Napha Kyagua and his fellow villagers more than once repelled the robber raids of the princes, and more than once punished greedy people who robbed the peasants. People have heard about Napha Kyagua not only in Abkhazia. He was also known in the North Caucasus. Kyagua was feared and hated by princes and nobles. And the peasants called him “heart and support.”
Napha Kyagua died as befits a true hero.
Not far from Napha Kyagua lived a poor widow who had two teenage sons. One day they went to the mountains to look for their buffalos. The boys didn't return.
At that time, princes and nobles were engaged in child theft; they sold them into captivity.
The widow was afraid of this terrible disaster. She came to Kyagua and told him what happened. He promised to find them.
Hanging the gun over his shoulder, Napha Kyagua went into the mountains. He walked around the forests and gorges, but did not find the boys.
Prince Haamyt Mazlow lived beyond the pass. He sold children. Everyone knew about this, Napha Kyagua also knew, and that’s why he went through the pass.
In one village, Napha Kyagua asked a stranger for hospitality in a hut. When the highlander learned that his guest was the intrepid Napha Kyagua, about whom there is such great fame, he arranged a feast, convening the honorable people of the village.
Haamyt Mazlow also came to the feast. He looked curiously at the squat, strong Kyagua and, smiling, sat down at the table. Kyagua looked at the prince coldly.
During the feast they sat in silence for a long time. Then Khaamyt could not stand it and asked:
- What good, Kyagua, did you come to us for? And besides, one...
“I don’t need a guide,” answered Kyagua. “Instead, I have a trusty gun.” And the traces of the missing boys led me here. There are two of them. They disappeared from my village and are here, I know who.
Khaamyt did not like these words.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll give you the boys, but for this I will deal with you in the coming days.”
To this Napha Kyagua replied:
“Haamyt, you shouldn’t say that, because I’m visiting your village.” But since you've decided, I agree. Attack when I'm no longer here, in two weeks, on Wednesday. Then in my village horses and cattle will be at home, and you will have something to profit from. Just make sure you don't touch my wife.
– What will happen if I take your wife away too?
“Then I’ll be angry.”
- How angry will you be, Kyagua?
– I will kill you, Haamyt Mazlow!
- Okay, let's see!..
Kyagua took the boys and returned to his native village.
On the appointed day, Napha Kyagua and his fellow villagers waited for Na-Sega. But more than a week passed beyond the deadline, and Haamyt Mazlow and his henchmen did not show up.
Napha Kyagua and his friends decided that Haamyt had changed his mind about attacking them. Everyone went about their business. Napha Kyagua and his relatives, Symsym Ucha and Myshv, went to graze cattle on Mamdzyshkha.
But one evening Sytmy noticed the glow of a fire in the direction where their village was. He reported this to Napha Kyagua. He immediately realized that it was their village that was burning and that Haamyt Mazlow had set it on fire.
Kyagua hurried to the mountains, gathered a detachment of shepherds and sat down with them in the gorge of the Gega River in the place where Mazlow was supposed to pass.
At dawn, when the prince with captives and stolen goods entered the gorge, Napha Kyagua shouted:
- Listen, you are a liar! You broke the agreement, acted like a robber... But you will have to return the loot, otherwise - death!
Khaamyt knew that he could not escape from this gorge, and yet he hoped for a happy accident. Anger and frustration tormented him. Unable to contain the rage that gripped him, he shouted at Kyagua:
“I will return your property and your neighbors, but I will still take your wife away!”
- If so, Haamyt, then try to shoot at me first!
Khaamyt fired.
– You shoot poorly, Haamyt! - Kyagua laughed, - Now stick your whip into the ground.
Mazlow stuck it into the ground, and Kyagua cut off the loop attached to the handle of the whip with a bullet.
– You won’t give up your wife now?
- No...
- Look at your belly button!
Mazlow bowed his head, and Kyagua's bullet felled him, hitting him right in the navel.
Napha Kyagua and the shepherds killed the robbers, leaving only one alive. And Kyagua shouted to him:
- I give you life! Go to your people and tell them how ingloriously Haamyt died.
“Okay,” he replied. “But first, let me choose a gun from those lying around here.” The road home is long, and the path is dangerous.
Kyagua allowed.
Then he addressed Kyagua in a flattering voice:
“I have nothing to thank you for your kindness.” But I will tell you an amazing dream that I had yesterday.
But when Kyagua, lowering his gun, leaned on him and began to listen, the villain quickly took aim, shot and seriously wounded him. While the comrades were busy around Kyagua, the killer disappeared.
Feeling the approach of death, Kyagua turned to those around him:
– This insignificant person is not worthy of revenge... I managed to punish the main culprit. This will wean scoundrels like him from robbing and humiliating the people. I did what was in my power. I die with a clear conscience. Your duty is to ease your wife’s widow’s grief.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru