Rustam replied: “I am Rustam, son of Zal the wise! I have the strength of an entire army, and if you challenge me I will chop your head off and roll it across the earth.” This speech enraged the dragon, who threw himself at Rustam and almost overpowered him. Rakhsh, seeing the strength of the dragon, laid back his ears and -- O marvel! -- sunk his teeth into the shoulder of the enormous beast. Rustam then took his sword and struck the dragon a blow that separated his head from his body.

When Rustam beheld the body of the terrible dragon he stood stock still in astonishment. The dragon was so huge that the entire desert disappeared from view beneath its corpse. Rustam said a prayer thanking God for His protection. Then he bathed himself and Rakhsh in a nearby stream, filled his flask with water, and started off across the desert just as the sun was rising.

The desert was so hot that birds flying over it fell from the sky, and fire itself would have been consumed by its heat. Horse and rider were soon panting with thirst. But near the close of the day they reached the end of the desert and found themselves in a county covered with verdure like a mantle of green silk. The sun shone brightly and little streams flowed between furrows of newly-planted crops. Rustam dismounted and removed Rakhsh’s bridle, and Rakhsh galloped across the fields, eating what he chose. Rustam took off his helmet and leopard skin and made himself a bed in the grass.