One of the famous Narts, Uazyrmes, son of Pidgash, earned the nickname of a real Nart from an early age.
As a teenager, he once saw that the inhabitants of his village were carrying gifts somewhere: some smoked meat, some a jug of sano, and one poor woman was carrying some homemade food in a clay bowl and with tears in her eyes refused the children running after her. And the children plaintively asked:
- Mother, give us something to eat, we are hungry.
Having left his peers, Uazyrmes asked those walking:
—Who are you taking your last crumbs to?
“These are gifts to the godlike Pako,” the Narts answered him.
Uazirmes thought about it. From that day on, neither at the games during Khasa, nor at any other time, when children played alchiks, Uazirmes was not among them. But before, he was the first in all competitions, the most cheerful of his peers.
- Did something happen to you, did you get sick? - the sledges asked him.
“No, I’m not sick in body, but my soul hurts about the sledges,” answered Uazirmes. “It saddens me that the Narts, who themselves are in need in many ways, bring gifts to the goat-bearded, cowardly Paco, who imagines himself to be a god.” I will not find peace until I free my people from this shame.
The Narts were frightened and began to ask Uazirmes not to contradict the godlike Pako, otherwise they would not survive from the vengeful ruler. However, Uazirmes did not want to listen to their requests and firmly decided to free the Narts from these victims.
“I’m not worthy of the name Nart if I don’t cut off the head of this greedy goatbeard,” he said to the assembled Narts.
He came to his mother, Migazesh, and told her:
- Mother, bless me to fight Paco. I will not back down from my decision, but I have neither a horse nor a weapon.
- If your decision is unchanged, I will not stop you. Bring out the piebald horse that your father rode from the dungeon, take the saddle, tie your father’s sword and go to the feat, - this is how she answered her son who gave him life.
From the first blow of the whip, the piebald horse flew up into the clouds, but Uazirmes descended and rode along the road along which the Narts carried their gifts to Pako. Uazirmes hid in ambush and did not allow the sledges carrying donations to pass; he took away what they were carrying and sent them back to the Nart village. Then the fearful Narts began to go to Pako in a roundabout way and informed the god-equal that Uazirmes had rebelled against him.
And although Pako was angry, he did not go to battle with the brave Nart.
“If Pako doesn’t come to me, I’ll have to go to him,” Uazirmes decided and went to the goatbeard.
“Hey!” he shouted, stopping in front of his apartment. - If you are not a coward, come out, God-like, let’s fight!
However, he did not appear, but sent a servant to say that his master had fallen ill.
- If he is sick, then I am healthy! - Uazirmes objected and entered Pako: - Good afternoon, Pako!
“Good, but not for you!” Paco exclaimed.
And before the Nart had time to grab the sword from its sheath, the goatbeard jumped out of his dwelling and ran away from the chase: he knew that on earth he could not escape from the brave Nart, and therefore he soared into the sky, made himself a dwelling out of cobwebs and hid in it.
The Narts had a bad time because of his anger: Paco sent a drought on them, the grain stopped growing, the trees stopped turning green, the cattle became barren. Difficult times came for the Narts, and they reproached Uazirmes:
“It was you who angered the powerful Paco, who brought us evil instead of good—you see how we feel now.”
Dejected Uazirmes thought for a long time what to do and decided to consult with the wise Satan. Sataney listened to Uazirmes, looked at his horse and said:
“Your old horse is of the Alp breed, he can’t handle the height to which Paco has climbed—strike your horse three times with the whip and rush off.”
Uazirmes obeyed Satan, and the horse quickly carried him to Pako’s dwelling.
- Good afternoon, Paco! - Nart Bo Goravny greeted.
- Good afternoon, but not for you! - Paco answered him again. “You gave me no peace on earth, and in heaven I have no peace from you either.”
- Don’t grumble in vain - I came to tell you about the disasters of the Narts.
Paco pretended to be ignorant and began to ask what happened in the Country of the Narts?
“You hate me, but you take revenge on everyone,” said Uazirmes, “you deprive the Narts of bread and livestock.” People are starving and consider me the culprit of their grief.
“This is so, it’s all your fault: you deprived me of ordinary gifts, you deprived me of peace!” Paco shouted fiercely.
- Don’t be angry, godlike! I came to you as a messenger from the Narts: they say that they have run out of water.
- That's good! You will know how to rebel against a god equal!” the goat-born said maliciously.
“Even though I’m to blame,” Uazyrmes said, “but why should everyone suffer?” Look at our poor land: old people, women and children have gathered on Mount Harama and look hopefully at the sky, asking you for rain.
But the cruel Paco was adamant. Then Uazirmes said:
- Look, look, godlike! There, on Mount Harama, there are sledges; they brought you gifts, they hold them out to you, look at the earth! - Uazirmes cried.
And Pako stuck his head out of his web-like home and, bending down, began to look down, and Uazirmes, instantly drawing his sword, cut off his head.
For seven days it rained from the sky, as if Pako’s blood was falling, for seven days the rain watered the parched land and the land became fertile again, the grain rose, the trees turned green, the cattle began to give rich offspring, the sledges came to life and became cheerful.
From then on, the Narts fell in love with the brave knight even more.
The Narts called Uazyrmes to their Khasa and proclaimed a toast in honor of Uazyrmes, the deliverer from troubles, the conqueror of the evil god Pako.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru