'So the monk returned （and he rejoicing） to King Afridun and King Hardub，and told them both what Sharrkan had said，whereat King Afridun was glad with exceeding gladness and fell from him anxiety and sadness，and he said to himself，'No doubt but this Sharrkan is their doughtiest swayer of the sword and the dourest at lunge of lance；and when I shall have slain him，their hearts will be disheartened and their strength will be shattered.'Now Zat al-Dawahi had written to King Afridun of that and had told him how Sharrkan was a Knight of the Braves and the bravest of knights and had warned him against him；but Afridun was a stalwart cavalier who fought in many a fashion；he could hurl rocks and throw spears and smite with the iron mace and he feared not the prowess of the prow.So when he heard the report of the monk that Sharrkan agreed to the duello，he was like to fly for exceeding joy because he had self confidence and he knew that none could with stand him.The Infidels passed that night in joy and jubilee and wine bibbing；and，as soon as it was dawn，the two armies drew out with the swart of spear and the blanch of blade.And behold a cavalier rode single handed into the plain，mounted on a steed of purest strain，and for foray and fray full ready and fain.And that Knight had limbs of might and he was clad in an iron cuirass made for stress of fight.On his breast he wore a jewelled mirror and in his hand he bore a keen scymitar and his lance of Khalanj wood，[446] the curious work of the Frank，weighing a quintal.
Then the rider uncovered his face and cried out，saying，'Whoso knoweth me verily hath enough of me，and whoso knoweth me not right soon[447] shall ken who I be.I am Afridun the overwhelmed by the well omened Shawahi，[448] Zat al-Dawahi.'
But he had not ended speaking ere Sharrkan，the Champion of the Moslems，fared forth to meet him，mounted on a sorrel horse worth a thousand pieces of red gold with accoutrements purfled in pearls and precious stone；and he bore in baldrick a blade of watered Indian steel that through necks shore and made easy the hard and sore.He crave his charger between the two hosts in line whilst the horsemen all fixed on him their eyne，and he cried out to Afridun，'Woe to thee，O accursed！dost thou deem me one of the horsemen thou hast overta'en who cannot stand against thee on battle plain？'Then each rushed upon other and they bashed together like two mountains crashing or two billows dash ing and clashing： they advanced and retreated；and drew together and withdrew；and stinted not of fray and fight and weapon play，and strife and stay，with stroke of sword and lunge of lance.Of the two armies looking on，some said，'Sharrkan is victor！'and others，'Afridun will conquer！'and the two riders stayed not their hands from the hustle until ceased the clamour and the bustle；and the dust columns rose and the day waned and the sun waxed yellow and wan.Then cried out King Afridun to Sharrkan，saying，'By the truth of the Messiah and the Faith which is no liar，thou art nought save a doughty rider and a stalwart fighter；but thou art fraudful and thy nature is not that of the noble.I ken thy work is other than praiseworthy nor is thy prowess that of a Prince；for thy people behave to thee as though thou wert a slave；[449] and see！they bring thee out a charger which is not thine，that thou mayst mount and return to the fight.But by the truth of my Faith，thy fighting irketh and fatigueth me and I am weary of cutting and thrusting with thee；and if thou purpose to lay on load with me to night，thou wouldst not change aught of thy harness nor thy horse，till thou approve to the cavaliers，thy generous blood and skill in brunt.'When Sharrkan heard him say these words concerning his own folk behaving to him though he were a slave，he waxt wroth and turned towards his men，meaning to sign to them and bid them not prepare him change of harness or horse，when lo！Afridun shook his throw spear high in air and cast it at Sharrkan.Now when the Moslem turned his back，he found none of the men near him，and he knew this to be a trick of the accursed Infidel；so he wheeled round in haste and behold，the javelin came at him，so he swerved from it，till his head was bent low as his saddle bow.The weapon grazed his breast，and pierced the skin of his chest，for Sharrkan was high bosomed： whereupon he gave one cry and swooned away.Thereat the accursed Afridun was joyful，thinking he had slain him；and shouted to the Infidels bidding them rejoice，whereat the Faithless were encouraged and the Faithful wept.
When Zau al-Makan saw his brother reeling in selle so that he well nigh fell，he despatched cavaliers towards him and the braves hurried to his aid and came up with him.Thereupon the Infidels drove at the Moslems；the two hosts joined battle and the two lines were mingled，whilst the keen scymitar of Al-Yaman did good work.Now the first to reach Sharrkan was the Wazir Dandan，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
