Rakhsh Kills a Lion while Rustam Sleeps

In the great Persian epic, the Shahnama or Book of Kings, the hero Rustam sets off on a perilous journey to rescue the king, Kay Kavus. One night along the way, while Rustam sleeps, his fearless horse Rakhsh protects his master by killing a ferocious lion. In the morning, on seeing the dead lion, an ungrateful Rustam scolds Rakhsh for not waking him so that he could kill the lion himself. If Rakhsh had been killed, he says, he would have been forced to make his way by foot to the land of Mazanderan to find the king.