Iran-ban was ill for fifteen days, and on the fifteenth day she bade farewell to life. At the very hour that the woman passed away, the people of the city of Sialk, by unanimous consent, declared her daughter-in-law Rud to be their new Iran-ban (ruler). Iran-ban died at sunset. The […]

Rud suffered greatly in labor. By today’s reckoning, a little more than an hour passed from her first pang until the child was born.She took the infant in both hands and licked him clean from head to toe; then the child opened his blue eyes. “Your eyes are like your […]

The woman’s concern pleased Iranban, for it showed care for the herds. Then someone in the crowd said:“In the north, some people don’t eat duck or fish or venison or beef. They eat wheat and barley.” “I told them,” said Iranban, “that eating wheat makes a person ugly and weak.” […]

A tall, slender young woman stood on the slope of a hill overlooking a lake, among the olive trees, watching a ship drawing near.The vessel was being pulled by several deer walking through the shallow waters along the shore. From inside the boat came the melodious voice of a woman […]