filled the heart of the king of Mazinderan with grief and
alarm, and his first care was to call the gigantic White Demon to his
aid. Meanwhile Kai-kaus, full of the wildest anticipations of victory,
was encamped on the plain near the city in splendid state, and preparing
to commence the final overthrow of the enemy on the following day. In
the night, however, a cloud came, and deep darkness like pitch
overspread the earth, and tremendous hail-stones poured down upon the
Persian host, throwing them into the greatest confusion. Thousands were
destroyed, others fled, and were scattered abroad in the gloom. The
morning dawned, but it brought no light to the eyes of Kai-kaus; and
amidst the horrors he experienced, his treasury was captured, and the
soldiers of his army either killed or made prisoners of war. Then did he
bitterly lament that he had not followed the wise counsel of Zal. Seven
days he was involved in this dreadful affliction, and on the eighth day
he heard the roar of the White Demon, saying:

"O king, thou art the willow-tree, all barren,
With neither fruit, nor flower. What could induce
The dream of conquering Mazinderan?
Hadst thou no friend to warn thee of thy folly?
Hadst thou not heard of the White Demon's power--
Of him, who from the gorgeous vault of Heaven
Can charm the stars? From this mad enterprise
Others have wisely shrunk--and what hast thou
Accomplished by a more ambitious course?
Thy soldiers have slain many, dire destruction
And spoil have been their purpose--thy wild will
Has promptly been obeyed; but thou art now
Without an army, not one man remains
To lift a sword, or stand in thy defence;
Not one to hear thy groans and thy despair."

There were selected from the army twelve thousand of the demon-warriors,
to take charge of and hold in custody the Iranian captives, all the
chiefs, as well as the soldiers, being secured with bonds, and only
allowed food enough to keep them alive. Arzang, one of the
demon-leaders, having got possession of the wealth, the crown and
jewels, belonging to Kai-kaus, was appointed to escort the captive king
and his troops, all of whom were deprived of sight, to the city of
Mazinderan, where they were delivered into the hands of the monarch of
that country. The White Demon, after thus putting an end to hostilities,
returned to his own abode.

Kai-kaus, strictly guarded as he was, found an opportunity of sending an
account of his