foolish king proved so fortunate as to have a
noble and generous son named Siawush, of whom he became so jealous
that the youth had to leave home and was brought up by Rustem. The
step-mother, who had so poisoned his father's mind against him,
plotted Siawush's death as soon as he returned to court, by accusing
him of making love to her. In anger the father decreed that Siawush
should submit to the test of fire, so huge furnaces were lighted,
through which the young man rode unharmed, the Angel of Pity and the
spirit of his dead mother standing on either side of him to guard him
from injury. Because the step-mother had wrongfully accused Siawush,
she too was condemned to pass through the fire, but her step-son,
knowing she could never stand such an ordeal, pleaded successfully in
her behalf.

Not daring to remain at his father's court, this young prince
withdrew among the Tartars, where he married Afrasiab's daughter. But
such were his qualities and noble deeds, that his wicked father-in-law
became jealous enough of him to slay him. He did not, however, succeed
in exterminating the race, for a kind-hearted nobleman, Piran-Wisa,
secreted Siawush's little son, and entrusted him to a goat-herd to
bring up. When Afrasiab discovered a few years later that this child
was still living, he planned to put him to death, until the nobleman
assured him the child was an idiot and would, therefore, never work
him any harm. Only half convinced, Afrasiab sent for the youth,
Kai-Khosrau, who, duly instructed by his protector, returned such
crazy answers to his grandfather's questions, that Afrasiab felt
satisfied he was an idiot indeed.

This young prince, having attained manhood, led a rebellion so
successfully that he not only dethroned his grandfather, Afrasiab, but
also recovered his hereditary throne of Persia. There he reigned for
many years, at the end of which he became so anxious to leave this
world, that he prayed the good god (Ormudz) to receive him in his
bosom. In a dream this divinity informed the king that, as soon as his
affairs were in order and his successor named, his wish would be
granted. Kai-Khosrau, therefore, made all his arrangements, and set
out on the journey to the next world, bidding his friends not try to
accompany him, for the road would be too hard for them to travel. In
spite of these injunctions, a few faithful followers went with him,
until they reached a place where the cold was so intense that the