During the years at the Tower of Silence, an intense interest in things spiritual was awakened in Sheriar, and he thought deeply about finding God. He was an intelligent, adventurous boy and was not afraid of anything — a characteristic which remained with him throughout his life.
One day when Sheriar was seven years old, his father went to do some work in the town and left him alone at the Tower of Silence. Moondegar was delayed in returning and during the evening the corpse of a child was brought. Since it was after sunset, the last rites could not be performed until daylight. Thus the funeral party left the corpse outside the wall of the Tower. In that lonely, desolate area vultures hovered over the corpse, but little Sheriar threw rocks to keep them away. Sheriar determined to protect the child's body until the final rites could be performed. He tied the legs of the child to his own feet and lay down next to the corpse. The vultures screeched furiously, but not one swept down upon the boy. When Moondegar returned he found Sheriar sleeping next to the corpse of the child with their legs tied together. He was amazed at the bravery of his small son.
Every day, in peaceful contemplation, Sheriar would sit alone in the compound of the funeral grounds immersed in the remembrance of God. The boy's heart had awakened and he began to long for the sight of God. One day when he was absorbed in concentration, all of a sudden he was startled to see a young woman running toward him. When the woman, a Zoroastrian, reached him, he saw that she was perspiring, out of breath and exhausted. Tearfully, she told Sheriar that Muslims were chasing her and begged him to help save her from capture. Nearby was a small bakery where naan (unleavened bread) was prepared and, in memory of the deceased, distributed to the poor by their relatives. That day no one had died and so the large oven was not lit. Sheriar guided the girl to it, helped her climb inside and then returned to his place of meditation.
Shortly thereafter, several Muslim horsemen came galloping up to the Tower and demanded, "Boy, did you see a girl run past this way a few minutes ago?"
Sheriar replied, "I have been here for almost an hour but I haven't seen a dog pass by. No girl has run from here."
