The small Ispo tribe had a ruler named Whitebeard. He had long been attracted to the beautiful and wise Satanya, but, fearing the brave knights, Whitebeard did not dare to kidnap their intelligent, beloved gouache. He was waiting for an opportunity, and then one day, when the Narts set off on a long and long march, Whitebeard burst into the house where Sataney lived with his army. The young Narts who remained at home resisted as much as they could, but the army of the Ispas was numerous, and after a hot battle the Ispas won and took with them the wise and beautiful guasha. Anxiety and grief gripped the Narts: their Satan became the prey of despicable creatures. What should I do to get her out of the hands of her kidnappers?
Whitebeard lived behind a distant deep gorge, on top of a cliff, in an impregnable fortress. Numerous guards stood on the narrow path leading to this rock. However, the young Narts decided to recapture their Satania from the Isps. Three times they tried to overcome the stronghold, many heads fell off under their swords - the young sledges did a great job!
Quite a few enemy pikes pierced the honest chests of young knights. The battle was hot, but the sledges could not defeat the impregnable fortress.
They went to the old soothsayer Warsar - only she could help them with advice. The soothsayer said:
“You are still young, it is not for you to overcome the challenges, but the older sledges have gone on a long and long journey.” Call the brave Uazirmes, he loves the difficulties of the hike and will go with you. Uazyrmes is a strong and brave Nart, he sits at home and is bored.
The young Narts obeyed and went to Uazirmes. Uazirmes firmly observed Nart customs: he first treated the visitors for a whole week and only then started a conversation with them about business.
The Narts told him everything and asked him to help them take possession of the Ispo fortress, defeat the enemies and free Satan.
“I would agree to help you,” answered Uazirmes, “if the Nart swineherd Gorgonyzh went on a campaign with us.” He is cunning and brave, it would be good to test his intelligence and strength.
- It will be your way! - said the young sleds and sent a young shepherd to replace the swineherd. He found Gorgonyzh with his herd on a large mountain.
- May the Nart herd multiply! - the young shepherd greeted the swineherd.
- So be it! - answered Gorgonyzh.
“The Narts are going on a campaign and want to take you with them, but for now I will watch over your herd.”
The Narts had such a huge herd of pigs that only the swineherd Gorgonyzh could save it.
“It’s not so easy to protect the herd,” said Gorgonyzh. - If you tell me how many pigs are in this herd, then I can leave my herd to you, and I myself will go on a hike.
- How do I know how many pigs there are?
- Okay, I’ll tell you, and you count: big ones - nine, wide-nosed - ten, brown-piebald - eleven, short-tailed - eighteen, mixed - thirty, single-haired - thirty, and each pig has thirty piglets. How much is it?
“I can’t even count,” answered the shepherd, standing for a moment in thought.
- Well, what kind of replacement are you for me? - and Gorgonyzh sent the young shepherd back.
They sent a second one, but he also could not count how many pigs there were in the herd. And Gorgonyzh sent him back.
They listened to the sledges of the unlucky shepherds and sent a third.
The third deliberately hesitated on the road.
- Why didn’t you come for so long? - Gorgonyzh asked him angrily.
— The sleds were grinding white millet, I stayed to count the grains.
- Well, if you can count the grains, then you can replace me here. Stay, you will eat as much pasta a day as you can take with a spatula three times, and three hams. There won’t be enough, you might add,” said the swineherd and, sitting on the boar, he rode to Uazirmes.
Here the young Narts drank sano on the way: one cup for the brave, the second for good luck. Uazyrmes saddled his piebald horse, the swineherd was already sitting on the boar, and the young sledges, before mounting their horses, said:
“We must approach the impregnable fortress as quietly as possible, so we need to take a rope to tie the horses’ muzzles, otherwise they will snort and give us away.”
They took everything along the rope, mounted their horses and set off on a hike.
The boar Gorgonyzha began to lag behind; the angry swineherd mercilessly beat the animal with a stick, and it died.
The young sledges, in a hurry, did not notice that the swineherd had fallen behind, and, leaving him, continued on their way.
“My poor friend, you carried me around so much, and I unwittingly ruined you,” the pig complained. - How can I leave you on the road?
Gorgonyzh tied up the dead boar, threw it over his shoulders and set off after the sledge. The sledges walked and he walked, the sledges ran and he ran, and so they reached the Ispov fortress. Here Uazirmes addressed the soldiers with the following speech:
“Listen to me, my young comrades: this is the fortress of the warriors, let us be courageous and not disgrace ourselves in our honor.” Good memory to the fallen, let them sleep peacefully, and let the living boldly move forward. Let us defeat the enemy at all costs! Let's wipe out the White Beard clan from the face of the earth, free our wise Satan, and return her to the Narts.
Led by Uazirmes, the sledges stopped at a path that ran up to an impregnable mountain fortress. The Ispas saw them from above and showered them with a hail of arrows. The young sledges suffered a lot of damage and did not know what to do, how to move forward under this shower of arrows.
- O mighty Uazirmes, our leader! - exclaimed the swineherd Gorgonyzh. “The enemy’s fortress is not approachable, his army is innumerable, many Narts have died!” Let me go ahead: the skin of my boar is stronger than any chain mail, you cannot pierce it with an arrow, I will shield you!
Uazyrmes agreed with Gorgonyzh. The Narts hobbled their horses and hid them to the side, while they themselves stood in single file and followed the swineherd. The arrows raining down from above hit the carcass of the boar, which Gorgonyzh held in front of him like a shield, and not a single arrow hit the sled.
When the sledges approached the fortress, the swineherd, throwing a heavy boar, broke through the indestructible wall of the fortress. Raising their swords, the sledges rushed to attack. Many enemy heads fell from their shoulders, a lot of enemy blood was shed that day. The young sledges fought like lions. From one cry of Uazirmes, the isps, trembling, fell to the ground; from the mighty blow of Uazirmes’s sword, the enemy pack scattered. Uazyrmes rested his shoulder on the tower, it staggered, and the beautiful Sataney fell from the rickety tower, on the fly the brave sledges caught her, and the lord of the warriors fell from the tower and fell to his death.
So the young Narts, led by Uazirmes, exterminated the daring Isps and freed Satanei. Uazyrmes brought everyone’s favorite gouache to the Nart Country on his piebald horse.
In honor of the return of the beautiful Satan, the sledges organized a large sanitary drinking party. Games, races and fun continued for many days and many nights. They proclaimed toasts in honor of the beauty and wisdom of Satan. And the swineherd proclaimed his toast:
- May the herds multiply in the Nart Country!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru