There lived two brothers. The eldest was reasonable and hard-working, and the younger was stupid, lazy and envious. His name was Kadir.
Kadir came to his brother and said with annoyance:
- Why does this happen, brother, tell me, do me a favor! You and I are of the same clan, tribe, children of the same father, but our lot is different. You have luck in everything, I have no luck in anything. Your sheep are multiplying and growing fat, mine are dying one after another, your horse galloped in a bayga, and mine threw me off halfway, you always have meat and kumiss at the table, and I don’t have plenty of unseasoned stew, you have an affectionate wife, but not a single girl looks at me, even old people respect you, and teenagers mock me without shame... The older brother smiled and answered:
- It’s not otherwise that my happiness helps me. - Why doesn’t it help me?
- Everyone has their own happiness, Kadir. Mine loves to work, yours apparently sleeps somewhere under an elm tree. “Wait,” Kadir thinks, “I’ll find my happiness and make it work for myself.”
And that same day he set out on a journey in search of that elm tree under which he hoped to find his happiness.
It goes on and on. I wandered far. A shaggy lion jumped out from behind a stone, stood ahead on the road, waiting. Kadyr was scared, but you couldn’t run anywhere: there was bare steppe all around. What will happen?
Lev says:
- Who are you?
- I'm Kadir.
-Where are you going?
- I'm going to seek my happiness.
“Well, then listen, Kadir,” said Lev, “when you find happiness, ask him what I should do so that the pain in my stomach will stop.” No herbs help. I'm exhausted, I'm completely lost. If you promise to carry out my instructions, I won’t touch you, otherwise I’ll bite you to death.
Kadir vowed to get advice or medicine for the lion, and he gave way to him.
Kadir moves on. He sees: in the middle of a sun-scorched field, an old man, an old woman and a girl of wonderful beauty are sitting, all crying bitterly, as if for a dead person.
Kadir stopped.
-What are you crying about, people?
“Our grief is great,” the old man replies. “Three years ago I bought this field and gave everything I had for it.” Sparing no effort, we cultivate the land, like a mother caring for her baby’s crops. But the harvest has not yet been harvested. The seedlings rise together, the field turns lushly green in the spring, promising a bountiful harvest, but by mid-summer, no matter how much you water the ground, the crop dries out and burns to the very roots. No one can say what is the reason for such a disaster. You have to die, good man. We have no happiness.
Kadir says:
“And although I have happiness, it sleeps somewhere under a spreading elm tree.” I'm going to look for him. Then the old man began to beg Kadir:
- My soul, may the wind not blow in your face, may your successes not fit in your bosom! If chance helps you find your happiness, do not refuse, ask him if he knows why our crops are dying. I will forever be grateful to you.
Kadir promised the old man to return to this place with an answer and set off again.
After some days, Kadir came to a large city, which turned out to be the capital of the khan. As soon as he appeared on the streets among a noisy crowd, the guards pounced on him and dragged him by the collar to the Khan's palace. Kadir completely lost his head from such a surprise and, not knowing what his fault was, prepared for the worst. But the khan greeted him with a gracious smile and kind words.
“Be my guest, stranger,” said the khan, “and tell me who you are and where you are going.”
Kadir fell to his knees and, confused in his words, told the khan about himself.
After listening to him, the khan ordered:
- Get up and come to me, Kadir. Don't be afraid of me. I address you not as a slave, but as a friend. I have a request for you. When you meet your happiness, ask him why I, the ruler of a vast, rich and powerful Khanate, do not feel joy and feel bitterly sad in the golden palace. For your answer, whatever it may be, I will reward you generously.
And now Kadir is on the road again. For three years he wandered around the world until he found what he was looking for. He came to a high black mountain and saw: a spreading elm stood by a steep rock, and under it, sleeping in the shadows in a dead sleep, undressed and barefoot, unwashed and unkempt, some creature resembling a man. “Is this really my happiness?” - thought Kadir and began to wake up the lazybones:
- Get up, wake up, it's time to get down to business! Look, my brother’s happiness works tirelessly for him. Why don't you want to serve me? Wake up, get up quickly!
He screamed for a long time and punched the lying man in the sides with his fists. Finally, happiness moved, stretched, raised its head and, yawning, began to rub its eyes.
- Is that you, Kadir? It’s in vain that you wander around the world, beating your legs. It would be better if you lay like this under a spreading elm tree, you would feel calmer. Happiness helps the smart and hard-working, like your brother, but those like you, fools and idle people, and happiness is of no use. Well, since you came to me, then sit down and tell me what you want from me, how you found your way here, what you saw, who you met, what you talked about.
Kadir began the story, and happiness listened to him, yawning. He listened to the end, taught who to answer on the way back, and then said:
- I can tell you from your stories, Kadir, that there is a lot of bad in you, but there is also good. For the good I want to reward you. Go home. Great happiness awaits you ahead. Not everyone can do this. Just make sure you don’t miss him with your roteness. Goodbye!
Kadyrov’s happiness stretched out again on the grass under the elm tree and began snoring throughout the entire valley. Kadir began to bother him in order to really find out what exactly awaited him ahead, and where he was going - he was all sweaty, but he never achieved happiness. He stood there, turned and followed his own trail back to where he had come from.
I reached the capital and came to the khan. The Khan was delighted to see him, sent all the servants and bodyguards away, and seated the guest next to him:
- Speak, Kadir! And Kadir said:
“My happiness revealed to me the reason for your sadness.” You rule the country, and everyone calls you khan, thinking that you are a man. But in fact you are a woman. It is hard for you to hide the truth and you are not able to bear the labors of war and the worries of government alone. Choose a worthy husband for yourself, and the fun will return to you again.
“Your happiness spoke the truth, Kadir,” the imaginary khan said in embarrassment and took off his precious hat from his head: the black braids fell onto the colored carpet, and Kadir saw in front of him a girl as beautiful as the full moon.
Blushing, the Khan-maiden said:
“You were the first, zhigit, to know my secret.” Be my husband and the khan of my country.
Kadir was dumbfounded by these words, but suddenly shook his head and waved his hands:
- No, no, I don’t want to be a khan, I don’t need anything from you. My happiness awaits me ahead!
And he moved on.
Here he is greeted with bows and greetings by an old man, an old woman and their beautiful daughter.
“What can you tell us to console us, dear Kadir?”
“I’ll tell you,” Kadir answered, “that in ancient times, in the place of your field, one rich man, frightened by the raids of foreigners, buried forty pots of gold. That is why your land will not give birth. Dig up the gold, and the soil will become fertile again, and you yourself will be richer than anyone in this region.
The poor people were spinning with joy, laughing and crying, hugging Kadyr. The old man says:
- You made us happy, Kadir. Stay with us. Help us dig for gold. Take half the treasure for yourself, take our daughter as your wife. Be my son and son-in-law.
Kadyr liked the old people, he liked their daughter even more, and yet he shook his head and said:
- No, no. My happiness still awaits me ahead. And he moved on.
He walked and walked - he trampled his boots, rubbed his feet, and slightly hobbled along the deserted path. I saw a stone, sat down and thought:
“It’s almost the end of the road, but where is my promised happiness?”
And just when he thought this, lo and behold, there was a lion standing in front of him.
“Well,” says the lion, “have you brought me, Kadir, advice or medicine?”
“I didn’t bring any medicine, but there is a sure way to get rid of your illness.” Eat the brains of the stupidest person in the world and you will immediately become healthy.
- Thank you, Kadir. I will now look everywhere for such a fool. Maybe you can help me with this? Tell me what kind of people you saw on your journey, what you talked about with them. Until you tell me, I won’t let you go home.
There is nothing to do, Kadir began to talk about his conversation with happiness under the old elm tree, and about the khan-maiden, and about the old men with their beautiful daughter.
The lion's eyes sparkled, his teeth clicked, his mane rose. He says:
-What a fool you are, Kadir! You had such happiness in your hands, but you couldn’t hold it. You gave up power and honor, you gave up wealth and prosperity, you gave up two beautiful brides... Yes, even if I walk around the whole earth three times, I still won’t find a person more stupid than you. It's your brains that will heal my womb!..
And, running away, the lion jumped at Kadyr. Kadyr fell to the ground in fright, like a slaughtered ram. This saved him: the lion, not calculating the jump, hit his chest on a stone and immediately died.
- What happiness! - Kadyr cried out with joy. “Death threatened me, but I remained alive!” What happiness!
When Kadyr returned to the village, no one recognized him:; It’s as if a zhigit was born for the second time and became a new man. Always cheerful, friendly with everyone, he no longer complained about anything, did not envy anyone. From morning to evening he worked, singing songs, and everyone vied with each other in praising him for his prudence and good disposition. Kadyr's wealth increased day by day, he started a family and lived in joy and honor.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru