A minstrel named Kamous is standing before Rostam. One out of many stories he has recited for people is: What befell Sohrab with Rostam. Rostam believes that the story the minstrel is narrating-- the Tragedy of Sohrab, is inverted, gone astray and wrongful. And he questions the minstrel "why?"

Here, with Rostam questioning the minstrel another story begins which is the opening of our narrative.