The Thousand-Year Reign of Zahhak the Arab

When Zahhak became king over the world, a thousand years piled up on his rule. The whole age turned to serve his will, and this long, dark stretch of time set in. The ways of the wise went into hiding, while the desires of madmen spread freely. Virtue was scorned and sorcery prized; truth hid away as harm ran openly. The hands of demons reached out to do evil, and no one spoke of good except in secret. Two pure women from the house of Jamshid they dragged out, trembling like willow leaves. Both were daughters of Jamshid, crowning glories among all women. One of these veiled ladies was Shahrnaz, the other chaste one named Arnavaz. They carried them off to Zahhak's palace and handed them over to that serpent-shaped king. He raised them in the practice of sorcery, and taught them crookedness and cruelty. He knew nothing but teaching corruption, nothing but killing, plunder, and burning.