thousand kids?

"If but a man survive of thy proud host,
Brand me with coward--say I'm not a warrior.
Already have I triumphed o'er Kulbad,
And now I'll take thee prisoner, yea, alive!
And send thee to Kaus--there thou wilt be
Slain to avenge the death of Saiawush;
Turan shall perish, and Afrasiyab,
And every earthly hope extinguished quite."
Hearing this awful threat, Piran turned pale
And shook with terror--trembling like a reed;
And saying: "Go, I will not fight with thee!"
But Giw asked fiercely: "Why?" And on he rushed
Against the foe, who fled--but 'twas in vain.
The kamund round the old man's neck was thrown,
And he was taken captive. Then his troops
Showered their sharp arrows on triumphant Giw,
To free their master, who was quickly brought
Before Kai-khosrau, and the kamund placed
Within his royal hands. This service done,
Giw sped against the Tartars, and full soon
Defeated and dispersed them.

On his return, Giw expressed his astonishment that Piran was still
alive; when Ferangis interposed, and weeping, said how much she had been
indebted to his interposition and the most active humanity on various
occasions, and particularly in saving herself and Kai-khosrau from the
wrath of Afrasiyab after the death of Saiawush. "If," said she, "after
so much generosity he has committed one fault, let it be forgiven.

"Let not the man of many virtues die,
For being guilty of one trifling error.
Let not the friend who nobly saved my life,
And more, the dearer life of Kai-khosrau,
Suffer from us. O, he must never, never,
Feel the sharp pang of foul ingratitude,
From a true prince of the Kaianian race."

But Giw paused, and said, "I have sworn to crimson the earth with his
blood, and I must not pass from my oath." Khosrau then suggested to him
to pierce the lobes of Piran's ears, and drop the blood on the ground to
stain it, in order that he might not depart from his word; and this
humane fraud was accordingly committed. Khosrau further interceded; and
instead of being sent a captive to Kaus, the good old man was set at
liberty.

When the particulars of this event were described to Afrasiyab by
Piran-wisah, he was exceedingly sorrowful, and lamented deeply that
Kai-khosrau had so successfully effected his escape. But he had recourse
to a further expedient, and sent instructions to all the ferrymen of the
Jihun, with a minute description of the three travelle