Once upon a time there lived a rich man and his wife. They had no children, and they were very sad that they were left without an heir.
One day a woman came into their yard. Seeing the pshi, she said:
“I came to hire myself as a farm laborer.” For the work, you will give me your son when he is born to you. I don't need another board.
Pshi told his wife about this swag, and she said:
- Let's hire this woman. We haven’t had children for twenty years and probably won’t now. We won't have to pay a farmhand for work.
“Let’s hire him,” Pshi agreed, “she’ll get tired of working for free and she’ll leave.”
And they took the woman into the house.
“Then let’s write a paper saying that you will give me the child when you have one,” said the farmhand.
Pshi and Guasha agreed - the three of them went to the effendi and entered into an agreement for seven years.
The farmhand began to work for them. Three years passed, and on the fourth, Psha’s wife conceived and gave birth to a boy. They called him Aslanmiz.
The farmhand worked for the farmer for three more years, and then said to the owners:
- The term is over, now I’m going home, gather my child.
“Don’t say that, take whatever you want, just don’t take our son away,” he began to ask for psha.
“I don’t need anything but him,” said the farmhand, took the psha’s son and left.
She returned home and began to raise the boy. He grew quickly and soon became a real horseman.
One morning the young man stood in the yard. At this time three horsemen rode up and the farm laborers said to the Kan:
– Aslanmiz, come hunting with us!
Dzhigit refused, but the next day they called him again. And this time he refused to go hunting with unfamiliar riders. When the riders arrived for the third time, the young man said to his mother:
“Tian, we have nothing to eat, I’ll go hunting, maybe I’ll be able to get something.”
The mother went to Psha and asked him for a horse and some old gun for her son. Pshi gave both a gun and a horse.
When the next day those three arrived and invited him, the young man mounted his horse and rode after them. The hunters galloped quickly and soon disappeared from sight. The young man followed in their footsteps, but could not catch up with them. Soon he saw that the hunters were returning.
“We are bringing a goat for you too,” they said and gave him the goat.
The guy returned home - the old woman was happy that her son had brought the loot.
The next day the guy went with the hunters again. Before he even had time to get to the place where on the first day he met his fellow travelers with the loot, he saw that his new friends were already on their way back. And this time they gave him a goat, and he returned home with the spoils.
And on the third day he set out with the hunters, but his horse fell behind again, and they were lost from sight. The young man met them only when they were returning back. As before, they gave him a goat.
Arriving home, the young man complained to his mother:
- Tian, strangers give me spoils, and I bring them to you, but I myself cannot get anything, because my horse is useless. I need a good horse.
-Where can I find you a horse? – the woman cried. “I begged this horse you’re sitting on from the only one in the village who walked!”
The next morning, the woman told her neighbor about her conversation with her son and that he was asking for a good horse. An old man overheard this conversation. He ordered the farmhand to come to his house.
When the woman arrived, the old man said:
“I heard about your grief and I want to help you.” You go to Pshi - the guy's father - and ask him for a horse. He will agree, say: “Of course, I’ll give you a horse,” and send him to his herd. Psha has the best horse - an old roan, and your son must ask for it. Pshi will say that it is not appropriate to give an old itchy horse, and will offer half a herd instead. Here your son should pretend to leave and say at the same time; “It’s not my fault that I ask you for a roan horse—it’s the one who told me about it that’s to blame.” Then he will receive a roan horse.
After this, the pshi will lead you to where his weapons are kept. In the corner there will be an old rusty saddle and an old rusty sword - these are what your son needs. There is no need to take anything else.
“Thank you, kind man,” the woman said and quickly went home.
When she returned, she told her son everything that the old man had told her.
They went to Pshi - for the first time after many years of separation, father and son met. Pshi was delighted when he saw the handsome and stately horseman.
“Give me a horse and equipment for my son,” said the old woman.
“Okay, I’ll give it to you with pleasure,” answered Pshi. “I have seven herds, let him go and choose the horse he wants.”
Pshi called the herdsmen and told them to bring the horses. They brought in the first herd - the young man looked, but did not find the horse he needed.
“There is no horse suitable for me here,” he told his father.
“Bring the second herd,” Pshi ordered. The second herd was brought in. The guy also examined this herd, but the horse he needed was not there.
In the herds of Pshi, the horses seemed to be a good choice, and Pshi was very surprised - what kind of horse was the young man looking for?
So the guy looked at all seven herds, but did not find what he was looking for. Then Pshi ordered the herdsmen to gather all his horses - both good and bad. When the herders gathered and drove all the horses, among them was that scabby old roan that the young man was looking for. He approached the roan and said:
- This horse is good for me. - And caught him.
– Is this horse for you? People will say: “When he went to his father, out of seven herds he gave his son the only mangy horse.” Haven't you found a better horse than this? Why are you disgracing me? If you want, take a whole herd, but not this worthless horse,” said Pshi.
“I don’t need another horse, I chose this one and I’ll take only him,” the son answered.
- Don't say that, don't disgrace me. Although I did not raise you, I am your father,” said Pshi.
- I chose the horse I needed. If you don’t give it to me, I don’t want horses from your herd. It’s not my fault that I’m asking you for a roan—it’s the one who told me about it that’s to blame.
Then Pshi understood everything and said:
“It’s true, you couldn’t know about the roan horse.” May God ruin the family of the one who told you this!
Pshi gave the roan to his son, and they went to get weapons. The young man got what he wanted - an old rusty sword and a rusty saddle - and returned home with his mother.
They went to the old man who sent them to the psha and left him with both the horse and the weapons.
“When you can mount this horse, I will call you,” said the old man, “and now go home.”
After the mother and son left, he gave the horse a good bath and put it in the basement. I started feeding him selected food. A month later the horse was unrecognizable.
The saddle and sword were cleaned to a shine. Soon the old man called the young man to his place.
“If you are a real horseman, this horse will be worthy of you,” and he gave the guy the horse and equipment.
The horseman brought the horse home. And those hunters who invited him to hunt every morning still drove past the young man’s house and each time invited him to come with them.
Aslanmiz prepared a horse and saddle and, when they called him at dawn, rode out with them. He quickly overtook his companions, and then galloped away so far that they lost sight of him. He killed four goats, returned back and met his companions where he had met them before.
“Here are your goats,” he said and gave them a nose each, and he returned home.
“Until this day, mother, I brought what other hunters gave me.” Today I brought what I got myself. “I have a suitable horse now,” he told his mother.
He drove like this for three mornings in a row. On the fourth morning, while hunting, he saw a golden goat. He took aim, but he felt sorry for killing such a beautiful goat. He decided to catch her and chased after her. It seemed that the goat was already very close, but at the same moment she moved on. The goat jumped over the rock, the young man followed her, and suddenly he fell from his horse.
He lay unconscious for a long time, and when he woke up, the horse was not nearby, and he could not understand where he was. He went in the direction where, as it seemed to him, their village should be. He walked for a long time, was tired and hungry. Suddenly he saw a well with a crane at the foot of the mountain. He approached him and began to wait for someone to come here. After some time, he heard someone singing, and then crying. The young man was surprised - he could not understand what this meant. Soon he saw a giant approach the well.
He tied a lagup to the crane and lowered the crane to get water from the well.
Aslanmiz stopped him.
“Take me up the mountain,” he asked the giant. “No, I won’t, you can’t go there,” he answered.
“Pick it up, otherwise I won’t let you take the water.” Aslanmiz held a crane in his hands.
- Well, if you absolutely need to get up, sit in the lagup - I’ll get you up.
The young man sat down in the lagup. The giant carried him up the mountain and then fetched water. Then they went on together.
- When you came here, you sang and cried. Tell me why did you do this? - asked the young man.
- Fine. I will answer you and explain why I didn’t want to raise you. I am a slave of another and I am one of the other. When I remember that I am from the Inizh, I begin to cry, and when I remember what my Inizh master does to people, I begin to sing, rejoicing that I am still alive. That's why I didn't want to pick you up. If my master sees you, he will certainly destroy you. Now he is sleeping, and they are boiling a bull for him - he will eat it when he wakes up. For a snack he will have the daughter of the aul psha - today it’s her turn.
“Well, I’ll die from him, I’ll die, I’m the same as those who have already become his victims,” said the horseman and went straight to where they were preparing food.
“I’m hungry, give me something to eat,” he asked.
– We can’t give anything. If he finds out that they gave you anything, he will kill both you and us,” they answered him.
“Then tell him that I took the food from you by force,” said the young man, pulled the ox’s leg out of the cauldron, brought other dishes towards him and ate his fill.
When he woke up and dinner was brought to him, he saw that the bull's leg was missing.
-Where is the bull's leg? – he asked the cook.
“Some young man came in, took it away and ate it,” he answered. -Where is this young man?
- Sits on the porch.
“Call him here,” the foreigner said and sent for the young man.
“Inyzh is calling you,” they told him.
The young man went to see the foreigner, but he did not even stand up as a sign of respect for the guest.
- Come in, come in, little man, you eat well, give me your hand!
Inizh extended his right hand. The young man pulled out his sword and cut her off. Then he extended his left hand, but it immediately flew away. He wanted to grab the horseman with his teeth, but he blew his head off.
Inizh hoped that the little man’s sword would not defeat him, but Aslanmiz had an unusual sword - it could even cut through iron and stone.
The horseman went out into the yard and saw that they had brought Psha’s daughter, who was supposed to have a snack. She sobbed inconsolably, but the cooks told her:
- You arrived at a good hour - the guy sitting on the porch killed the foreigner. You can go back!
The delighted girl approached the young man, thanked him and invited him to her village.
Aslanmiz refused the invitation, saying that he was on the road and had business to do.
Psha's daughter was taken home. When Pshi saw that his daughter was returning back, he cried with fear and sent messengers to return the cart to the inyzh.
“Inyzh will destroy us all, if he doesn’t get the girls, let them go to Inyzh,” he ordered to tell the arob workers.
But they said that some horseman killed the inyzha.
-Where is he? - Pshi asked.
“We invited him, but he didn’t want to go with us,” answered the arob workers.
“Will they let such a person go?” Bring him here quickly! - Pshi ordered.
– It’s not easy to find him. If you ask who killed the foreigner, he will not admit. “I noticed that when he walks, he leaves a trail in the shape of a crescent,” said Psha’s daughter.
We went after the young man, caught up with him and began to ask:
- Come back with us, the pshi won’t let us back without you!
“I’ll go for your sake,” Aslanmiz said and came to the pshi. When they returned, the pshi held a jega in honor of his daughter’s savior, and then said:
“I will build you a house like mine, and I will give you my daughter as a wife, don’t leave us.”
The young man thought about it. “I don’t know where I’m going. It’s probably better for me to stay,” he decided.
Aslanmiz stayed, they built him a good house, and gave him Psha’s daughter as his wife.
They lived in happiness and harmony.
One day before sunset, when the horseman was standing at his gate, some army passed by. The horseman riding in front of the army shouted:
- Aelanmiz, if you are what they say about you, come with us!
The army passed by. Sad Aslanmiz entered the house. The wife noticed that her husband was sad.
- Tell me, what upset you? – she asked.
“Now an army passed by us, and I was invited to go with them, but I have neither a horse nor weapons, I cannot go with them. That’s what upset me,” Aslanmiz said.
- It's not a problem. If father has anything, it’s horses and saddles. Everything will be delivered to you now.
She told her father that Aslanmiz needed a horse and a saddle.
– Is it really necessary to ask about this? “Everything we have is his,” said Pshi.
They quickly brought the horse to the horseman and brought him a saddle. He mounted his horse and rode after the army. Soon he caught up with him and saw that the horsemen were riding in three rows, and his roan horse, on which he had gone hunting, was being led by the bridle.
- This is my horse, give it to me! - he asked.
– I can’t do this myself. If our leader says “give it back,” I will give it,” said the one who led the horse.
- How can I ask the leader?
“We must tell the rider who is riding in front of us, he will tell the one who is riding in front of him, and so it will reach the leader.” His decision will be conveyed to us in the same way.
Soon the leader's answer came, and the horse was given to the young man. He mounted his roan and continued on his way.
Soon the horsemen drove through the thicket of the forest and came out into a beautiful clearing. Here they divided into two detachments. The leader of the army approached Aslanmiz.
“If you are what they say you are, don’t move from your place, no matter what happens,” he said.
At night the troops fought. All the warriors died - only one leader remained alive. He drove up to the horseman and said:
- Aferem, you really are what they say about you! He took off his hat from his head and got ready to leave. Aslanmiz caught up with him and took his hat.
He grappled with the leader of the army, and they fought all day. In the evening the leader said:
“If you are what they say you are, be in this place tomorrow morning.” - And he left. Aslanmiz was badly wounded.
In the morning, the leader arrived, brought a slug of water, gave the horseman a wash, a drink of water, and fed him properly. After this they began to fight again and fought until evening. Aslanmiz fought without chain mail, and his whole body was covered with wounds.
When evening came, the leader of the army said again:
- If you are what they say about you, be in this place tomorrow!
At night, the horseman pulled the arrows out of his body. In the morning the leader arrived, gave him a wash, and fed him. The young man no longer had arrows, so the enemy gave him as many arrows as he needed for the day of battle.
They began to fight and fought again until evening. Aslanmiz was all wounded. The leader tied him to a horse and brought him home.
An old woman sitting at the gate saw a young man tied to a horse.
“I told you to deliver him alive, and not lifeless, tied to a horse!” - she got angry.
She took the horseman off his horse, carried him into the house, washed his wounds and applied bandages. She treated him for three months, and finally he began to leave the room.
While in the yard, Aslanmiz saw how three horsemen rode out of the yard every morning and returned back in the evening. He asked the old woman:
“Every morning three horsemen ride out from this yard. Where are they going?
“They are going hunting, son,” answered the old woman.
“Then let me go with them,” the young man asked.
– Your horse is in the dungeon, you can mount it and ride.
The horseman was glad that his horse was alive.
The next morning he got up earlier than the time when the horsemen ride out and got ready to set off.
At dawn the horsemen rode out of the yard and the young man with them. They rode all day and in the evening they arrived at the hunting hut.
They dismounted and unsaddled their horses. The companions said to the young man:
- It's already getting dark. Go to the forest, get something for dinner. He went into the forest, killed a goat, brought it, skinned it, and fried the meat on the fire.
The hunters sat down, ate, did not say to the horseman: “Sit down with us!”, and he himself did not eat without an invitation.
After dinner, the hunters went to the hut and went to bed, they did not say to the young man: “Lie with us!”, and he himself did not enter the hut without an invitation.
In the morning the young man saddled all the horses, and the hunters continued on their way. Again we drove all day and in the evening we arrived at the second hut.
They dismounted and unsaddled their horses. The companions again said to the young man:
- It's already getting dark. Go to the forest, get something for dinner, let's eat and relax.
Aslanmiz went into the forest, killed a goat, brought it, skinned it, and fried the meat on the fire.
And this time the hunters sat down alone, ate, but did not say to the young man: “Sit down with us,” and without an invitation he did not eat.
After dinner, the hunters went to the hut and went to bed, they did not say to the young man: “Lie with us,” and he himself did not go without an invitation.
The next morning, Aslanmiz saddled all the horses, and they set off again. And this time we drove all day, and in the evening we arrived at a hunting hut.
They dismounted and unsaddled their horses. The companions again said to the young man:
- It's already getting dark. Go to the forest, get something for dinner, let's eat and relax.
The guy went into the forest, killed a goat, brought it, skinned it, and fried the meat on the fire.
The hunters sat down, ate, and this time they did not say to the young man: “Eat with us!” After dinner, the hunters went to the hut and went to bed, without inviting the young man for the third time.
Aslanmiz is sitting by the fire, thinking: “What kind of people are I going with? For three days they have never said to me: “Eat or “Rest.” As soon as they fall asleep, I will go into the hut and find out who they are.”
When some time had passed, Aslanmiz entered the hut and began to feel the extreme hunter. He groped a woman's breast. Then the woman grabbed his hands and broke his little finger.
The next morning the hunters got up, and one of them began to saddle his horses.
“What are you doing, aren’t you a hagrey?*,” others were surprised.
“The guy has already found out that we are women, now we need to go back,” answered the one who broke the horseman’s finger at night.
Now the young man rode in the middle, and the girl whom he touched at night rode on the left - now she, as the youngest, had to serve her companions.
When we stopped in the evening on the way back, the girl went into the forest, got a goat, and cooked dinner. The best pieces of meat were given to the young man, and as a sign of respect they did not sit down in his presence..
On the fourth day they arrived home, and the girls told their old mother about everything that had happened to them on the way.
The old woman gave her youngest daughter as a wife to the young man and said to him:
- Do you remember, when you were young and lived with your mother, three horsemen rode past your yard every morning and invited you to hunt - these were my daughters. The golden goat you chased is my eldest daughter, who has the gift of magic. The leader of the army you saw is me. My eldest daughter fought with you and brought you here. We have been following you for many years. Usarezh* told us that only you can defeat our enemy - Inyzha, from whose hands My husband and sons died. He kidnapped my sister's daughter and made her his daughter. My daughters, with whom you traveled, went on a campaign many times to destroy the inyzha, but could not cope with it. He will die only if he can be blinded, and only with your sword. That's why we've been watching you for so long - help us avenge our blood. Tomorrow you must leave at dawn in order to arrive in time for lunch - at this time Izh is sleeping. When you enter his yard, you will see a woman there - this is my sister’s daughter. Neither she nor the other will recognize you - the other’s horse, who stands in the copper stable, will recognize you, and he will wake up the owner. But before you leave the house, grab the girl and jump out of the yard.
Inyzh will chase you and catch up with you: he will offer you a fight. Here is an arrow with a forked tip - try to hit him in the eyes, and he will be defeated,” the old woman finished.
The horseman took an arrow with a forked tip and, together with the daughters of the old woman, set out on the road.
When they approached the village where the enemy lived, Aslanmiz left the old woman’s eldest daughter at the outskirts, and he himself entered the village.
Inyzha's horse sensed that the horseman had arrived, began to rush about in the copper stable, and neighed loudly. Meanwhile, Aslanmiz grabbed the girl standing in the yard, put her on a horse and rode off. When he reached the outskirts, he gave it to the old woman’s eldest daughter. At this time, the foreigner caught up with him, and they grappled. They decided to fight with arrows - they measured thirty steps and prepared for battle.
“Shoot,” said the foreigner.
“I won’t shoot, you’re the one who came out to fight me.” “I give you the right to shoot first,” the horseman answered.
He was scared, but didn’t show it:
“Well, since you’re giving in, I’ll shoot first.” Keep your thumb on your forehead,” said the foreigner.
Aslanmiz put his thumb on his forehead. Inyzh fired and slightly wounded him.
“Now it’s my turn to shoot.” “Put your thumb on your forehead,” the young man said.
Inizh put his finger on his forehead, Aslanmiz took good aim and fired an arrow with a forked tip. The ends of the arrow pierced the inija's eyes. At the same moment, the horseman jumped on his horse, flew up to the inyzh and struck him with all his might with his sword. He cut his chain mail, but did not touch his body. Now the inyzh grabbed the horseman's horse by the tail and did not let go. Then the horseman jumped off his horse and began fighting with his sword. In the end, he fell dead. Aslanmiz cut off his head, tied him to a saddle, filled a suluk with the giant’s blood and also tied him to the saddle.
He returned to the old woman - she ran out to meet him, took the suluk and drank all the blood. Then she took the head of the inyzha and, having fried it, ate it.
“Oh-oh, my soul feels lighter,” she said. They came to the courtyard and took all the gold and other riches.
One night the young man went to bed and sighed heavily.
-What upsets you? – his wife asked.
“I still have a wife, but she hasn’t known where I am or what’s happened to me for a long time.” This makes me sad.
“It’s very good that you still have a wife, we need to find her.” In the morning, the woman told her mother about what was bothering her husband. She said:
- You need to go to your first wife.
They prepared for the journey, took with them as much gold as their horses could carry, and set off.
They were greeted with honor - pshi, as the first time, organized a large jega in honor of his son-in-law, and was delighted at his return.
Aslanmiz lived with his wives peacefully and happily.
A little time passed, and one day the horseman sighed heavily again.
The wives asked him:
– Why do we upset you, why are you dissatisfied, tell us?!
“I’m happy with my life, you don’t upset me in any way, but it saddens me that I haven’t seen my mother for a long time and I don’t know what’s wrong with her.” One day I went hunting and haven’t returned home since then. “I don’t know how she lives, and she doesn’t know what’s wrong with me,” the husband answered.
“Don’t be sad,” the wives said.
Psha's daughter went to her father and told him that her husband wanted to go to his mother.
“If he wants, he can leave without asking me, but thank him for asking.” If you want, go with him,” said Pshi.
He gave them enough wealth to last them a lifetime, gave them many people to accompany them, and he himself escorted them to the borders of his region.
Aslanmiz arrived in his native village and found him in poverty and dirt. His wives heated water, bathed the old woman, and dressed her in clean clothes.
Soon he built a good house for both his mother and himself. And they began to live amicably, without causing their mother any worries or grief.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru