ces
of figured cloth; a hundred milch camels, and a hundred others for
burden; two hundred Indian swords, a golden crown and throne, and four
elephants. Sam was amazed and embarrassed by the arrival of this
splendid array. If he accepted the presents, he would incur the anger of
Minuchihr; and if he rejected them, Zal would be disappointed and driven
to despair. He at length accepted them, and concurred in the wishes of
Sindokht respecting the union of the two lovers.

When Zal arrived at the court of Minuchihr, he was received with honor,
and the letter of Sam being read, the king was prevailed upon to consent
to the pacific proposals that were made in favor of Mihrab, and the
nuptials. He too consulted his astrologers, and was informed that the
offspring of Zal and Rudabeh would be a hero of matchless strength and
valor. Zal, on his return through Kabul, had an interview with Rudabeh,
who welcomed him in the most rapturous terms:--

Be thou for ever blest, for I adore thee,
And make the dust of thy fair feet my pillow.

In short, with the approbation of all parties the marriage at length
took place, and was celebrated at the beautiful summer-house where first
the lovers met. Sam was present at Kabul on the happy occasion, and soon
afterwards returned to Sistan, preparatory to resuming his martial
labors in Karugsar and Mazinderan.

As the time drew near that Rudabeh should become a mother, she suffered
extremely from constant indisposition, and both Zal and Sindokht were in
the deepest distress on account of her precarious state.

The cypress leaf was withering; pale she lay,
Unsoothed by rest or sleep, death seemed approaching.

At last Zal recollected the feather of the Simurgh, and followed the
instructions which he had received, by placing it on the fire. In a
moment darkness surrounded them, which was, however, immediately
dispersed by the sudden appearance of the Simurgh. "Why," said the
Simurgh, "do I see all this grief and sorrow? Why are the tear-drops in
the warrior's eyes? A child will be born of mighty power, who will
become the wonder of the world."

The Simurgh then gave some advice which was implicitly attended to, and
the result was that Rudabeh was soon out of danger. Never was beheld so
prodigious a child. The father and mother were equally amazed. They
called the boy Rustem. On the first day he looked a year old, and he
required the milk of ten nurses. A likeness of him was immediate