enemy." The three travellers
then resuming their journey:

Through dreary track, and pathless waste,
And wood and wild, their way they traced.

The return of the defeated Kulbad excited the greatest indignation in
the breast of Piran. "What! three hundred soldiers to fly from the valor
of one man! Had Giw possessed even the activity and might of Rustem and
Sam, such a shameful discomfiture could scarcely have happened." Saying
this, he ordered the whole force under his command to be got ready, and
set off himself to overtake and intercept the fugitives, who, fatigued
with the toilsome march, were only able to proceed one stage in the day.
Piran, therefore, who travelled at the rate of one hundred leagues a
day, overtook them before they had passed through Bulgharia. Ferangis,
who saw the enemy's banner floating in the air, knew that it belonged to
Piran, and instantly awoke the two young men from sleep. Upon this
occasion, Khosrau insisted on acting his part, instead of being left
ignominiously idle; but Giw was still resolute and determined to
preserve him from all risk, at the peril of his own life. "Thou art
destined to be the king of the world; thou art yet young, and a novice,
and hast never known the toils of war; Heaven forbid that any misfortune
should befall thee: indeed, whilst I live, I will never suffer thee to
go into battle!" Khosrau then proposed to give him assistance; but Giw
said he wanted no assistance, not even from Rustem; "for," he added, "in
art and strength we are equal, having frequently tried our skill
together." Rustem had given his daughter in marriage to Giw, he himself
being married to Giw's sister. "Be of good cheer," resumed he, "get upon
some high place, and witness the battle between us.

"Fortune will still from Heaven descend,
The god of victory is my friend."

As soon as he took the field, Piran thus addressed him: "Thou hast once,
singly, defeated three hundred of my soldiers; thou shalt now see what
punishment awaits thee at my hands.

"For should a warrior be a rock of steel,
A thousand ants, gathered on every side,
In time will make him but a heap of dust."

In reply, Giw said to Piran, "I am the man who bound thy two women, and
sent them from China to Persia--Rustem and I are the same in battle.
Thou knowest, when he encountered a thousand horsemen, what was the
result, and what he accomplished! Thou wilt find me the same: is not a
lion enough to overthrow a