Of course the hero selected the shorter route, and on the first day slew a wild ass, which he roasted for supper before lying down to rest.  The odor of roast meat, however, attracted a lion, which would have made a meal of the sleeping Rustem, had not his brave steed fought with hoofs and teeth until he succeeded in slaying the beast of prey.  Awakened only as the fight ended, Rustem reproved his horse for risking his life in this reckless way and bade him henceforth call for aid.

  “Oh, Rakush, why so thoughtless grown
  To fight a lion thus alone? 
  For had it been thy fate to bleed
  And not thy foe, O gallant steed! 
  How could thy master have conveyed
  His helm, and battle-axe, and blade,
  Unaided to Mazinderan? 
  Why didst thou fail to give the alarm,
  And save thyself from chance of harm,
  By neighing loudly in my ear? 
  But, though thy bold heart knows no fear,
  From such unwise exploits refrain
  Nor try a lion’s strength again.”

During the second day’s journey, Rustem was saved from perishing of thirst by following a stray ram to a mountain stream; and on the third night, having forbidden his horse to attack any foe without warning him, Rustem was twice awakened by the loud neighing of Rakush, who had seen an eighty-yard long dragon draw near.  Each time he neighed, however, the dragon disappeared, so Rustem, seeing nought, reproved his horse for breaking his rest.  The third time, however, he caught a glimpse of the dragon’s fiery eyes, so, attacking him, he slew him, thanks to the help of his horse.  The fourth day was signalized by other marvellous adventures, and on the fifth, while journeying through the land of magic, Rustem was met by a sorceress, who tried to win him by many wiles.  Although he accepted the banquet and cup of wine she tendered, he no sooner bade her quaff it in the name of God, than she was forced to resume her fiendish form, whereupon he slew her.

On the sixth day, Rustem, forced to ride through a land where the sun never shone, allowed his intelligent steed to guide him, and thus safely reached on the seventh a land of plenty and light, where he lay down to rest.  There, while he was sleeping, the people of Mazinderan captured his wonderful steed.  But, following the traces of his struggling horse, Rustem, by dint of great exertions, made them give back Rakush, and forced them to guide him to the cave where the White Demon was detaining his fellow-countrymen prisoners.

In front of this cave Rustem found an array of demons, and, after conquering them all, forced his way into the Persian hell, whence he rescued his companions, whose sight he restored by trickling the blood of the White Demon into their sightless eyes.

Having thus earned the title of “champion of the world,” Rustem escorted the stupid king home, but this monarch, not satisfied with this blunder, committed one folly after another.  We are told that he even undertook to fly, his special make of aeroplane being a carpet borne by four starving eagles, fastened to the four corners of its frame, and frantically striving to reach a piece of meat fixed temptingly above and ahead of them.