Khan Sary-kaan lived in Altai. His cattle are like ants in an anthill. Its wealth, like a high bank, bordered the village. But Khan Sary-kaan himself could not distinguish bitter from sweet, he confused black with brown.
One day Khan Sary-kaan sends his slave:
- Find out who was born to my wife.
The slave went and saw that it was a girl. He got scared, goes home and thinks: “What should I do? I’ll say: “Son” - Khan Sary-kaan would believe it, but people will explain it to him, then off with my head for lying.
Came home.
“Well,” shouts Khan Sary-kaan, “who was born?” Speak quickly! Let my ears rejoice.
The slave cannot open his mouth. The hem of an old sheepskin coat slaps my knees. The hat is shaking in my hands. The braid hung over the left ear. My teeth are chattering as if it were really cold.
- Girl...
- And I say - son, that means son. Where are my executioners? The executioners came running and tied the slave with a belt. Then suddenly a quail flew in and sat on the khan’s head.
“Hey, slave,” Khan Sary-kaan howled, “catch the quail now!”
The executioners untied their belts. The slave extended his hand to the crosswalk.
- You're stupid. stupid! - Khan Sary-kaan laughed. -Who catches a bird with their hands? Take an iron sledgehammer and strike.
Khan Sary-kaan strictly ordered. The slave does not dare disobey. Groaning, he lifted the sledgehammer with both hands. Swung it. The quail whistled and flew away, and the iron sledgehammer with all its weight landed on the bare head of Khan Sary-kaan.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru