seven pits lined with swords
and spears. These were hidden in a road along which Rustem had to
travel when he came in the king's name to claim tribute. Falling into
the first pit, Rustem set his spurs to Rakush's sides; and the brave
steed, although wounded, leaped out of this trap, only to tumble into
a second and third. From pit to pit Rustem and his dauntless horse
landed at the bottom of the seventh, fainting from their many wounds.

The treacherous step-brother now drew cautiously near to ascertain
whether Rustem were dead, whereupon our hero begged for his bow and
arrows, declaring he wished to ward off the wild beasts as long as he
remained alive. The unsuspecting brother, therefore, flung the desired
weapons down into the pit, but no sooner were they within reach, than
Rustem fitted an arrow to the string, casting such a baleful look at
his step-brother that this coward hastened to take refuge behind a
tree. No obstacle could, however, balk the righteously angry Rustem,
who sent his arrow straight through the trunk into his brother's
heart, thus punishing the murderer for his dastardly trick. Then,
returning thanks for having been allowed to avenge his wrongs, Rustem
breathed his last beside his faithful steed.

On hearing his son had perished, Zal sent an army to lay Kabul waste,
and, having recovered the corpses of Rustem and of his steed, laid
them piously to rest in a magnificent tomb in Seistan.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 38: All the quotations in this article taken from the
Shah-Nameh are from Champeon's translation.]

[Footnote 39: It is this part of the story which Matthew Arnold
rendered so ably in his "Sohrab and Rustum," one of his best-known
poems.]

[Footnote 40: All the quotations in regard to this episode are from
Matthew Arnold's "Sohrab and Rustum."]

INDIAN EPICS

Besides the two great classical epics (Mahakavyas)--the Mahabharata
and the Ramayana--Indian literature claims eighteen Puranas, each of
which bears a distinctive title. These Puranas treat mainly of
"ancient legendary lore," and contain many tales of gods and sages, as
well as descriptions of the Hindu world, with Mount Meru as its
centre, and also of the deluge.

Many of the incidents of the two great epics inspired later poets to
compose what are known as kavyas, or court epics. Six of these by
Bahrtruhari are termed Great Court Epics (Mahakavyas), and another, by
the poet Acvaghosha, describing the doings of Buddha