Hello and welcome to this edition of Iranian Stories and Fables. As usual first we focus on Iranian myths and legends and then fly to the land of Iranian stories. In this edition, we relate the last episode of the Iranian story of Simorgh or the Phoenix.

As you might remember we mentioned creatures like dragon and phoenix as mythological characters. This week we are going to talk about cow as a character used in Iranian myths. This creature actually plays a major role in such stories. This is clearly evident in the stories of Shahnameh which is Ferdowsi's magnum opus. In one of Shahnameh's stories we read that Fereydoon, son of Faranak is brought up in a bush by a cow. We also read that Fereydoon in his war with Zahhak adorns his baton with the head of a cow. This baton is later transferred to Saam, and then to Rostam with which he does heroic acts.

Cow was also of paramount importance in the life of ancient Iranians. Actually this belief is rooted in the Iranian culture. In Iranian stories cow is represented as a supportive creature which backs the hero of the story. In the story of "Gaav-e- Pishooni Sefid" meaning "The Cow with White Forehead" we read that the hero of the story feeds butter and honey from the horn of a cow. Also as you might remember the story of "Mah Pishooni" we said that the mother of Mah Pishooni who was charmed into a yellow cow, supports her daughter against the plots of her step mother during the story.

In some stories it is also seen that the image of some animals is illustrated on flags. In the long story of Samak Ayyar which is an example of a Persian heroic story we read that the images of lion, dragon and hawk are seen on flags carried during wars. We also read that when a king wanted to grant someone a gift, he would give him precious clothes with the image of a dragon, lion or hawk on it depending on the person's bravery.

Dear listeners it’s now the time for relating the last episode of the story of Simorgh or the Phoenix. Stay with us please.

We said that once upon a time there was a poor man who wanted to commit suicide by getting drowned in the see, but a phoenix saved his life and gave him fish filled with jewelries. On his way, a fraudulent man exchanged his fish with flour. After realizing that he was deceived by the fraudulent man, the poor man decided to go to the king in order to settle the dispute. In the palace, the king asked the poor man to bring him the phoenix which had given the poor man jewelries. The poor man went after the phoenix and told it the entire story. On their way to the palace they came across the king's son who freed the phoenix and let it go home to protect its birds. After realizing that his son had freed the phoenix, the king decided to execute his son. But the phoenix saved the prince's life and took him to a land where he got married with a princess whom her father opposed to their marriage and decided to execute both of them. And now the rest of the story…

The young couple, who knew they would be killed by the king, went on top of the roof, said their prayers and burnt the phoenix's feathers. The phoenix appeared in a blink of an eye and put them on its back and flew away. The phoenix flew until they reached a forest. Then the phoenix dropped the couple and went by the sea to wash its feathers. It was extremely cold and the prince set a fire to get his wife warm but the fire got worse and burnt the phoenix's feathers. The burning phoenix flew away and battered its feathers on the mountain to extinguish the fire.

Now that the phoenix's feathers were burnt and couldn't fly, the prince and his wife were left alone in the forest.

After a few months of staying in the forest, the prince and his wife had a baby boy. This child had extraordinary features! When he yawned, ruby came out of his mouth and when he cried, pearls were shed from his eyes. So the couple called their baby "Ruby Yawning".

Days passed and the prince decided to go out of the forest to fetch something for food. So he left his wife and baby in the forest and went toward the sea. Beside the seashore, the prince asked a carpenter to build him a boat so that he could go after fishing. After a while the prince found himself in the middle of the sea where he had no way back to the forest.

After a few days that there was no news of the prince, the princess decided to go after her husband. She went by the sea and gave the carpenter ruby and asked him to build a boat. So the princess hugging her baby got on the boat until she reached a city.

Over there she looked for her husband everywhere until she became exhausted and was forced to leave her baby outside a mosque and she herself asked an old woman to give her shelter in her home.

At night when the clergy of the mosque came in to say his prayers found the baby who was crying loudly while a lot of pearls were piled up around his neck. So he took the baby home and asked his wife to protect him.

Years passed and the baby was brought up in the clergyman’s home. The boy once encountered her mother. Her mother went forward and said:

"Who are you?"

The boy answered:

"I am the clergy’s son."

The woman then said:

"No, you are my son! Look at me! Your face looks like mine."

The boy realized that the woman was right and he took after her.

So he went home and asked the clergy to tell him the entire story of his life.

From then on the boy collected all the pearls and rubies he had produced after crying and yawning and took them to her mother.

Once the boy told her mother that he would get married soon and she must also take part in the ceremony.

In the wedding, when a caravan was accompanying the bride and the groom to the ceremony, the real mother of the boy came forward and told everybody that the groom was his own son. She then told the entire story of her life.

The king was passing by and heard the woman's story.

He then went forward and said that the woman was her wife whom he had left behind in the forest in order to find food.

He then took his wife, son and daughter in law to his palace and they lived happily ever after.

AE/SS