Once upon a time, an old man lived on the edge of a khan’s nomadic camps. He had three daughters; the youngest, named Kooku, was distinguished not only by her beauty, but also by her wisdom.
One day the old man decided to drive cattle to the khan's bazaar for sale and asked each daughter to tell frankly what gift to bring her.
The two eldest asked their father to buy them different outfits, but the wise and beautiful Kooku refused the gift, saying that the gift she wanted was difficult to get and dangerous. But the father, loving her more than other daughters, swore that he would certainly satisfy her desire, even if it cost him his life.
“If so,” answered Kooku, “then I ask you to do the following: after selling all the cattle, leave one short-haired bull and do not give it to anyone for any money, but ask for the khan’s left eye.”
And then the old man realized the horror of his situation. He wanted to refuse her, but, remembering his oath and relying on the wisdom of his daughter, he nevertheless decided to fulfill her wish.
Arriving at the market, the old man sold all his cattle, and for the remaining short-haired bull he began to ask for the khan’s left eye.
The rumor about such a strange and daring demand of the old man soon reached the khan's minions. They tied up the old man and brought him to the khan.
The old man, falling at the khan’s feet, admitted that his youngest daughter taught him to demand his left eye, but for what purpose is unknown.
The Khan, assuming that there would certainly be some secret hidden in such an unusual demand, released the old man on the condition that he would immediately show him his daughter.
Kooku appeared.
Khan sternly asked her why she taught her father to demand the Khan’s left eye.
“So,” Kooku answered, “so that you, Khan, having heard such a strange demand, would want to see me out of curiosity.”
“What need do you have to see me?”
“I wanted to tell you one important and useful truth for both you and your people,” the girl answered.
- Which one exactly?
“Khan,” Kooku answered, “of the two people you judge, the noble and the rich usually stand on the right side, and the poor on the left.” At the same time, as I hear in my solitude, you justify the noble and rich. That’s why I persuaded the priest to ask for your left eye, because you have an extra one: you don’t see the poor and defenseless with it.
Han was very irritated by this answer, and immediately instructed his henchmen to judge Kouka for her insolence.
The trial has begun. The senior lama elected to chair suggested testing whether she decided to do such an unheard-of act out of anger or wisdom.
And so the judges first of all showed Kook a tree, hewn evenly on all sides, and ordered her to find out where the top was and where the root was.
Kooku threw the tree into the water: the root sank, and the top floated to the top. This is how Kooku solved the first problem.
Then the court sent two snakes to her to find out which of them was female and which was male.
The wise Kooku placed both snakes on cotton wool and, noticing that one of them curled up into a ball and the other crawled, recognized the latter as male and the first as female.
But the dissatisfied khan decided to embarrass Kouka with even more difficult questions and thereby prove that she should not be recognized as wise.
Summoning Kooku, the khan asked her:
- If they send girls into the forest to pick apples, which of them and in what way will pick the most of them?
“The one,” Kooku answered, “who will not climb the apple tree, but will remain on the ground to pick up apples that fall to the ground from ripeness and shaking of the branches.”
“And having arrived at a swampy swamp,” asked the khan, “what is the most convenient way to cross it?”
“It’s better to go straight, but it will be closer to go around,” Kooku answered.
Khan, seeing that the girl answered all the questions wisely and without confusion, was very annoyed and, after long reflection, asked her the following questions:
- Tell me, what is the surest way to become known to many?
— To provide assistance to many and unknown people.
-Who exactly is wise?
- Someone who doesn’t consider himself that way.
Khan was amazed at the wisdom of the beautiful Kooku, but still, angry at her for reproaching him for his injustice, he wanted to destroy her.
For several days he came up with the surest way to achieve this.
Finally he called Kooka and invited her to find out the real price of his treasures. After this, the khan promised to announce that she really spoke about his injustice not out of malice, but as a wise woman, wanting to warn him.
The girl willingly agreed to this too, but in order for the khan to give his word to be in her obedience for four days, Kooku demanded that he not eat for four days.
On the last day, the girl placed a dish of meat in front of the khan and said:
- Khan, admit that all your treasures are not worth one piece of meat.
The Khan, convinced of the truth of her words, admitted that she had guessed the price of his treasures, declared her wise and married her to his son.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru