Eskandar

When Mehran the wise hermit heard King Kaid’s recount of his ten troubling dreams, he soothed the monarch's heart, declaring: "Let not these visions darken thy mind, for neither shall thy high name diminish nor thy realm suffer harm. Sekandar approaches with a mighty host of Greeks and Persians; if thou desirest to preserve thy dignity, summon Wisdom as thy ally and seek no war with him. Thou possessest four wonders that no king nor commoner in all the world hath ever witnessed: a daughter fair as paradise, a philosopher who knows the cosmos' deepest secrets, a peerless physician of boundless skill, and a miraculous goblet that, when filled with water, is diminished neither by fire nor sun, nor depleted by endless drinking. When Sekandar arrives, present these four treasures unto him and refrain from combat; for he is a seeker of knowledge, and satisfied by these gifts, he shall pass through thy lands in peace."

Mehran then set about deciphering each of Kaid's cryptic visions. The first dream—the giant elephant squeezing through a needle's eye—foretold a future tyrant king, weak-willed and covetous, whose unjust rule would bring misery to his court while the unworthy prospered. The second—the fine silk pulled from four corners without tearing—represented the sacred Faith of Yazdan, preserved and safeguarded from four directions by four paths of wisdom: the ancient fire-worshipping Dehqan, the Law of Moses, the Greek philosophy of justice, and a fourth enlightened path of the wise.

The third dream—of a thirsty man fleeing clear water while a fish offered drink—signified an age when holy and wise men would be held in contempt, as people turn away from truth to align with the evil-doers. The fourth—a bustling city whose citizens were blind to one another—heralded a dark era where the ignorant rule and the wise become their servants, and where men utter prayers with falsehood on their tongues.

The fifth vision—the two-headed horse lacking a digestive path—symbolized the insatiable greed of future generations, who would hoard wealth without ever finding contentment, offering nothing to the poor or to scholars. The sixth—the full jars pouring into each other while the center jar remained dry—depicted a society where the rich only bestow gifts upon the rich, leaving the destitute to suffer in utter neglect. The seventh—a robust cow nursing milk from a emaciated calf—foreshadowed an inverted world where the healthy and powerful extort the sick and impoverished.

The eighth dream—the dry spring encircled by fragrant streams—portrayed an ignorant, dark-hearted monarch who would constantly raise armies, ultimately bringing ruin upon both himself and his forces until a new realm arises. Concluding his interpretations, Mehran assured Kaid: "Now is the hour of Sekandar, who wears the crown of emperors. Offer him thy four treasures, and he shall depart content." Rejoicing at these profound revelations, King Kaid kissed Mehran's eyes and forehead, returning to his realm with renewed peace and gladness.