Young Folks Treasury, Volume 2 (of 12) by Various

V >> Various >> Young Folks Treasury, Volume 2 (of 12)

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When King Kaoues came up with his warriors, he said to Rustem, "What is
it? What ails you that you tarry here, doing no thing?"

"My lord," answered Rustem, "I charged the King of Mazanderan, spear
in hand; I struck him on the girdle, but when I thought to see him
fall from his saddle, he changed himself into a rock before my eyes,
and now he feels nothing that I can do."

Then King Kaoues commanded that they should take up the rock and put
it before his throne. But when the strongest men in the army came
to handle the rock, or sought to draw it with cords, they could do
nothing; it remained immovable. Rustem, however, without any one to
help him, lifted it from the earth, and carrying it into the camp,
threw it down before the King's tent, and said, "Give up these
cowardly tricks and the art of magic, else I will break this rock into
pieces."

When the King of Mazanderan heard this, he made himself visible, black
as a thunder-cloud, with a helmet of steel upon his head and a coat of
mail upon his breast. Rustem laughed, and caught him by the hand, and
brought him before the King.

"See," said he, "this lump of rock, who, for fear of the hatchet has
given himself up to me!"

When Kaoues looked at him and observed how savage of aspect he was,
with the neck and tusks of a wild boar, he saw that he was not worthy
to sit upon a throne, and bade the executioner take him away and cut
him in pieces. This done, he sent to the enemies' camp, and commanded
that all the spoil, the King's throne, and his crown and girdle,
the horses and the armor, the swords and jewels, should be gathered
together. Then he called up his army, and distributed to them rewards
in proportion to what they had done and suffered. After this he spent
seven days in prayer, humbling himself before God, and offering up
thanksgiving. On the eighth day he seated himself on his throne, and
opened his treasures, and gave to all that had need. Thus he spent
another seven days. On the fifteenth day, he called for wine and cups
of amber and rubies, and sat for seven days on his throne, with the
wine-cup in his hand.

He sent for Rustem, and said, "It is of your doing, by your strength
and courage, that I have recovered my throne."

Rustem answered, "A man must do his duty. As for the honors that you
would give me, I owe them all to Aulad, who has always guided me on
the right way. He hopes to be made king of Mazanderan. Let the King,
therefore, if it please him, invest him with the crown."

And this the King did.

The next day Kaoues and his army set out to return to the land of
Persia. When he had reached his palace, he seated himself upon his
throne, and sending for Rustem, put him at his side.

Rustem said, "My lord, permit me to go back to the old man Zal, my
father."

The King commanded that they should bring splendid presents for the
hero. The presents were these: A throne of turquoise, adorned with
rams' heads; a royal crown set about with jewels; a robe of brocade of
gold, such as is worn by the King of kings; a bracelet and a chain of
gold; a hundred maidens, with faces fair as the full moon, and girdles
of gold; a hundred youths, whose hair was fragrant with musk; a
hundred horses, harnessed with gold and silver; a hundred mules with
black hair, with loads of brocade that came from the land of Room and
from Persia. After these they brought and laid at the hero's feet a
hundred purses filled with gold pieces; a cup of rubies, filled with
pure musk; another cup of turquoise, filled with attar of roses; and,
last of all, a letter written on pages of silk, in ink made of wine
and aloes and amber and the black of lamps. By this letter the King of
kings gave anew to Rustem the kingdom of the south. Then Kaoues blessed
him, and said: "May you live as long as men shall see the sun and the
moon in heaven! May the great of the earth join themselves to you! May
your own soul be full of modesty and tenderness!"

Rustem prostrated himself on the earth, and kissed the throne; and so
took his departure.

LIST OF BEST BOOKS OF MYTHS AND LEGENDS

ASHTON, T. _Romances of Chivalry_

BALDWIN, J. _The Story of Siegfried_

BALDWIN, J. _The Story of Roland_

BARING-GOULD, S. _Curious Myths of the Middle Ages_

BROOKS, E. _The Story of the AEneid_

BROOKS, E. _The Story of the Odyssey_

BULFINCH, T. _The Age of Chivalry_

BULFINCH, T. _Legends of Charlemagne_

BURNS, J. _Popular Tales and Legends_

CLODD, E. _The Birth and Growth of Myths_

CLODD, E. _The Childhood of Religions_

COOKER, F.J. _Nature Myths and Stories_

COX, G.W. _Tales of Ancient Greece_

COX, G.W. _Popular Romances of the Middle Ages_

CRANE, F.T. _Italian Popular Tales_

CROMMELIN, MARY _Famous Legends_

CURTIN, J. _Myths and Folk Tales of the Russians_

DRAKE, S.A. _North-East Legends_

DU MAURIER, GEORGE. _Legend of Camelot_

EDWARDSON, E. _The Courteous Knight_

EMMERSON, ELLEN RUSSELL _Indian Myths_

FISK, JOHN. _Myths and Myth Makers_

FRANCILLON, R.E. _Gods and Heroes_

GAYLEY, F. _Classic Myths_

GRINNEL, G.B. _Blackfoot Lodge Tales_

GUERBER, H.A. _Myths of Northern Lands_

GUERBER, H.A. _Myths of Greece and Rome_

HALL, J. _Legends of the West_

HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL _Tanglewood Tales_

HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL _The Wonder Book_

HEARN, LAFCADIO _Some Chinese Ghosts_

HOLBROOK, F. _The Book of Nature's Myths_

HULME, F.E. _Mythland_

HUNT, R. _Popular Romances of the West of England_

IRVING, WASHINGTON _The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_

JACOBS, JOSEPH _The Book of Wonder Voyages_

KENNEDY, PATRICK _Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts_

KINGSLEY, CHARLES. _Greek Heroes_

KUPLER, GRACE H._Stories of Long Ago_

LANG, ANDREW _Modern Mythology_

LANIER, SYDNEY _The Boy's King Arthur_

LANIER, SYDNEY _The Boy's Mabinogion_

LANIER, SYDNEY _The Boy's Percy_

LANIER, SYDNEY _The Boy's Froissart_

LEITZ, A.F. _Legends and Stories_

LOVER, SAMUEL _Legends and Stories of Ireland_

MABIE, H.W. _Norse Tales_

MABIE, H.W. (ED.) _Myths that Every Child should Know_

MACAULAY, LORD _Lays of Ancient Rome_

MACDONALD, GEORGE _The Light Princess_

MAGNUSSON AND MORRIS _The Saga Library_

MITCHELL, S.W. _Prince Little Boy_

NUTT, ALFRED _Folk Lore_

PRATT-CHADWICK, M.L. _Legends of the Red Children_

PYLE, HOWARD. _Story of King Arthur_

RALSTON, W.R.S._Russian Folk Tales_

SAINTINE, X.B. _Myths of the Rhine_

SCHRAMMEM, J. _Legends of German Heroes of the Middle Ages_

SCUDDER, H.E. _The Book of Legends_

SCUDDER, H.E. _The Children's Book_

SCUDDER, H.E. _The Book of Folk Stories_

SKINNER, C.M. _Myths and Legends_

SOUTHEY, R. _Chronicles of the Cid_

TANNER, D. _Legends from the Red Man's Forest_

TAPPAN, E.M. _Robin Hood: His Book_

WILDE, LADY _Ancient Legends_