Narrator:



Join me as I roll back the hands of time, and tell you the marvels of what took place on these ancient desert sands.


Among the men of middle earth there was a grand king, his name and honor was forged by the glory his blade brought, he was a fearsome warrior and a colossal beast of a man; his skin was as tough as bones, his body chiseled, knees worn, from years of battle and slaying men. More a bronze statue than a man, more god than mortal. Sam the hero and Sam the king.


Nine months she lay burdened with child, this is where our journey and sam’s troubles begin, in the middle of the night she was taken by great agony her womb bulged, and soon she gave birth to a baby boy. The joyous occasion of the birth of a child was met with gloom looks and bleak expressions, there were no festivities, no celebrations, the fatted calf was not killed, no this was no joyous affair for Sam, the circumstance of this birth was . . . problematic.

Sam: ah! The gods seem never to remove foot from mouth or heel from neck they proceed only to dangle hope and prospect in front of men, im tired of playing cat and mouse, am I cursed!

Wife: surely the boy is fine it’s hardly even a problem

Sam: [chuckle] hardly a problem, no this is the worse thing that could happen to me. Our child is cursed by the gods woman have you no sense or eyes to see with, look at him he is without doubt from Ahriman’s evil contraptions.

Wife: but how can ones hair reveal such things

Sam: silence! It is a firm assurance of the gods evil plots against me. I must take immediate action. Servants! Come dispose of this abomination take him to the mount of Elburz he is a child cursed by the gods.

The servant abandoned the white-haired child named Zal on the foot of mount Elburz left to die. But in the heavens above peered out Urmazad Creator of the world hearing the whimpers of the lonely child, he showed godly compassion.

Urmazad: what wicked man would leave a child to die and in such a shameful and evil way. I will send down the bird of marvel to guard and raise this child. He is destined to be the father of the champion of the world. He will bring fame and great pride to the land.


Many harvests passed and the bird of marvel reared Zal into a fine young man poised for greatness, Sam wished the accursed child dead yet Zal lived. Every breath he drew was a testimony, even vipers and wolves mind their children.


It was while sam was becoming a young man that Sam had a troubling dream. The dream world was a dark and gloomy affair ominous echoes sounded from seemingly nowhere. Strange creatures lurked among the shadows, violet cats, bodies littered with eyes; bears slinging from trees like a sloths with, moving at half the pace of a snail. Strange, strange creatures were in the dream world. The land was lit by the glow of the moonlight on the ground which appeared a dark maroon beneath the shadows, giving everything a purplish hue. The dream realm was briskly sprinkled with vegetation mostly swamp like algae and sand trees. Underneath a palm tree stood sam, in the dream world he appeared in his kingly robes, he was sweating and panting like he was recently running for his life. He was confused, greatly perplexed by his situation he was in another universe a parallel world he was scared and frightened, Sam’s eyes darted around aimlessly trying to recognize some part if this strange world but it was to no avail. His ears suddenly perked and his shoulders twitched, the startled king turned around to see a wise man sitting under the palm tree.

Wise man: tell me oh great king will you tell me how you allow a bird to replace you as father, or rather how can you justify the betrayal of blood with fears of curses and speculation of the plotting of gods. Oh wise king, slayer of mere men, how did you come by the skill to read the minds of gods. Wise king surely you are not this foolish. Zal your neglected seed lives by virtue of a wild beast at the foot of mount Elburz. can a bird make a better father than a man, you need to go to your child your absence at his side is a shame to all men.


Before Sam had time to quiver his lip in protest the wise man was gone and the dream world enveloped around him and he awoke in a deep sweat , the sun rose shining through the kings window exposing his frightened face. He called his wise men to read the stars and see what the man in the dream said was true and it was, Sam raced to the mount on his fastest mare and surely enough playing at the foot of the mount was his son.


Dismounting from his steed Sam the Persian warlord approached the boy.

Sam: son I banished you to certain death, I had to for fear that my house would have a curse on it, return with me to your home.

Zal: oh father I am not worthy of your kingly presence, [bow and grovel] oh great king your very sight is a blessing to my eyes, you complete me I am nothing without my father. I was nothing without you but know that you have returned great father I am a prince!


Sam was shocked his son did not hate him for he had left him to die but the bird had insured that Zal think his father a great man by tell him all his heroic deeds.

Sam: stop groveling you are my son come we will say the fatted calf because my son who I thought was dead still lives

Zal: yes father

Sam and Zal were reunited and the journey did not end, Sam ruled for hundreds of years as the king of Persia.