city, and found it arrayed in all the splendor of heaven; every street
was crowded with beautiful women, richly adorned, and young damsels with
faces as bright as the moon. The treasure-chamber was full of gold and
jewels, and the country abounded with cattle. Information of this
discovery was immediately sent to Kai-káús, who was delighted to find
that Mázinderán was truly a blessed region, the very garden of beauty,
where the cheeks of the women seemed to be tinted with the hue of the
pomegranate flower, by the gate-keeper of Paradise.

This invasion filled the heart of the king of Mázinderán with grief and
alarm, and his first care was to call the gigantic White Demon to his
aid. Meanwhile Kai-káús, full of the wildest anticipations of victory,
was encamped on the plain near the city in splendid state, and preparing
to commence the final overthrow of the enemy on the following day. In
the night, however, a cloud came, and deep darkness like pitch
overspread the earth, and tremendous hail-stones poured down upon the
Persian host, throwing them into the greatest confusion. Thousands were
destroyed, others fled, and were scattered abroad in the gloom. The
morning dawned, but it brought no light to the eyes of Kai-káús; and
amidst the horrors he experienced, his treasury was captured, and the
soldiers of his army either killed or made prisoners of war. Then did he
bitterly lament that he had not followed the wise counsel of Zál. Seven
days he was involved in this dreadful affliction, and on the eighth day
he heard the roar of the White Demon, saying:

"O king, thou art the willow-tree, all barren,
With neither fruit, nor flower. What could induce
The dream of conquering Mázinderán?
Hadst thou no friend to warn thee of thy folly?
Hadst thou not heard of the White Demon's power--