takes

it

had taken the mules and takht

leapt

and

out of

the

litter

with

his

battle-axe,

Dragon 204

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR while the mules galloped

The

unhurt,

was

nearly

great stream of the monster's

in the

was

but

blood, brother,

and

third

himself

Prince

young

drowned

Gods

the

his

by

for

heartily

great deliverance.

not pleased at

with a

rescued

fortunately

thanked

The Demon-guide was

royal

quite

in a terrible fright.

though

this

away

the only one

"

sneer,

scarcely-concealed

Champion,

He

success.

Isfendiyar's

who was said,

To-morrow,

a harder task than any that

you have accomplished hitherto awaits you. most

beautiful

Sorceress will appear

A

who can

turn herself into any shape she pleases, and in

a

moment can

this

change

desert

into

a

stormy sea or a lovely garden, according to her caprice.

Moreover, she

is

attended by a huge

Ghoul of malignant aspect."

"He who fear,"

puts his trust in the

answered

next day,

the

Isfendiyar, beautiful

Gods has no

and when, on the

Enchantress advanced

205

I

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH towards him, he met guile by her to

sit

and invited

guile,

beside him on a pile of silken carpets

from the looms of Kashan.

And

as they

round

suddenly noose,

and

the

held

different

into

he caught the Sorceress

talked,

her

and even

animals,

life

running

she

mercy.

turned

a

very

Kill

her,

into "

for "

value

his

though

fast,

aged man who begged as

with

waist

shouted

you your Kurugsar. She will turn this place into a deep lake and drown us all if you hesitate." Therefore, Isfen!

"

diyar slew the Enchantress, and had then to do battle

with the enormous

which burst forth from fierce

but,

in

that

to

The

flames

monster were so

they burnt the young Prince badly

spite of

managed

Ghoul.

this

all

his pain,

;

he persevered and

despatch this adversary, thus com-

pleting his fourth labour. "

the

So

far success

Demon-guide

has attended you," remarked "

;

to the result of the

but

morrow 206

I

!

have many

Your way

fears as lies

over

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR the

where

mountain-pass, half-bird,

Simurgh,

dwells

dread

the

and as large as

half-beast,

the monstrous Dragon." Isfendiyar,

the

try

daunted,

nothing

that

cunning plan

determined

to

succeeded

so

had

well with the Dragon.

He

again ordered the mules to be harnessed to

his litter,

which was stuck

all

over with sword-

blades and spear-heads, and, getting inside, went

on

the

up

soon

as

pass,

the

ahead

Simurgh

of

his

swooped down upon

it,

intending to carry

off bodily

mountains.

the to

tell

It

it

to

its

nest in

hardly necessary for

is

you that the sharp points injured

quite

easily,

whole

that

he was ready

yourself,"

was able

to

me the kill

and then, amid the cheers of

the

on the next

it

with beak and claws,

bird so terribly that Isfendiyar it

takht

the

espied

As

army.

army,

he

told

for

"

stage.

the

Demon-guide

whatever might

Do

not be

Kurugsar made answer. 207

too "

befall

sure

of

To-morrow

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH you

encounter a

will

you and your warriors a wind so bitter that the

to

the

very

snow so heavy

that

the way,

and

lose

will

will

it

chill

thousands

heart,

intense

of

fall

How

cold.

how many

overwhelmed

by

suffer

snowstorm

a

in

if

you

Have you when

they

which King Kai-

must

Why

?

disappeared

from a

as

is

nobles and soldiers were

lingered by the fountain

Khosrau

venture

you It

?

braved the great Gods themselves. forgotten

from

perishing

can

to fight against the elements

of you

all

we

all

"

like fate

?

These words excited the whole army, which implored Isfendiyar to return. soldiers

Up

to

now

the

had not been greatly dismayed by any

of the perils of the road, as they saw from the first

that

whole brunt

was a very would have

The

brave young general bore the

their

of

them.

different

But

this

sixth

stage

matter, because everyone

to share the danger.

Prince,

addressing 208

the army,

said that

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR through the favour of the Gods, he had over-

come

on the

five of the obstacles

road, therefore

he was convinced that the Dwellers on High

would enable him " safety. " I

have pledged

my

in

my

safety

I

honour

to

alone.

will

go

fair

Persia,

"

arms

in

he exclaimed,

!

to deliver

from the Brazen Fortress. oath

two stages

to pass the last

Comrades

my

sisters

Rather than break Farewell

and

tell

Return

!

in

King Gushtasp

that his son did his utmost."

These words made the themselves, and with one

would

they

follow

They had no

soldiers

voice they to

Isfendiyar

great reason

decision, for they

to

Though

said

the

that

death.

repent of their

reached the shelter of some

great caves in the mountains before

began.

ashamed of

it

lasted for

the storm

three days with-

out ceasing, yet the fervent prayers of the entire

army prevailed with the Gods, so that on Heavens were again clear.

the fourth day the

The

Demon-guide, however, made one o 209

last

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH effort to

dissuade Isfendiyar from attempting the

He

seventh stage.

said

it

lay across a waterless

desert, the sands of which were red-hot and would

burn-up anyone

who ventured upon

them, and,

moreover, discharged such poisonous vapours that

even the vultures never dared to hover over them.

But the Prince was not to be daunted,

and

his

all

men had soaked

blood of the

manded

this,

com-

that the precaution

would

Isfendiyar

enable them to pass through in

he

had

Simurgh.

knowing

for

their boots in the

fire

unhurt.

So

due time the Persians reached the Brazen

where the poor

Tower,

were

Princesses

prisoned, and Isfendiyar inquired of the

the best

He

way

im-

Demon

of entering the fortress.

was astounded when the guide

in

a burst of rage

in

your attempt

"

:

!

May you never May the Demons

replied

succeed repulse

your onslaught, and drive you into the desert to perish miserably! I

Curses on

head that

my

have shown you the way hither 210

" !

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR On and try

this,

Isfendiyar immediately slew Kurugsar,

then approached

and discover

made

its

the

castle

weak

entirely of brass,

As

points.

it

was

it

he saw that he must

when he

use guile instead of force, especially

heard that

to

cautiously

had abundance of food and water

and was garrisoned by thousands of warriors.

Remembering some of the Rustem, he resolved

of

feats

mighty

to try

the

well-worn plan

of introducing himself and

his

men, disguised

as merchants, into the tower.

He dise,

loaded twenty camels with rich

and eighty with two big chests

merchanapiece,

which he stowed his picked warriors. dred

soldiers,

trousers

and

camel-drivers,

clad in blue cotton shirts felt

skull-caps, acted

keeping their

A

and

the part

weapons

in

hunfull

of

carefully

hidden.

King Arjasp

at

once allowed

this

caravan to

be admitted, and was so much pleased with the splendid

gifts

which

Isfendiyar

211

presented

to

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH him

that

he gave the merchants leave

to

visit

sisters,

who

the palace whenever they liked. Isfendiyar soon

were forced in

found his poor

do

to

all

kinds

discover himself to them,

merchant

supposed

rough work was afraid to

lest -they

a

with

"

glad

amadid" of welcome, and asked was

afoot

should,

in

and when they addressed

their joy, betray him,

the

He

kitchens.

King Arjasp's

of

Persia

in

khosh

whether

no

their

rescue,

But the elder Princess recognized him

directly,

plan

he replied

in

for

a feigned voice.

so he was forced to unfold his design, but bade

them do

their

work as usual

in

order not to

excite suspicion.

That night he riors

to

invited the

a grand

darkness

came on

banquet,

he

bonfire which would give

King and saying

would as

when

a

huge

light

much

his war-

that

illumination

as a thousand torches.

This he

said,

because he had arranged with 212

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR his brother,

who was

with the army, that

when

he saw flames rising from the fortress he was to attack the tower without delay.

Everything

out

fell

The King and

as

Isfendiyar

hoped.

much of

nobles drank so

his

the strong Persian wine that they became sleepy,

and when the Prince had released warriors from the chests, and had

lit

his eighty

the bonfire,

he opened the gate of the fortress to the Persian soldiers lying in wait outside.

After a long entire

fight,

army were

slain,

and soldiers returned or

in

which Arjasp and his

Isfendiyar with his sisters

to Persia

by the Heft-Khan

Seven Stages, now a perfectly safe road. King Gushtasp received them with much honour,

and was greatly interested adventures.

me when

I

You tell

will,

you

in

their

wonderful

however, hardly believe

that very soon the

monarch

became again so jealous of his noble son that he and astrologers to find out in

told his magicians

what manner Isfendiyar should meet 213

his death.

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH After

much

of

consulting

the

oracles,

the

men Jnformed Gushtasp would very shortly perish miserably, transfixed

learned

in

that

the

eye

Rustem.

wicked

an

by

father,

who bade

delay to Zabulistan,

World back

of the

arrow

from

the

This news was a great

relief

his

bow

son

of

to the

the Prince go without

and bring the old Champion to Persia

in

chains.

Isfen-

diyar was greatly astonished and most indignant at

being sent on such a shameful mission, and

at first refused to

ever,

perform

threatened to

deep dungeon obliged,

When

if

it.

The

King, how-

have him thrown into a

he disobeyed, therefore he was

though most unwillingly,

to set out.

only a league from the city of Zabul, he

was received with a great istakbal, or procession men on horseback leading riderless horses, the

of

whole headed by Shughad, Rustem's brother, and

young Feramurz

his son,

and was conducted with

royal honours to the spot where the aged Hero

awaited him.

214

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR This splendid reception so overwhelmed

shame

fendiyar with

that he could hardly deliver

message, and you

his

was not the

understand that he

will

when

at all surprised

World

Is-

utterly declined to

the

Champion of be bound on any

pretext whatever.

Rustem,

in a

how

related

voice choked

well he

with indignation,

had served

the Persian

all

King Kai-Kobad downwards, and asked what he had done to merit such sovereigns from

undeserved disgrace and degradation. Isfendiyar

Champion, without

felt

but

him,

so

very

he at

for

sorry

dared last

not

the

fight one another and thus

the

return

two

settle

old

home

resolved to the question.

Rustem's loyal soul was extremely averse to taking the Persia,

other

life

of the

heir

to

the

throne

of

but as there did not seem to be any

way out_pf_the

armour and rushed

difficulty,

he put on his

to the attack.

During the whole of one day, the combatants 215

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH with

fought ness

came on

mastery

;

their

all

might,

had got the

after sunset, neither

Both were

Rustem was

at sunrise the next morning.

exhausted,

terribly

so

his fighting

but the aged

wounded by

desperately

he told

the

his

father

days were ended, and that

at last

arrows of Isfendiyar,

had come

to the

that

proud house of Sam.

however, did not

Zal,

dark-

therefore they separated, intending to

renew the struggle

ruin

when

but

lose

so

hope

easily.

Suddenly he bethought him of the long-hoarded

and when he had thrown

feather of the Simurgh, it

upon a pot of burning charcoal, the miraculous

Bird see

made

its

appearance,

The enormous tem's

greatly

pleased to

foster-son again.

its

wounds,

help the

on the

speedily healed Rus-

but declared that

Champion

fifth

prince had

himself

creature

to

it

could

not

conquer Isfendiyar, because

stage of the Heft-Khan, the young killed

a Simurgh, and thus rendered

invulnerable.

It,

216

therefore,

advised

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR Hero

the

to

oh wondrous Rustem.

my

"

father

If

Bird, I,

and

cannot do," answered old

I

my

son

will

be dragged down to

see plainly that

I

King Gushtasp

exterminate our race,

is

resolved

all

our possessions."

begged

"This,

contest.

the bulwark of Zabulistan, be slain,

destruction, for to

and

Zal

the

up

give

Hearing

Rustem

quarter of an hour, and

it

to

this the

be

folded

and

Simurgh for

silent its

seize

a

wings over

head and pondered deeply, the two Heroes

its

hardly daring to breathe, so anxious were they not

At

"

Far, far from

to disturb

it.

here, in a

remote corner of the Chinese Empire,

grows a certain been known its it

wood is

tree.

it

spoke

:

From remote ages it has an arrow made from

to our race that

will kill

shot.

last

I

without

will

fail

now go

the person at

whom

to seek this tree,

and

bring you back a branch ere daylight dawns." In the flash of an eye the Simurgh vanished into

the darkness, and Zal and his son waited

patiently

and

full

of

hope.

217

Sure

enough,

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH with the

saw

it

first

the East, they

in

again, bearing a small branch in

"Fashion

"and

of red

streak

it

this into

will

an arrow," Isfendiyar

pierce

cause his death.

It

of service to you

hasten back to

rejoices

in

it

beak.

said to Rustem,

the

in

me

its

to

eye,and

have been

your need, but

I

must

my home on Great Demavend

the sun springs into the Heavens.

and the Simurgh became

in

ere

Farewell

" !

a second a mere

speck in the grey sky.

Everything happened as the wondrous Bird had foretold. When Rustem fitted the magic

arrow to his bow,

it

flew straight into the eye

of Isfendiyar, and the young Prince sank to the

ground mortally wounded. But he bore no anger against Rustem, and, with his dying breath,

besought him to be as

a father to his son, saying he would far rather trust

to

him

to the

Champion of the World than

King Gushtasp. 218

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR It

was not very long before

Rustem himself

followed the noble Isfendiyar to the grave. Terrible to relate,

it

was

own

his

brother, the

wicked Shughad, who compassed his destruction.

Shughad had always been very jealous of Rustem, who was so much stronger and braver than

he

people

and

was,

he

hated to hear

of Zabulistan applaud the

all

the

Champion

of

the World, while no one ever took any notice of

him.

This feeling grew

went

until

by,

and

grew as the years

one day he discovered that

wicked

cousin,

the

Rustem

as

the old

Hero some deadly

much

as

King he

of

did,

Kabul,

and longed

injury.

his

disliked to

do

Thereupon,

the two conspired together, and laid a cunning plot to

kill

the greatest warrior that the world

has ever known.

The King

invited

and he ordered great road and

filled

Rustem

to hunt with him,

pits to

be dug across the

with swords, the points of which

219

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH were sticking upwards

These were

covered

over lightly with earth and grass so as to look like solid

when

ground, and,

the fatal spot, the

King

pion should ride on a

came

the party

ahead of the others.

little

Rakush, however, who on

to

Cham-

arranged that the

this occasion

was

far

cleverer than his master, refused to go on, and

stopped dead, neighing and snorting violently.

Rustem, getting into a rage, gave his ful

horse

several

and

hard blows,

animal, starting forward in

its

rider right into the first pit.

pain,

the fell

faith-

poor

with

its

wounded

Terribly

as both of

them were, yet they struggled out

of the

pit,

first

only,

alas,

to

fall

another.

into

Again they managed to get out, but the Gods come to the aid of Rustem as in the

did not

days when he was young and pious.

Blinded

with pain and faint from countless wounds,

and

Rakush

another,

and

fell

from

one

death-trap

at last both lay dying, the

Kabul and Shughad watching them with 220

he into

King of

cruel glee.

THE STORY OF ISFENDIYAR The

old

his treacherous

Champion requested

bow

brother as a last favour to hand him his

and arrows the

wild

in

order that he might scare

beasts,

him and

which

would

away

otherwise

tear

his horse to pieces.

Shughad gave him the weapon with a mocking laugh, and the expiring Hero, making one drew the bow and pierced

effort,

mighty

Then he

wicked brother to the heart. to his faithful horse,

thou and

I

"

and

said,

have lived and

We

his

turned

Farewell Rakush,

toiled together for

have tasted of the joy of

many

years.

battle

and the excitement of the chase.

We

have been friends as were never man and horse before.

It is

meet

Thereupon, he

fell

beloved steed drew

we

that

should die together."

back quite dead, its

last

and

his

breath at the same

instant.

This was the sad ending to the

life

of mighty

Rustem, the Hercules of Persia. In

spite

of

all

his

great

221

deeds

and

his

THE STORY BOOK OF THE SHAH honours and riches he perished miserably, his death

compassed

the

by

foulest

treachery,

instead of taking place in the rush and excite-

ment of

Now

he would have wished.

battle as all

my

who have cared much as do the

and those

are finished,

stories

to read

them know almost as

Persian boys

and

girls

about

the Heroes of that far-off land. I

and

my

hope that loyal

as

World, and the

Rudabeh, all

Khoda

and the

boy readers may be as brave the

Rustem,

Champion

girls as beautiful

his lovely mother,

and

and I

of the

faithful as

will bid

you

hafiz-i-shuma, the Persian for good-bye,

little

bird below

is

saying the same thing.

222

THE HEAVENLY TWINS.

PRINTED BY NEILL AND COMPANY, LIMITED BELLEVUE, EDINBURGH