How Hurmuzd received News of Bahrám Chúbína's Doings, and how Bahrám Chúbína sent a Frail of Swords to Hurmuzd

Kharrád, son of Barzín, for his part rode,
Escaping notice, till he reached the Sháh,
To whom he told his news, suppressing naught,
Of wood and meadow, course of onager,
Strait pathway and Bahrám Chúbína's sojourn;
Told of the palace and the jewelled throne,
The slave-girls and the lady with the crown:
He told whatever he had seen and heard.
The Sháh mused at the tale, laid it to heart,
And sighed as he remembered what the archmage
And fortune-teller had said: “Bahrám Chúbína
Will turn him from thy throne.”*

Forthwith he summoned

The high priest, set Kharrád, son of Barzín,
Within the room and said to him: “Relate
The adventures of thy journey.”

Thus enjoined

He oped his lips and told it all. The Sháh
Said to the high priest: “What importeth this?
We must consult at large. The onager
That led him through the wood, the palace seen
Amidst the wilderness, the lady crowned
Upon the golden throne, the slaves in waiting
As on a queen—the account is like a dream
Suggested by old tales!”

The high priest thus.

Made answer to the monarch of the world:—
“Beneath that onager there was a dív
Who sought to lead Bahrám Chúbína wrong,
And make perverseness show within his heart.
The palace, be assured, was sorcerer's work,
The lady on the throne an impious witch,
Who on this wise to hearten him the more
Displayed the crown and throne of majesty.

All eager and bemused he went from her:
Be sure that he will ne'er come back to hand.
His heart was wounded by thy distaff-case,
And going to that dív-witch made it worse.
It was not well to send the ignoble robe
To one so overweening, for thereby
The Íránians were estranged and ceased to trust
The king of kings. So now devise a scheme
To bring the army back to court from Balkh.”
The king repented having acted so
About the cotton and the gaudy dress,
And asked Kharrád, son of Barzín: “What say
The troops there of that lady?”

He replied:—

“As for that crownéd lady, all the troops
Call her, O king! ‘Bahrám Chúbína's Luck,’
Which will be very great and glorious.”
The king, on hearing, greatly feared the ills
That fortune had in store. Ere long there came
One from the paladin, the cavalier,
And brought a frail of swords with points all bent.
* He set them down before the Sháh who looked
Upon that iron gear, bade break the swords,
Replace them in that ill-conditioned frail,
And then return them to Bahrám Chúbína:
No word was spoken but the intent was clear.
Bahrám Chúbína oped the frail, beheld
The long swords snapped at point and then replaced,
And, wayward as he was, grew full of thought.
He called the Íránians round the frail and said:—
“Behold the king's gift! Underrate it not.
It meaneth that this host is little worth,
And not the head of one of us will scape.”
The troops thought much of what the Sháh had done,
And of their paladin's address. They said:—
“One day our monarch sendeth us as gifts
A distaff and a gaudy robe; anon
He giveth broken swords—a present worse
Than striking or abuse. Ne'er be such Sháh
Upon the throne! May none remember him,
And if again the offspring of Gashasp—
Bahrám Chúbína—ride on that court's dust
Then may they perish, skin and marrow both,
He and his worthless sire!”

The chieftain heard,

Saw how Hurmuzd had vexed the host and said:—
“Be vigilant and let your minds be clear

Because Kharrád, son of Barzín, hath told
Our secrets to the king. Let each consult
His safety and conspire with me to-day.
If I send none to watch our enemies
Regard my days as done, my soldiers slain.”
He spake and took new order: mark and muse.
He scattered horsemen through the realm lest letters,
Sent by the king, should reach the Íránians,
And they should arm themselves to fight for him,
And so it was that till a time had gone
A royal letter was perused by none.