ضحاک هزار سال روی تخت نشست و ماران سیاه روی شانه‌هایش نشستند. هر روز دو نفر به آشپزخانه‌اش آورده‌بودند و مغزشان خوراک ماران شد. روزی آمدند دو آدم و آشپز پادشاه شدند. یکی بود ارمایل پاکدین و دیگری بود گرمایل پیش بین. هر روز یکی از آنها را نجات دادند و به جای مغزش مغز گوسفندی آمیختند. به همه‌ی آنها که نجات داده‌شدند گفتند که باید در کوهستان زندگی کنند.
ضحاک خواهران جمشید را که نامشان شهرناز و ارنواز بود گرفت و همسرانش کرد. به این زنان پاک آموخت جادوگری بدخوی.
ضحاک خواب ترسناکی دید که سه نفر به او حمله کردند و یکی که از دو دیگر کوچک تر بود زدش با گرزش. پس از این آن آدم پادشاه اژده‌پیکر را زنجیر کرد و به داموند برد. ضحاک خوابش را به همسرانش گفت و آنها ب به او پند دادن که باید از موبدان و اخترشناسان بپرسد. پادشاه همه‌ی موبدان را به دربارش آورد اما آنها ترسیدند واقعیت را به او بگویند جز یکی. این موبد توضیح داد که خواب ضحاک درست بود و آن کسی که زدش هنوز به دنیا نیآماده‌بود و نامش فریدون خواهد بود. پس از این نام فریدون در‌نرفت از سر پادشاه.
فریدون به دنیا مثل فرزند آبتین آمد. پدرش به دام سربازان ضحاک افتاد اما مادرش فرانک با او فرار کرد. وقتی که فریدون از ضحاک پنهان شد گاو مهربانی او را با شیرش پرورید. نام این گاو برمایه بود و سی سال فریدون شیرش را می‌خورد. خبر این گاو به گوش ضحاک رسید و فرانک تصمیم به بردن فرزندش از خاک جادوستان به سوی یا هندوستان یا کوهستان البرز گرفت. برمایه هم با فریدون رفت ولی ضحاک به کوهستان آمد و کشتش. وقتی که به خانه‌ی فریدون رسید دید که او نبود و در خشم همه‌ی چهارپایان کوهستان را کشت.
وقتی که فریدون شانزده سال داشت از فرانک پرسید که پدرش کی بود. فرانک گرفت که پدرش آبتین بود که نوه‌ی طهمورث دیوبند بود. بنابراین فریدون از نژاد جمشید بود. پس از این فریدون خشمگین شد و می‌خواست از ضحاک انتقام بگیرد اما مادرش به او پند داد که او دنیا را به چشم جوانی نبیند چون لشکر گنده‌ی ضحاک می‌توانست او را ویران کند.
پادشاه اژده‌پیکر همیشه از تهدید فریدون می‌ترسید و نمی‌خواست که هیچ کس از او حمایت کند. ضحاک همه‌ی بزرگان زمینش را به دربار آورد و حکم کرد که ایشان استشهاد نامه‌ای بنویسند و با این بپذرند که ضحاک دادگسترترین پادشاه بود. وقتی که پیران کشور می‌نشستند یک انسان ستمی به دربار پادشاه آمد و فریاد زد 'من ام کاوه‌ی دادخواه!' او شکایت از گرفتن پسران برای مغزشان کرد. پادشاه به او پسرش را بخشید و نامه را به او داد که کاوه سوگند بخورد. کاوه‌ی آهنگر نامه را روبروی دربار پاره کرد و به زمین انداخت. دست پسرش گرفت و بیرون رفت. همه‌ی بزرگان متعجب ماندند و پرسیدند که آهنگری چطور به این شکل روبروی شاه رفتار می‌کند. جواب تبهای پادشاه اژده‌پیکر این بود که سراسر وجودش ترس بود.
کاوه بیوین شد از درگاه‌ی شاه و بر او انجمن گشت بازارگاه. او در برابر ضحاک قیام جور کرد. آهنگر پیشبندش را بالا برد و او پرچم قیام شد. رنگ‌هایش بودند سرخ و زرد و بنفش - هر کس می‌خواندش کاویانی درفش.
Zahhak sat on the throne for a thousand years and the black snakes sat on his shoulders. Everyday two men were brought to his kitchens and their brains became food for the snakes. One day two men came and became the cooks for the
Pâdishâh. One was Armayel
Pâkbin and the other Garmayel
Pishbin. Everyday they would save one man and instead of his brain they would mix the brain of a sheep. They told all they saved that they had to live in the mountains. Zahhak took Jamshid’s two sisters - Shahrnaz and Arnavaz - as his wives and taught the pure women malevolent magic.
Zahhak saw a frightening dream that three people attacked him and one of them who was younger than the other two attacked him with his mace. After this, that man chained the Dragon King and carried him to Mount
Dâmâvand. Zahhak told his dream to his wives, who advised him to consult with the priests. The
Pâdishâh gathered all the priests in his court but they were afraid of telling Zahhak the truth. Only one could answer Zahhak and told him that the man who struck him was not yet born and that his name would be Fereydun. After this, Fereydun’s name did not leave his mind.
Fereydun was born as the son of Abtin. His father fell into the trap of Zahhak’s soldiers but his mother Faranak escaped with him. When Fereydun hid from Zahhak a generous cow raised him with her own milk. Barmaye was the name of this cow and for three years Fereydun drank its milk. News of this cow reached Zahhak’s ears and Faranak decided to take her son to the Alborz Mountains. Barmaye also came to the mountains, but Zahhak killed it in the mountains. After finding Fereydun not in his house, he killed all the cattle of the mountains in his rage.
When Fereydun was sixteen years old he asked his mother about his father. She told him that his father was Abtin, grandson of Tahmuras
Divband. Thus Fereydun was of the blood of Jamshid. After this Fereydun became angry and wanted revenge on Zahhak, but his mother counseled him to not view the world through the eyes of youth - Zahhak yet had a grand army that could destroy him.
The Dragon King was always afraid of the threat of Fereydun and did not want that anyone support him. He called all the elders of his kingdom to his court and commanded them to sign a document and accept that he was the most just king. While the elders were sitting in his court a man of oppression entered and shouted “I am Kave the complainant!”. He complained about the abduction of youths for their brains and Zahhak granted him his son’s life in exchange for swearing the oath to him. In front of the court, Kave tore the document and threw it to the ground and left holding his son’s hand. All the elders were shocked and asked how the blacksmith could behave like this in front of the king. The Dragon King’s only answer was that he was struck by fear throughout his being.
Kave left the king’s door and around him a crowd gathered at the market. He organised an uprising against Zahhak. The blacksmith raised his apron, which became the flag of the revolt. Its colours were red, yellow, and purple - it was called the
Derafsh Kâviâni.