Time now passed happily until the moment came when Rudaveh’s life was in imminent danger.  In his quandary, Zal flung the golden feather into the fire with so trembling a hand that it fell to one side so that only one edge was singed.  This proved sufficient, however, to summon the faithful Simurgh, 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 rescue the foolish monarch, adding that, although it had taken Kaikous six months to reach his destination, Rustem could get there in seven days, provided he were willing to brave great dangers.