In former times there lived a rich Kazakh. He had two children: a son and a daughter. One day he told his son:
“My child, when you grow up, marry according to your own choice.” Take a wife from among the girls.
Now the time has come for his son to get married, and he went around the villages to look for a wife. He found one woman and came to his father.
“So I found myself a bride,” he said.
– A woman or a girl? - asked the father.
“A woman,” answered the son.
“No, don’t take her, take the girl,” said the father.
Again the son went looking for a bride, and again he fell in love with the woman.
The father again began to object:
- No, don't take the woman.
Again the son went to look for a bride. After some time he returned to his father.
- Well, have you found a bride? - asked the father.
“I found something, but it’s a woman again,” said the son.
“Well, get married,” the father resigned himself. The son got married.
One day the rich man fell ill. He called his daughter-in-law and told her:
– Listen, daughter-in-law, I have a big inheritance for you. I didn’t tell anyone about this: neither my son nor my daughter. When they are in need, give them this wealth...
The rich man pointed to the threshold of the yurt.
“There you will find a buried fortune,” he said and died.
And daughter-in-law, don’t be bad. She didn't tell anyone about this inheritance. Somewhere on the side she became close to one person, obtained an inheritance and enriched this person.
Then she wanted to get rid of her husband, and she sent him to the market with luggage.
The rich man's son took the luggage and went to the city. There he learned that the khan liked to play cards and went to him. The khan's game was as follows: he took the money, tied it in a knot, and then, putting a candle on the cat's tail, let it go. The cat started to run. The loser was the one in whose direction the candle fell.
The khan began to play with the rich man's son. As soon as the khan let the cat go, the candle flew towards the rich man's son, and the cat ran towards the khan.
In this way, the rich man's son lost all his luggage, and then himself.
His wife found out about this. She decided to inform her husband’s sister as well and sent her to the city. But the girl was smart. She learned about her brother's loss and decided to outwit the khan. She caught the mouse and went to the city. She came to the khan and volunteered to play with him. Khan agreed. As soon as he let the cat in, the girl showed her a mouse in her sleeve. The cat rushed towards her, and the candle fell towards the khan. We played again and again. Khan lost not only his fortune, his courtiers, but also himself.
The girl took the khan and went home with him. The khan's subjects began to beg her to return the khan to them, to give him up for a ransom. The girl replied that she would not give him up for a ransom, but let them return to her the man whom the khan had beaten.
The subjects were delighted and brought the girl her brother. The girl returned the khan to them.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru