King made merry.
One day in his presumptuous pride he assembled his ministers and his generals
to show his royal power and his domination over the people. He was seated on
his throne, surrounded by a crowd of courtiers, when suddenly a beautiful horse
crossing the city at a gallop went straight into the palace of the King, among the
ministers and the grandees. They all admired the beautiful horse, the like of
which none had ever seen. Nobody dared to seize him as he pranced from right
to left. Suddenly the horse approached the throne and laid down at the feet of the
King. The King patted and stroked him, and the horse never moved. Then the
wicked King began to laugh and said: "O my ministers, you see how far my
greatness goes. It is only at my throne that this wonderful horse has stopped. I
will mount and ride him on the esplanade." The King ordered a saddle brought,
and was placing it on the horse with his own hands, when he received such a
kick over the heart that he was immediately killed. Then the wonderful horse
vanished, and no one saw where it went. The people all rejoiced and said, "Of a
truth, this mysterious horse was one of the angels of God sent to exterminate a
tyrant."
It was in the time of this King, and by his tyranny, that the kingdom of the
sovereign of Persia was ruled and fell into the hands of another people. King
Khochtacab, the most celebrated of all the kings of his time, by his power,
greatness, and magnificence, had raised in rank a man named Rassat Rouchin, a
name which in Persia signifies "sincere and brilliant." Influenced by this fine
name, the King forgot all prudence, and without any proof of his capacity he
raised this man to power and made him minister, turning over to him the care of
the most important affairs in his kingdom and giving him all his confidence. His
ostensible conduct was irreproachable, and his acts had for everybody the
appearance of honesty and truth. One day the minister Rassat Rouchin said to the
King: "The people, on account of our leniency and goodness, are forgetting their
duty, and are showing no more deference nor respect We must inspire them with
fear, or affairs will not prosper."
The King in his blind confidence responded, "Do whatever you think is right."
As soon as the minister had come from the palace of the King he addressed a
proclamation to the towns and villages in which he said: "His Majesty is irritated
with his subjects. You must all come with presents to appease his anger." From
all sides arrived princes and ministers and grandees of the realm, with precious
and magnificent objects. Seized with fear they sought counsel of the minister