"Imprudent boy!" the anxious mother said; "Canst thou contend against imperial power?

Must I behold thy ruin? Pause awhile, And perish not in this wild enterprise."

It is recorded that Zohak's dread of Feridun was so great, that day by day he became more irritable, wasting away in bitterness of spirit, for people of all ranks kept continually talking of the young invader, and were daily expecting his approach. At last he came, and Zohak was subdued, and his power extinguished.

KAVAH, THE BLACKSMITH

Zohak having one day summoned together all the n.o.bles and philosophers of the kingdom, he said to them: "I find that a young enemy has risen up against me; but notwithstanding his tender years, there is no safety even with an apparently insignificant foe. I hear, too, that though young, he is distinguished for his prowess and wisdom; yet I fear not him, but the change of fortune. I wish therefore to a.s.semble a large army, consisting of Men, Demons, and Peris, that this enemy may be surrounded, and conquered. And, further, since a great enterprise is on the eve of being undertaken, it will be proper in future to keep a register or muster-roll of all the people of every age in my dominions, and have it revised annually." The register, including both old and young, was accordingly prepared.

At that period there lived a man named Kavah, a blacksmith, remarkably strong and brave, and who had a large family. Upon the day on which it fell to the lot of two of his children to be killed to feed the serpents, he rose up with indignation in presence of the king, and said:

"Thou art the king, but wherefore on my head Cast fire and ashes? If thou hast the form Of hissing dragon, why to me be cruel?

Why give the brains of my beloved children As serpent-food, and talk of doing justice?"

At this bold speech the monarch was dismayed, And scarcely knowing what he did, released The blacksmith's sons. How leapt the father's heart, How warmly he embraced his darling boys!

But now Zohak directs that Kavah's name Shall be inscribed upon the register.

Soon as the blacksmith sees it written there, Wrathful he turns towards the chiefs a.s.sembled, Exclaiming loud: "Are ye then men, or what, Leagued with a Demon!" All astonished heard, And saw him tear the hated register, And cast it under foot with rage and scorn.

Kavah having thus reviled the king bitterly, and destroyed the register of blood, departed from the court, and took his children along with him.

After he had gone away, the n.o.bles said to the king:

"Why should reproaches, sovereign of the world, Be thus permitted? Why the royal scroll Torn in thy presence, with a look and voice Of proud defiance, by the rebel blacksmith?

So fierce his bearing, that he seems to be A bold confederate of this Feridun."

Zohak replied: "I know not what o'ercame me, But when I saw him with such vehemence Of grief and wild distraction, strike his forehead, Lamenting o'er his children, doomed to death, Amazement seized my heart, and chained my will.

What may become of this, Heaven only knows, For none can pierce the veil of destiny."

Kavah, meanwhile, with warning voice set forth What wrongs the nation suffered, and there came Mult.i.tudes round him, who called out aloud For justice! justice! On his javelin's point He fixed his leathern ap.r.o.n for a banner, And lifting it on high, he went abroad To call the people to a task of vengeance.

Wherever it was seen crowds followed fast, Tired of the cruel tyranny they suffered.

"Let us unite with Feridun," he cried, "And from Zohak's oppression we are free!"

And still he called aloud, and all obeyed Who heard him, high and low. Anxious he sought For Feridun, not knowing his retreat: But still he hoped success would crown his search.

The hour arrived, and when he saw the youth, Instinctively he knew him, and thanked Heaven For that good fortune. Then the leathern banner Was splendidly adorned with gold and jewels, And called the flag of Kavah. From that time It was a sacred symbol; every king In future, on succeeding to the throne, Did honor to that banner, the true sign Of royalty, in veneration held.

Feridun, aided by the directions and advice of the blacksmith, now proceeded against Zohak. His mother wept to see him depart, and continually implored the blessing of G.o.d upon him. He had two elder brothers, whom he took along with him. Desirous of having a mace formed like the head of a cow, he requested Kavah to make one of iron, and it was accordingly made in the shape he described. In his progress, he visited a shrine or place of pilgrimage frequented by the worshippers of G.o.d, where he besought inspiration and aid, and where he was taught by a radiant personage the mysteries of the magic art, receiving from him a key to every secret.

Bright beamed his eye, with firmer step he strode, His smiling cheek with warmer crimson glowed.

When his two brothers saw his altered mien, the pomp and splendor of his appearance, they grew envious of his good fortune, and privately meditated his fall. One day they found him asleep at the foot of a mountain, and they immediately went to the top and rolled down a heavy fragment of rock upon him with the intention of crushing him to death; but the clattering noise of the stone awoke him, and, instantly employing the knowledge of sorcery which had been communicated to him, the stone was suddenly arrested by him in its course. The brothers beheld this with astonishment, and hastening down the mountain, cried aloud: "We know not how the stone was loosened from its place: G.o.d forbid that it should have done any injury to Feridun." Feridun, however, was well aware of this being the evil work of his brothers, but he took no notice of the conspiracy, and instead of punishing them, raised them to higher dignity and consequence.

They saw that Kavah directed the route of Feridun over the mountainous tracts and plains which lie contiguous to the banks of the Dijleh, or Tigris, close to the city of Bagdad. Upon reaching that river, they called for boats, but got no answer from the ferryman; at which Feridun was enraged, and immediately plunged, on horseback, into the foaming stream. All his army followed without delay, and with the blessing of G.o.d arrived on the other side in safety. He then turned toward the Bait-el-Mukaddus, built by Zohak. In the Pahlavi language it was called Kunuk-duz-mokt. The tower of this edifice was so lofty that it might be seen at the distance of many leagues, and within that tower Zohak had formed a talisman of miraculous virtues. Feridun soon overthrew this talisman, and destroyed or vanquished successively with his mace all the enchanted monsters and hideous shapes which appeared before him. He captured the whole of the building, and released all the black-eyed damsels who were secluded there, and among them Shahrnaz and Arnawaz, the two sisters of Jemshid before alluded to. He then ascended the empty throne of Zohak, which had been guarded by the talisman, and the Demons under his command; and when he heard that the tyrant had gone with an immense army toward Ind, in quest of his new enemy, and had left his treasury with only a small force at the seat of his government, he rejoiced, and appropriated the throne and the treasure to himself.

From their dark solitudes the Youth brought forth The black-haired damsels, lovely as the sun, And Jemshid's sisters, long imprisoned there; And gladly did the inmates of that harem Pour out their grat.i.tude on being freed From that terrific monster; thanks to Heaven Devoutly they expressed, and ardent joy.

Feridun inquired of Arnawaz why Zohak had chosen the route towards Ind; and she replied, "For two reasons: the first is, he expects to encounter thee in that quarter; and if he fails, he will subdue the whole country, which is the seat of sorcery, and thus obtain possession of a renowned magician who can charm thee into his power.

"He wishes to secure within his grasp That region of enchantment, Hindustan, And then obtain relief from what he feels; For night and day the terror of thy name Oppresses him, his heart is all on fire, And life is torture to him."

FERIDuN

Kandru, the keeper of the talisman, having effected his escape, fled to Zohak, to whom he gave intelligence of the release of his women, the destruction of the talisman, and the conquest of his empire.

"The sign of retribution has appeared, For sorrow is the fruit of evil deeds."

Thus Kandru spoke: "Three warriors have advanced Upon thy kingdom from a distant land, One of them young, and from his air and mien He seems to me of the Kaianian race.

He came, and boldly seized the splendid throne, And all thy spells, and sorceries, and magic, Were instantly dissolved by higher power, And all who dwelt within thy palace walls, Demon or man, all utterly destroyed, Their severed heads cast weltering on the ground."

Then was Zohak confounded, and he shrunk Within himself with terror, thinking now His doom was sealed; but anxious to appear In presence of his army, gay and cheerful, Lest they too should despair, he dressed himself In rich attire, and with a pleasant look, Said carelessly: "Perhaps some gamesome guest Hath in his sport committed this strange act."

"A guest, indeed!" Kandru replied, "a guest, In playful mood to batter down thy palace!

If he had been thy guest, why with his mace, Cow-headed, has he done such violence?

Why did he penetrate thy secret chambers, And bring to light the beautiful Shahrnaz, And red-lipped Arnawaz?" At this, Zohak Trembled with wrath--the words were death to him; And sternly thus he spoke: "What hast thou fled Through fear, betraying thy important trust?

No longer shalt thou share my confidence, No longer share my bounty and regard."

To this the keeper tauntingly replied: "Thy kingdom is overthrown, and nothing now Remains for thee to give me; thou art lost."

The tyrant immediately turned towards his army, with the intention of making a strong effort to regain his throne, but he found that as soon as the soldiers and the people were made acquainted with the proceedings and success of Feridun, rebellion arose among them, and shuddering with horror at the cruelty exercised by him in providing food for the accursed serpents, they preferred embracing the cause of the new king.

Zohak, seeing that he had lost the affections of the army, and that universal revolt was the consequence, adopted another course, and endeavored alone to be revenged upon his enemy. He proceeded on his journey, and arriving by night at the camp of Feridun, hoped to find him off his guard and put him to death. He ascended a high place, himself un.o.bserved, from which he saw Feridun sitting engaged in soft dalliance with the lovely Shahrnaz. The fire of jealousy and revenge now consumed him more fiercely, and he was attempting to effect his purpose, when Feridun was roused by the noise, and starting up struck a furious blow with his cow-headed mace upon the temples of Zohak, which crushed the bone, and he was on the point of giving him another; but a supernatural voice whispered in his ear,

"Slay him not now--his time is not yet come, His punishment must be prolonged awhile; And as he cannot now survive the wound, Bind him with heavy chains--convey him straight Upon the mountain, there within a cave, Deep, dark, and horrible--with none to soothe His sufferings, let the murderer lingering die."

The work of heaven performing, Feridun First purified the world from sin and crime.

Yet Feridun was not an angel, nor Composed of musk or ambergris. By justice And generosity he gained his fame.

Do thou but exercise these princely virtues, And thou wilt be renowned as Feridun.

FERIDuN AND HIS THREE SONS

Feridun had three sons. One of them was named Silim, the other Tur, and the third Irij. When they had grown up, he called before him a learned person named Chundel, and said to him: "Go thou in quest of three daughters, born of the same father and mother, and adorned with every grace and accomplishment, that I may have my three sons married into one family." Chundel departed accordingly, and travelled through many countries in fruitless search, till he came to the King of Yemen, whose name was Saru, and found that he had three daughters of the character and qualifications required. He therefore delivered Feridun's proposition to him, to which the King of Yemen agreed. Then Feridun sent his three sons to Yemen, and they married the three daughters of the king, who gave them splendid dowries in treasure and jewels. It is related that Feridun afterwards divided his empire among his sons. To Silim he gave Rum and Khawer; to Tur, Turan;[2] and to Irij, Iran or Persia. The sons then repaired to their respective kingdoms. Persia was a beautiful country, and the garden of spring, full of freshness and perfume; Turan, on the contrary, was less cultivated, and the scene of perpetual broils and insurrections. The elder brother, Silim, was therefore discontented with the unfair part.i.tion of the empire, and displeased with his father. He sent to Tur, saying: "Our father has given to Irij the most delightful and productive kingdom, and to us, two wild uncultivated regions. I am the eldest son, and I am not satisfied with this distribution--what sayest thou?" When this message was communicated to Tur, he fully concurred in the sentiments expressed by his brother, and determined to unite with him in any undertaking that might promise the accomplishment of their purpose, which was to deprive Irij of his dominions. But he thought it would be most expedient, in the first instance, to make their father acquainted with the dissatisfaction he had produced; "for," he thought to himself, "in a new distribution, he may a.s.sign Persia to me." Then he wrote to Silim, advising that a messenger should be sent at once to Feridun to inform him of their dissatisfaction, and bring back a reply. The same messenger was dispatched by Silim accordingly on that mission,

Charged with unfilial language. "Give," he said, "This stripling Irij a more humble portion, Or we will, from the mountains of Turan, From Rum, and Chin, bring overwhelming troops, Inured to war, and shower disgrace and ruin On him and Persia."

When the messenger arrived at the court of Feridun, and had obtained permission to appear in the presence of the king, he kissed the ground respectfully, and by command related the purpose of his journey. Feridun was surprised and displeased, and said, in reply:

"Have I done wrong, done evil? None, but good.

I gave ye kingdoms, that was not a crime; But if ye fear not me, at least fear G.o.d.

My ebbing life approaches to an end, And the possessions of this fleeting world Will soon pa.s.s from me. I am grown too old To have my pa.s.sions roused by this rebellion; All I can do is, with paternal love, To counsel peace. Be with your lot contented; Seek not unnatural strife, but cherish peace."

After the departure of the messenger Feridun called Irij before him, and said: "Thy two brothers, who are older than thou art, have confederated together and threaten to bring a large army against thee for the purpose of seizing thy kingdom, and putting thee to death. I have received this information from a messenger, who further says, that if I take thy part they will also wage war upon me." And after Irij had declared that in this extremity he was anxious to do whatever his father might advise, Feridun continued: "My son, thou art unable to resist the invasion of even one brother; it will, therefore, be impossible for thee to oppose both. I am now aged and infirm, and my only wish is to pa.s.s the remainder of my days in retirement and repose. Better, then, will it be for thee to pursue the path of peace and friendship, and like me throw away all desire for dominion.

"For if the sword of anger is unsheathed, And war comes on, thy head will soon be freed From all the cares of government and life.

There is no cause for thee to quit the world, The path of peace and amity is thine."

Irij agreed with his father, and declared that he would willingly sacrifice his throne and diadem rather than go to war with his brothers.

"Look at the Heavens, how they roll on; And look at man, how soon he's gone.

A breath of wind, and then no more; A world like this, should man deplore?"

With these sentiments Irij determined to repair immediately to his brothers, and place his kingdom at their disposal, hoping by this means to merit their favor and affection, and he said: