Ebn Athir states that Firûz ascended the throne after the murder of his brother Hormuz and three of his relatives, and that he displayed good temper with much justice. After he had reigned one year a cessation of rain took place, which lasted seven years, so that the water in the rivers became painfully low, the price of corn rose, and a great famine prevailed in the land. The famishing people were compelled to be satisfied during the day with the sight of the loaf of the sun, and in the night by looking at the moon. They gave up all hopes of seeing real bread.
Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari states that not a drop of water was left in the rivers Jaihûn and Tigris, that all springs and canals were dried up, and that all the quadrupeds and birds had died, neither was any kind of plant growing on the earth. Ebn Athir states that during the time of the dearth Firûz disbursed all the money of his treasury to his subjects. He also sent couriers in all directions, ordering the wealthy people to relieve the destitute according to their best abilities, and to warn them that they would be punished if they allowed any persons to die of starvation; accordingly, during all that time only one man in the town of Ardeshirgard died from want.
When the distress had reached its extreme stage, Firûz and his subjects turned their faces towards the court of the Omnipotent Sovereign, quenching the fire of their hunger with the tears of their eyes until the Bountiful Giver opened the portals of His mercy, whereon corn became cheap, and trouble was changed to peace. Gradually the towns and villages, with their fields, began to prosper again, the water of springs, rivers, and canals flowed as before; and for the sake of warning the enemies of the realm a supernatural herald perpetuated the saying:
Distich: Say to the foolish ignicolist enemy,
Repent! for the water has returned again.
After the inhabitants of Erân had been delivered of so great a calamity, Firûz determined to invade the country of Hayatalah, to relieve the oppressed who had on account of the tyranny of that country’s king sought refuge at his court. He collected an army, paid no attention to the warnings of his councillors, who besought him not to break the treaties existing between the two countries, and thus become with his subjects guilty of the crime of transgressing the said covenants.
The detailed account of this affair is as follows: When the King of Hayatalah was informed of the approach of Firûz, he was greatly disquieted, and one of his courtiers, perceiving the distressed state of the king’s mind, said: ‘The way to nullify the evil intentions of Firûz will be to cut off my hands and feet, and to expose me on a certain road where Firûz must pass, and by the favour of God I shall be able to avert the calamity, but your majesty must provide for my family.’ The king accepted this advice, and executed it. When Firûz arrived, his followers perceived the just-mentioned courtier on the road, and reported that they had found a man whose hands and feet had been cut off. Accordingly, Firûz ordered that cunning individual to be brought into his presence, and examined him. His statement was this: ‘I have been one of the courtiers of Khoshnavâz, King of Hayatalah, but as I advised him not to oppress his subjects, and not to resist the King of Persia, whom he would be unable to contend with, he put me in the state in which you now see me, and exposed me to become the prey of wild beasts.’ Firûz took pity on him, and gave him many presents; after duly thanking him, the man spoke as follows: ‘If you wish to attack King Khoshnavâz, it will be prudent to fall upon him unawares on this road through the desert, which is very near, and I shall point it out.’ Firûz, beguiled by the speech of this man, marched into the desert contrary to the advice of many of his people, so that his whole army perished of thirst, and only he himself escaped half dead, with a few companions, from this calamity after undergoing a thousand hardships. Thus he arrived in the country of Hayatalah, to the king of which he sent a messenger to implore security. Khoshnavâz sent the following reply: ‘Although I have treated thee well, and have aided thee with troops and money to recover thy kingdom, thou hast in return for all these favours yielded to the intreaties of a number of unprincipled scoundrels, and hast invaded my country for the purpose of overthrowing my government, but hast experienced the fate which thou hast deserved. If thou art, however, prepared now again to renew the treaty honestly, and will after this attempt neither personally nor by means of others to despatch forces against me, I shall send thee back to Erân honourably and decently, and shall again reseat thee on thy throne.’ Firûz was obliged to agree to this proposal whether he liked it or not, and to swear an oath to that effect. Then Khoshnavâz bestowed various favours upon him, and allowed him to return to his country; but Firûz could not forget his disgrace, and, coiling himself up like a serpent, meditated day and night how to take revenge and conquer his enemy.