Simurgh and Zal
Sam of Zabulistan abandons his albino infant son Zal on Mount Alborz, ashamed of his white hair. The mythical bird Simurgh, a wise, benevolent creature resembling a giant dog-bird, finds the baby and raises him as her own. Zal grows into a handsome, powerful youth. Sam has a dream of reproach and seeks forgiveness. Zal returns to his father but receives three Simurgh feathers to burn when in need. Later, Zal marries the beautiful Rudabeh, but she nearly dies in childbirth. Zal burns a feather, and Simurgh appears to perform the first known cesarean section, saving both mother and child — the c