The poet of Ṭabaristán* says:

<Arabic>

There once appeared in Shahriyár-Kúh a dragon fifty thousand cubits (gaz) in length, and in that region, as far as the sea-coast, no animal dared pass through plain or mountain for fear of it (f. 42b), so that they abandoned that district, whereupon it advanced as far as Sárí. Then the inhabitants besought Sám to help them, and he came forth, saw it from afar, and said, “With these weapons I can do nothing.” By the time he had prepared suitable weapons, the dragon had avanced to Alárash near the sea­shore, and he came upon it at a place called Gáw-Kaláda (<Arabic>). The dragon, on seeing Sám, rushed upon him. Sám smote it on the head with his mace, so that it fell asunder, and the dragon uttered so fearful a cry that all Sám’s companions fell to the ground in terror. It then strove to encircle Sám with its tail, but he sprang back forty paces. It continued to move for three days and then died, and to this day no grass will grow on this spot, as is well known.