Zaal had heard fascinating tales of Rudabeh, daughter of the King of Karbol

According to these tales, Rudabeh had eyelashes like a raven's wings, and a face as fair as the moon. Zaal instantly fell in love with the description. Rudabeh had heard equal praise of Zaal and was intrigued by stories of his amazing strength. Finally, the two were able to meet, but Rudabeh's friends teased her about falling for a man with white hair - a man who had been brought up in a bird's nest! Zaal was equally worried, for Rudabeh was an ancestor of the evil serpent King Zahhak. Zahhak grew a serpent on each of his shoulders that needed to be fed with human brains!

Despite these obstacles Zaal and Rudabeh vowed to meet. Rudabeh offered to let her hair down from her tower, so that Zaal could climb up and see her. Zaal didn't wish to hurt her and so they used a rope instead. (This is the subject of many paintings.) Once together, they promised each other their hearts, and to love no other. All their relatives agreed with the marriage, and that overcame the negative feelings of the past. Their wedding lasted 30 days.