Hearing from the snow-white horse that the sledge Unadjoko did not die, Malechiph remained to live in his house. Now people knew that the knight was safe and sound, that he had sent his horse home without a rider, wanting to test his wife and Malechipha.
The Nart's mother and sister, touched by little Malechiph's tender and devoted love for Unadjoko, said to her:
- From now on, you are our daughter-in-law, you are our eyes, you are our soul.
They took Malechipkh by the arms, gently seated her on the pillow and looked after her as if she were a dear guest.
Old Zhagisha and his wife also spent several days under the hospitable roof of Unadj, after which the owner escorted them with honor to the halfway point.
A smart horse, who saw everything with his own eyes, galloped up to the sledge and told how it happened. Unajoko, without hesitation, jumped into the saddle and returned home. He did not forget to take with him rich clothes for his young wife. He broke up with his older guasha, who showed him so little devotion in trouble, and lived with the beautiful Malechipkh in perfect harmony, responding with love and care to her devoted love.
As soon as Unadjoko returned, his father, Unaj, decided to test whether his little daughter-in-law was smart. He called his son and gave him a piece of leather.
- Take off this skin of Malechiph, let her sew you some dudes. So that you put on new dudes tomorrow!
Malechiph scraped off the fur, kneaded the skin with her hands, and when it became soft, she deftly sewed the shoes together. In the morning Unajoko came out wearing new dudes.
Old Unaj looked at his son’s feet and said nothing, although he was pleased with his daughter-in-law’s skill.
In the evening, her father-in-law sent her leather again. But little Malechiph did not sew new dudes. She hid the leather, and kneaded the shoes that her husband had taken off with her hands, carefully greased them with lamb fat and put them back in place.
Every evening Unaj gave his son some skin to wear, and he took it to his wife. Little Malechiph put all the pieces of leather under the bed, and kneaded the shoes sewn on the first night and lubricated them with lard. It seemed to my father that Unajoko went out every morning in new dudes.
When a month had passed, Unaj said to his son:
- Come on, son, bring all the shoes that your young wife sewed for you and show me!
Unajoko, without hesitation, took out from under the couch twenty-nine pieces of leather, not cut or sewn, and showed it to his father.
Old Unaj was happy:
- So, every morning the son went out in the same boots, which became new in the golden hands of Malechipha. “My daughter-in-law will make a difference!” - thought the old man.
A few days later, Unaj turned to his son:
- Tomorrow, my son, you must dismantle your house and build yourself a new one!
Saddened and worried, Unajoko went to his wife.
-What are you sad about, dear hubby? - Malechiph asked him.
- Tomorrow we must dismantle our house and build a new one. That's what my father ordered! - Unajoko announced.
- Don't worry about it! Just bring a cart of reeds and straw for the roof tomorrow at dawn, and even a cart of clay, and everything will be fine! - Malechiph reassured her husband.
In the morning Unadjoko brought clay and straw. They quickly removed the dilapidated roof and re-covered the house, and little Malechiph coated the walls with clay. The father-in-law looked and was very pleased.
- Tomorrow you and I will hit the road. Order Malechiph to supply us with such food that there will be no salt at all in the unleavened food, and there will be a lot of it in the salted food, - this is what old Unaj ordered.
Again Unajoko came to his wife, concerned.
“Father said, tomorrow we will go on the road and ordered you to prepare such food so that there is no salt in the unleavened food, and there is a lot of it in the salted food.” My father is wonderful! He always asks some riddle. As soon as we leave the village, he says: “Come on, son, put the ladder to the sky!” “Where can I get a ladder in the steppe?” I answer. “Do I carry it behind the saddle?” Let's move on. The father starts again: “Come on, son, shorten the road!” I answer: “How can I shorten the road? Is it possible to cut it into pieces and throw one piece away! Or maybe take both ends and fold it in half?” Let's move on. As soon as we enter the forest, my father says: “Hey, son, bring a couple of brown horses with white tails from the thicket!” No matter how much I search, there are no horses in the forest! When we make a stop, I take out the food. The fresh food turns out to be completely without salt, and the salty food is over-salted so that the piece does not go down the throat. Here we get on our horses and turn towards the house. My father starts beating me and doesn’t stop until we arrive at the village. - This is how Unajoko finished his story.
“And it’s not a problem, don’t be sad,” said Ma lechiph. She quickly prepared the food and, tying up her travel bags, began to instruct her husband: “When your father orders you to put the ladder to heaven, you go forward, accelerate your horse and, standing on the saddle, show off in front of the old sledge, show him what a dexterous rider you are!” When your father orders you to shorten the road, you answer him: “Sing a song, and I will sing along!” Father sings, and you sing quietly so as not to drown out his voice. When your father orders you to drive two brown horses with white tails from the forest, you go into the thicket, cut two dogwood sticks, peel their ends from the bark, thread them with an awl and tie them with a cord. Place these sticks under the stirrup straps of the old sled. When you see that your father is tired on the journey, jump off your horse, take your father’s horse by the reins and help the old man dismount. Lay out the burqa, make him sit comfortably and place food in front of him.
At dawn, father and son saddled their horses and set off. How long or short did they travel, finally Unaj said:
- Put the ladder to heaven, son!
The son lashed the horse with a whip, rode forward, and, jumping with his feet on the saddle, showed off a dashing horse show. The father was pleased, but remained silent.
After some time, the father ordered:
- Shorten the road, son!
- Start singing, and I’ll pick you up! - answered the son.
The old sled began to sing, and the young one began to pull up quietly so as not to drown out his voice. So, singing, they reached the edge of the forest.
Holding his horse, the old man said:
“Bring a couple of brown horses with white tails from the forest, son!”
Unajoko dismounted, went into the thicket, cut off two dogwood sticks, peeled the ends, drilled them with an awl and tied them with cord. He placed both sticks under the stirrup straps of the old sledge, saying:
- They will come in handy!
The old man liked this too. They drove on. Unadzhoko sees that the horses are getting excited and chomping at the bit, and old Unaj hangs his head. Then the son quickly jumped to the ground, took his father’s horse by the reins and, holding the left stirrup, helped his father dismount. Unajoko spread out the cloak, sat the old sledge down and laid out food in front of him. The food prepared by little Malechiph turned out to be to Unadju's taste: half of the food was mixed only with butter and honey, and the other with sour cream and eggs.
Having eaten his fill, the father took the whip and began to whip his son. Unadjoko jumped into the saddle while running and urged his horse to gallop, trying to escape the beatings. But Unaj caught up with his son and continued to beat him all the way. Unajoko drove into the yard screaming. Malechipkh saw from the window that her father-in-law was whipping her husband. Unajoko jumped off his horse and pushed the door, but Malechiph locked it from the inside. The old sled dismounted and continued to whip his son.
“Open it quickly, otherwise he’ll beat me to death!” - Unajoko begged.
But Malechipkh answered from behind the door:
“Whoever runs cowardly to escape beatings deserves them!” If you ran to your wife from your father's lash, wouldn't you run away from the battlefield?
The old sled was pleased with his daughter-in-law’s words. He stopped beating his son and entered the house. Only then did Malechiph open her door and let her husband in.
- And if they killed me, would you do the same? Why did you lock the door? - shouted the angry Unajoko.
“Even if your own mother starts to fight with you, don’t let her knock you down!” - answered Male Chikh. “By running away from the enemy, you can save yourself from death, but you cannot save yourself from shame.” Then don't rely on my protection!
Little Malechiph's words penetrated Unadjoko's soul. Nart vowed to be fearless in battle and, as long as his heart beats, not to retreat from the enemy.
Old Unaj did not live long after his son’s marriage. Having fallen seriously ill and knowing that his days were numbered, he called Unajoko to him:
“I don’t have long to live, son.” Much of what I wanted for you has come true. But I have three wishes. You must fulfill them.
“Have I ever disobeyed you, father?” - asked Unajoko.
“You have always been an obedient son.” But these three covenants are not so easy to fulfill! - said the old man.
“There are no difficult things for a Nart!” exclaimed Unad Joko. “I will fulfill your will at all costs, I swear by Uashho-kan!”
“If so, then listen to my three testaments,” said old Unaj. “To become a real sled, you must marry a new wife every year, build a new house every year, and plow with hundred-spotted bulls every year.”
Soon Unaj died.
Having buried his father, Unadjoko set off on a hike with two daring sledges. Suddenly he had to hesitate. Unadjoko sent the daredevils home, punishing them:
- Give my regards to my Malechipha and tell her to wait for me only in a month. Look, friends, so that you can be home today and come back tomorrow!
Unadjoko gave them two pieces of rich fabrics - let Malechiph sew new outfits for himself before his arrival.
The Narts galloped to the village and presented gifts to Malechipkh. She thanked them and told them to tell her husband:
- The star is one, the moon is two measures. In the name of the two white-necked doves, I ask you not to offend the two black ravens!
The Narts were very surprised and repeated incomprehensible words all the way so as not to forget. Returning to Unajoko, they began to ask him:
“For the sake of the almighty Tha, explain to us what the words of Malechiph can mean: “The star is one, the moon is two measures. In the name of the two white-necked doves, I ask you not to offend the two black ravens.”
“From two pieces of cloth,” said Unajoko, “one of you cut off an elbow, and the other two.” Isn't it?
“That’s true,” the Narts admitted.
- Having guessed this, Malechiph asks, in the name of two white-necked doves, that is, himself and me, not to offend two black ravens, that is, you, who have committed a dishonest act. This is what she told me to tell.
The ashamed Narts marveled at the woman’s intelligence and vowed not to do this again.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru