One day one of the sledges wooed a bride from distant, foreign lands. The older Narts knew that the road to this region was dangerous, and they wanted the famous Bataraz to accompany the matchmakers going after the beauty, but they did not dare to call him: Bataraz was not on friendly terms with all the Narts.
Having arrived safely, having feasted as much as was required, the messengers placed the bride in the cart and set off on the return journey. After three days and three nights, they made a halt in a wide valley, which was all overgrown with tall, thick grass. A wide, stormy river flowed through the valley. Having rested, the riders mounted their horses, but suddenly they noticed: the fog was not fog, but something strange was floating and swirling in the air. The riders sent forward saw a strange sight on the river: a huge monster filled the entire riverbed, sucked in water, and then spewed it out, and the splashing streams of water seemed like fog. The monster doused the riders with its breath and streams of water, and they fell with their horses to the ground.
At this time a black snake crawled up to them and said in a human voice:
“If you Narts do not sacrifice your beautiful bride to the Dragon, you will die in this valley.” Give it up and go freely.
The horsemen jumped up and, having arrived to their own, told about what they had seen and heard. The Narts were afraid that they would not be able to defeat the monster, and they decided: rather than everyone dying, it would be better for the monster to get one bride.
The wedding convoy returned to the Nart Country without a bride. The old Narts, lamenting that their family was covered in shame, went to the courageous Bataraz with a plea to help the girl out.
“Those who disgraced the Nart tribe must themselves wash away the stain of dishonor!” - Bata answered sternly once. “Many of you boast of your strength and courage, even if they are traveling, but I have no time - I have to go on a hike.”
The old people became sad, and Bataraz went on a hike, rode for a long time on his faithful Karapts and arrived at the edge of the intermarium, to a rich, flowering land.
Among the mighty grasses, wonderful flowers and fruits, many animals wandered, but not a single person was visible. And only three days and three nights later, having climbed a mound that looked like a tall sheep’s cap, Bataraz met a shepherd boy with a herd of goats.
- Hello, boy, is there really no one else here besides you?
- Hello, traveler! - The shepherd boy bowed. “There are enough people for these places, but why did they bring you here?” You came here to your doom.
“I don’t do harm to anyone, why am I dying?” Bataraz was surprised. - Tell me, if I go further, who will I meet?
“If you hit your horse with a whip, you will meet the right person.”
Bataraz listened to the shepherd boy, hit his horse and soon galloped to a dilapidated thatched hut.
An old woman came out to meet him.
“Mother,” asked Bataraz, “why is it so quiet and deserted in your area?”
“It’s not as quiet and deserted here as you think, son,” the old woman grinned. “Many people like you came here and never came back.” Whoever came for our beauty living in the tower-fortress could not fulfill her conditions and could not defeat her country. And tomorrow a feast is expected: some stranger has arrived and will compete with the beauty’s guards.
-Where is this stranger now?
“Where, if not with me,” said the old woman and called Bataraz into her hut.
Here Bataraz met another visitor, who in despair told him:
“I know I cannot defeat the beauty’s guards, but my heart is so captivated by her that I cannot return without her—I’d rather lay my head here.”
“Listen,” Bataraz answered him, “nobody saw me: I’ll change into your clothes and fight in your place.”
The stranger agreed, and the next day they both went to the large field where the competition was to take place. The herald announced the start of the competition. The runner from the side of the beauty's guard and Bataraz, dismounting at the appointed place, ran. By noon, Bataraz, having overtaken the runner and having reached the appointed place, returned back, but he returned only after three days and three nights and, exhausted, fell in front of the beauty’s tower. Then Bataraz had to measure his strength with a strongman wrestler, lift and throw a huge stone. The strong wrestler pushed the stone just a few steps, and Bataraz approached a high rock and pushed it so hard that the rock whistled over the tower and, falling into the gorge, split into small pieces.
The frightened strongman guarding the beauty tried to fight with Bataraz, but was thrown so high by him that he seemed like a small bird, and when he fell, he fell to his death.
The archery competition began. The target was seven eggs placed in a row on the ridge of a rock. Bataraz knocked down all seven eggs with seven arrows, and the other shooter's arrows did not even reach the target.
The beauty saw the competition; she was annoyed that her guards had been so disgraced, but she was glad that at last a knight worthy of her had been found.
Bataraz again changed into his clothes, and the stranger, for whose sake he won all the competitions, became the groom of his beloved.
When Bataraz returned to the Country of the Narts, he met a cart on which three girls were sitting and crying, and the ox driver sadly sang a mournful song-lamentation.
- Why are they crying? - asked Bataraz.
“Whether I answer you or not,” said the ox driver, “things won’t improve, but since you ask, I’ll tell you.” The river that gave the Narts moisture, the river - the source of our abundance, the soul of our possessions - no longer flows in our direction, because the terrible monster that captivated our beauty blocked the river bed. Every day we sacrifice three girls to the monster, but nothing helps. We don’t even have any girls left, these are the last ones I’m bringing to him. That's why I sing my sad song.
“Turn your cart back, friend, take the girls home, and I’ll think of something,” said Bataraz.
Arba turned back, and Bataraz galloped to the Nart village, which was suffering from lack of water. He ordered the residents to fill a hundred carts with sheaves of thorns and take them to the gorge, where, having dammed the river, the monster lay, and the brave knight himself galloped to the top of the mountain on his faithful Karapts. The monster absorbed river water and spewed out streams that enveloped everything around like fog. Bataraz, standing on the top of the mountain, waited until the water dissipated and shot two arrows at the monster. One arrow pierced the eye and went into the ground, and the other got stuck in the other eye of the dragon. The blinded monster went on a rampage, beat its tail, and its breath caused whirlwinds and waterfalls to prevent the sledges from approaching it. Then the Narts began to throw sheaves of thorns into his mouth, and Bataraz approached and cut off the dragon’s head.
All the captive girls were freed, the river again became a source of abundance, and again the Narts blessed their protector.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru