broken-hearted,
Misfortune darkening o'er his head,
To other lands he then departed,
To seek another home for bread.

Disconsolate and wretched, he proceeded on his journey, and observing a
husbandman standing in a field of corn, he approached the spot and sat
down. The husbandman seeing a strong muscular youth, apparently a
Turanian, sitting in sorrow and tears, went up to him and asked him the
cause of his grief, and he soon became acquainted with all the
circumstances of the stranger's life. Pitying his distress, he took him
home and gave him some food.

After having partaken sufficiently of the refreshments placed before
him, Gushtasp inquired of his host to what tribe he belonged, and from
whom he was descended. "I am descended from Feridun," rejoined he, "and
I belong to the Kaianian tribe. My occupation in this retired spot is,
as thou seest, the cultivation of the ground, and the customs and duties
of husbandry." Gushtasp said, "I am myself descended from Husheng, who
was the ancestor of Feridun; we are, therefore, of the same origin." In
consequence of this connection, Gushtasp and the husbandman lived
together on the most friendly footing for a considerable time. At length
the star of his fortune began to illumine his path, and the favor of
Heaven became manifest.

It was the custom of the king of Rum, when his daughters came of age, to
give a splendid banquet, and to invite to it all the youths of
illustrious birth in the kingdom, in order that each might select one of
them most suited to her taste, for her future husband. His daughter
Kitabun was now of age, and in conformity with the established practice,
the feast was prepared, and the youths of royal descent invited; but it
so happened that not one of them was sufficiently attractive for her
choice, and the day passed over unprofitably. She had been told in a
dream that a youth of a certain figure and aspect had arrived in the
kingdom from Iran, and that to him she was destined to be married. But
there was not one at her father's banquet who answered to the
description of the man she had seen in her dream, and in consequence she
was disappointed. On the following day the feast was resumed. She had
again dreamt of the youth to whom she was to be united. She had
presented to him a bunch of roses, and he had given her a rose-branch,
and each regarded the other with smiles of mutual satisfaction. In the
morning Kitabun issued a proclamation, in