The Serpents Sprouting on Zahhak's Shoulders

When the Devil saw his words had taken hold, he laid the foundation for a fresh new trap. He said to him: since you turned toward me, you have gained every desire your heart could want in this world. If you make one more such pledge, and do not stray from my word but obey my command, the whole world from end to end will be your kingdom: beasts, people, birds, and fish, all yours. Once this was done, he took up another scheme, devising a trick more astonishing than any wonder. He fashioned himself into a young man, well-spoken, sharp-minded, and full of counsel. In the same way he set out toward Zahhak, with nothing on his lips but praise and flattery. He said to him: if I am worthy of the king, I am a renowned and skillful cook. When Zahhak heard this, he welcomed him and set aside a place for him to prepare the meals. The steward, on the king's order, handed him the key to the royal kitchen. In those days there was little rich fare; people ate meat only rarely with their food. From every kind of meat, bird and beast alike, the cook brought dishes forth one by one. He nourished him with blood as one raises a lion cub, so as to make the king fierce and bold. So that whatever the Devil told him, he would obey, and pledge his heart to that command. First he fed him egg yolk, and by this he kept him well for a while. Zahhak ate and praised him warmly; he found it delicious and called him blessed. The scheming Devil then spoke: Live in joy, O proud and lofty king. Tomorrow I will prepare you a dish of such a kind that it will nourish you completely. He left, and all night long he plotted what wondrous food to make the next day. He prepared dishes of partridge and white pheasant, and came in with a heart full of hope. When the Arab king reached for the food, that dull-witted man gave his whole love to the cook. On the third day he set the table with fowl and lamb, all in a variety of dishes. On the fourth day, when he laid the table, he made a dish from the loin of a young calf, with saffron and rosewater added in, along with aged wine and pure musk. When Zahhak reached out and ate, he was amazed at that clever man. He said to him: look now, whatever your wish, tell me, O good-natured one. The cook replied: O king, may you always live in joy as sovereign ruler. My heart is filled through and through with love for you; my soul draws all its sustenance from your face. I have one request to bring before the king, though I have no standing for such a thing: that he command I may kiss his shoulders, and press my eyes and face upon them. When Zahhak heard his words, he did not perceive the hidden bargain behind them. He said: I grant you this wish; your fame will rise higher from it. He ordered it, and the demon, close as a companion, kissed him upon the shoulder. He kissed, then vanished into the ground; no one in the world had ever seen such a marvel. Two black serpents grew out of his two shoulders; he was stricken with grief and sought a cure on every side. At last he cut them both from his shoulders, and you may well be left astonished by this. But like the branches of a tree, those two black serpents sprouted again from the king's shoulders. The learned physicians gathered together, and each one offered his own account and remedy. They tried every kind of trick, yet none could find a cure for that affliction. Then the Devil, in the guise of a physician, went swiftly and wisely to Zahhak. He told him: this was fated to happen. Let it be; wait to see what comes; do not cut them off. Prepare food and soothe them by feeding; you must do nothing but this. Give them nothing but human brains to eat; perhaps in time they will die from this feeding. See now what the Devil intended by this talk, and what he was truly seeking in his quest, hoping that by some secret scheme the world might be emptied of humankind.