rgh, who, after rapturously caressing her nursling,
whispered in his ear a magic word, which not only enabled him to save
the life of his dying wife, but also assured his becoming the happy
father of a stalwart son named Rustem.

This boy, stronger and handsomer than any child yet born, required no
less than ten nurses, and after being weaned ate as much as five men!
Such being the case, he was able, by the time he was eight years of
age, to slay a mad white elephant with a single stroke of his fist.
Many similar feats were performed during the boyhood of this Persian
Hercules, who longed to fight when the realm was finally invaded by
the Tartar chief Afrasiab and war began to devastate the land.

Loud neighed the steeds, and their resounding hoofs
Shook the deep caverns of the earth; the dust
Rose up in clouds and hid the azure heavens.--
Bright beamed the swords, and in that carnage wide,
Blood flowed like water.

When the Persians, in their distress, implored Zal to meet and defeat
this dreaded foe, the hero answered he was far too old to perform such
a task, but that his son Rustem would fight in his stead. Before
sending him forth, however, Zal bade Rustem select a suitable steed,
and, from all those paraded before him, the youth picked out a
rose-colored colt called Rakush (lightning) whom no one had ever been
able to mount, although he was quite old enough to use. After lassoing
and taming this wonderful steed,--which obeyed him alone,--Rustem,
armed with a mace, set out to meet the foe, sent hither as he knew by
the evil spirit. Then, to oppose Afrasiab, Rustem placed Kaikobad, a
descendant of the old royal family, on the throne, after driving away
the foe. The wise Kaikobad, who reigned peacefully one hundred years,
was, however, succeeded by a very foolish son, Kaikous, who, ill
satisfied with the extent of his realm, undertook to conquer
Mazinderan, which was in the hands of demons, but which he had coveted
ever since it had been described by a young bard who sang:

"And mark me, that untravelled man
Who never saw Mazinderan
And all the charms its bowers possess,
Has never tasted happiness."

On hearing his master propose such a conquest, Zal vainly
remonstrated, but the foolish monarch set out, and on arriving in
Mazinderan was defeated by the demons, who blinded him and his army
and detained them prisoners. No sooner did the news of this calamity
reach Zal, than he bade Rustem go r