When Rustem had gone Tehmina wept bitterly, but consoled herself with
the thought that her husband would soon return. After her child was
born, she devoted herself to the wonderful boy and waited patiently for
the father that never returned. She remembered the parting words of
Rustem, and fastened upon the arm of her infant son the magic bracelet
of his race.
He was a marvelous boy, this son of Rustem and Tehmina. Beautiful in
face as the moon when it rides the heavens in its fullness, he was
large, well-formed, with limbs as straight as the arrows of his father.
He grew at an astonishing rate. When he was but a month old he was as
tall as any year-old baby; at three years of age he could use the bow,
the lasso and the club with the skill of a man; at five he was as brave
as a lion, and at ten not a man in the kingdom was his match in strength
and agility.
Tehmina, rejoicing in the intelligent, shining face of her boy, had
named him Sohrab, but as she feared that Rustem might send for his son
if he knew that he had so promising a one, she sent word to her husband
that her child was a girl. Disappointed in this, Rustem paid no
attention to his offspring, who grew up unknown to his parent, and
himself ignorant of the name of his father.
When Sohrab was about ten years old he began to notice that, unlike the
other young men, he seemed to have no father. Accordingly he went to his
mother and questioned her.
"What shall I say," he inquired, "when the young men ask me who is my
father? Must I always tell them that I do not know? Whose son am I?"
"My son, you ask and you have a right to know. You need feel no shame
because of your father. He is the mighty Rustem, the greatest of Persian
warriors, the noblest man that ever lived. But I beg you to tell no one
lest word should come to Rustem, for I know he would take you from me
and I should never see you again."
Sohrab was overjoyed to hear of his noble parentage and felt his heart
swell with pride, for he had heard all his life of the heroic deeds of
his father.
"Such a thing as this cannot be kept secret," he cried. "Sooner or later
every one in the world will know that I am Rustem's son. But not now
will we tell the tale. I will gather a great army of Tartars and make
war upon Kaoos, the Persian king. When I have defeated him I will set my
father Rustem upon the throne, and then I will overthrow Afrasiab, King
of the Turanians, and take his throne myself. There is room in the world
for but two kings, my father Rustem and myself."
The youthful warrior began his preparations immediately. First he sought
far and wide for a horse worthy to carry him, and at last succeeded in
finding a noble animal of the same breed as the famous Raksh. Mounted on
this splendid steed he rode about and rapidly collected an army of
devoted followers.
The noise of these preparations spread abroad and soon came to the ears
of Afrasiab, who saw in this war an opportunity for profit to himself
and humiliation for Kaoos. Accordingly, he sent offers of assistance to
Sohrab, who accepted them willingly and received among his followers the
hosts of the Turanian king.
But Afrasiab was a wily monarch, and sent to Sohrab two astute
counsellors, Haman and Barman with instructions to watch the young
leader carefully and to keep from him all knowledge of his father.
"If possible," said the treacherous monarch, "bring the two together and
let them fight, neither knowing who the other is. Then may Sohrab slay
his mighty father and we be left to rule the youthful and inexperienced
son by our superior cunning and wisdom. If on the other hand Rustem
shall slay his son, his heart will fail him, and he will die in
despair."
When the army was fully in readiness Sohrab set forth against Persia. In
his way lay the great White Fort whose chief defender was the mighty
Hujir. The Persians felt only contempt for the boyish leader and had no
fear of his great army. As they approached, Hujir rode forth to meet
them and called aloud in derision.
"Let the mighty Sohrab come forth to meet me alone. I will slay him with
ease and give his body to the vultures for food."
Undismayed by these threats Sohrab met the doughty Persian and unhorsed
him in the first encounter. Springing from his horse Sohrab raised his
sword to strike, but the Persian begged so lustily for quarter that he
was granted his life, though sent a prisoner to the king.
Among those who watched the defeat of Hujir was Gurdafrid, the daughter
of the old governor of the White Fort. She was stronger than any warrior
in the land and fully accustomed to the use of arms. When she became
aware that Hujir was indeed vanquished she hastily clothed herself in
full armor, thrust her long hair under her helmet and rode gallantly out
to meet Sohrab. The girl shot a perfect shower of arrows at Sohrab, but
all glanced harmlessly from his armor. Seeing that she could not find a
weak spot in his mail she put her shield in rest and charged valiantly
at her foe. However, she was no match for her antagonist and was borne
from her saddle by the fierce lance of her enemy. As she fell, however,
she drew her sword and severed the spear of Sohrab. Before he could
change weapons she had mounted her horse and was galloping wildly toward
the fort with her late antagonist in full pursuit. Long ere the castle
walls were reached Sohrab overtook her and seized her by the helmet,
when its fastenings gave way and her long hair fell about her shoulders,
disclosing the fact that he had been fighting with a woman.
Struck by the beauty of the girl and ashamed that he had been fighting
with her, Sohrab released her after she had promised that she would make
no further resistance and that the castle would surrender at his
approach. The fierce Gurdafrid, however, had no idea of giving up the
fort, but as soon as she was within, the gates were closed, and she,
mounting upon the walls, jeered at the waiting Sohrab.
"It is now too late to fight, but when morning comes I will level your
fort to the earth and leave not one stone upon the other." With these
words the incensed warrior galloped back to his camp. When in the
morning he marched his army against the fort he found that his prey had
escaped, for during the night Gurdafrid had led the whole garrison out
through a secret passage and had gone to warn King Kaoos of the approach
of the mighty Sohrab and his powerful army. The allied Tartars and
Turanians followed as rapidly as they might, but it was some time before
they could come anywhere near the Persian capital.
What was happening in Persia has been very well told by Alfred J. Church
in his story of Sohrab and Rustem:
"When King Kaoos heard that there had appeared among the Tartars a
mighty champion, against whom, such was the strength of his arms, no one
could stand; how he had overthrown and taken their champion and now
threatened to overrun and conquer the whole land of Persia, he was
greatly troubled, and calling a scribe, said to him, 'Sit down and write
a letter to Rustem.'
"So the scribe sat down and wrote. The letter was this: 'There has
appeared among the Tartars a great champion, strong as an elephant and
as fierce as a lion. No one can stand against him. We look to you for
help. It is of your doing that our warriors hold their heads so high.
Come, then, with all the speed that you can use, so soon as you shall
have read this letter. Be it night or day, come at once; do not open
your mouth to speak; if you have a bunch of roses in your hand do not
stop to smell it, but come; for the warrior of whom I write is such that
you only can meet him.'
"King Kaoos sealed the letter and gave it to a warrior named Giv. At the
same time he said, 'Haste to Rustem. Tarry not on the way; and when you
are come, do not rest there for an hour. If you arrive in the night,
depart again the next morning.'
"So Giv departed, and traveled with all his speed, allowing himself
neither sleep nor food. When he approached Zabulistan, the watchman
said, 'A warrior comes from Persia riding like the wind.' So Rustem,
with his chiefs, went out to meet him. When they had greeted each other,
they returned together to Rustem's palace.
"Giv delivered his message, and handed the king's letter, telling
himself much more that he had heard about the strength and courage of
this Tartar warrior. Rustem heard him with astonishment, and said, 'This
champion is like, you say, to the great San, my grandfather. That such a
man should come from the free Persians is possible; but that he should
be among those slaves the Tartars, is past belief. I have myself a
child, whom the daughter of a Tartar king bore to me; but the child is a
girl. This, then, that you tell me is passing strange; but for the
present let us make merry.'
"So they made merry with the chiefs that were assembled in Rustem's
palace. But after a while Giv said again: 'King Kaoos commanded me,
saying, "You must not sleep in Zabulistan; if you arrive in the night,
set out again the next morning. It will go ill with us if we have to
fight before Rustem comes." It is necessary, then, great hero, that we
set out in all haste for Persia.'
"Rustem said, 'Do not trouble yourself about this matter. We must all
die some day. Let us, therefore, enjoy the present. Our lips are dry,
let us wet them with wine. As to this Tartar, fortune will not always be
with him. When he sees my standard, his heart will fail him.'
"So they sat, drinking the red wine and singing merry songs, instead of
thinking of the king and his commands. The next day Rustem passed in the
same fashion, and the third also. But on the fourth Giv made
preparations to depart, saying to Rustem, 'If we do not make haste to
set out, the king will be wroth, and his anger is terrible.'
"Rustem said, 'Do not trouble yourself; no man dares to be wroth with
me.' Nevertheless, he bade them saddle Raksh and set out with his
companions.
"When they came near the king's palace, a great company of nobles rode
out to meet them, and conducted them to the king, and they paid their
homage to him. But the king turned away from them in a rage. 'Who is
Rustem,' he cried, 'that he forgets his duty to me, and disobeys my
commands? If I had a sword in my hand this moment, I would cut off his
head, as a man cuts an orange in half. Take him, hang him up alive on
gallows, and never mention his name again in my presence.'
"Giv answered, 'Sir, will you lay hands upon Rustem?' The king burst out
again in rage against Giv and Rustem, crying to one of his nobles, 'Take
these two villains and hang them alive on gallows.' And he rose up from
his throne in fury.
"The noble to whom he had spoken laid his hand upon Rustem, wishing to
lead him out of the king's presence, lest Kaoos in his rage should do
him an injury. But Rustem cried out, 'What a king are you! Hang this
Tartar, if you can, on your gallows. Keep such things for your enemies.
All the world has bowed itself before me and Raksh, my horse. And
you--you are king by my grace.'
"Thus speaking, he struck away the hand that the noble had laid upon him
so fiercely that the man fell headlong to the ground, and he passed over
his body to go from the presence of the king. And as he mounted on
Raksh, he cried: 'What is Kaoos that he should deal with me in this
fashion? It is God who has given me strength and victory, and not he or
his army. The nobles would have given me the throne of Persia long
since, but I would not receive it; I kept the right before my eyes.
Verily, had I not done so, you, Kaoos, would not be sitting upon the
throne.' Then he turned to the Persians that stood by, and said, 'This
brave Tartar will come. Look out for yourselves how you may save your
lives. Me you shall see no more in the land of Persia.'
"The Persians were greatly troubled to hear such words; for they were
sheep, and Rustem was their shepherd. So the nobles assembled, and said
to each other: 'The king has forgotten all gratitude and decency. Does
he not remember that he owes to Rustem his throne--nay, his very life?
If the gallows be Rustem's reward, what shall become of us?'
"So the oldest among them came and stood before the king, and said: 'O
king, have you forgotten what Rustem has done for you and this land--how
he conquered Mazanieran and its king and the White Genius; how he gave
you back the sight of your eyes? And now you have commanded that he
shall be hanged alive upon a gallows. Are these fitting words for a
king?'
"The king listened to the old man, and said: 'You speak well. The words
of a king should be words of wisdom. Go now to Rustem, and speak good
words to him, and make him forget my anger.'
"So the old man rode after Rustem, and many of the nobles went with him.
When they had overtaken him, the old man said, 'You know that the king
is a wrathful man, and that in his rage he speaks hard words. But you
know also that he soon repents. But now he is ashamed of what he said.
And if he has offended, yet the Persians have done no wrong that you
should thus desert them.'
"Rustem answered, 'Who is the king that I should care for him? My saddle
is my throne and my helmet is my crown, my corselet is my robe of state.
What is the king to me but a grain of dust? Why should I fear his anger?
I delivered him from prison; I gave him back his crown. And now my
patience is at an end.'
"The old man said, 'This is well. But the king and his nobles will
think, "Rustem fears this Tartar," and they will say, "If Rustem is
afraid, what can we do but leave our country?" I pray you therefore not
to turn your back upon the king, when things are in such a plight. Is it
well that the Persians should become the slaves of the infidel Tartars?'
"Rustem stood confounded to hear such words. 'If there were fear in my
heart, then I would tear my soul from my body. But you know that it is
not; only the king has treated me with scorn.'
"But he perceived that he must yield to the old man's advice. So he went
back with the nobles.
"As soon as the king saw him, he leaped upon his feet, and said, 'I am
hard of soul, but a man must grow as God has made him. My heart was
troubled by the fear of this new enemy. I looked to you for safety, and
you delayed your coming. Then I spoke in my wrath; but I have repented,
and my mouth is full of dust.'
"Rustem said, 'It is yours to command, O king, and ours to obey. You are
the master, and we are the slaves. I am but as one of those who open the
door for you, if indeed I am worthy to be reckoned among them. And now I
come to execute your commands.'
"Kaoos said, 'It is well. Now let us feast. To-morrow we will prepare
for war.'
"So Kaoos, and Rustem, and the nobles feasted till the night had passed
and the morning came. The next day King Kaoos and Rustem, with a great
army, began their march."
Matthew Arnold, the great English critic, scholar and poet, has used the
incidents that follow as the subject of one of his most interesting
poems. To that poem we will look for a continuation of the story. Arnold
alters the story at times to suit the needs of his poem, and he often
employs a slightly different spelling of proper names from that used in
the above account.