After several years of Rud’s reign had passed, she gave birth to a daughter — her second child — and was overjoyed, knowing that after her death the girl would succeed her, just as she herself had succeeded her mother-in-law. At the very time of Rud’s childbirth, sad news came […]

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.” […]