Once upon a time, there were two khans: the Khan of the West and the Khan of the East. Once the Khan of the East sent a letter to the Khan of the West with a messenger, and in that letter it was said this: “When your herd-keepers were driving the herds from the mountain meadows to the steppe, my world-famous stallion, hearing their stomping, neighed. Therefore, the foals from your herds this year are all mine!”
The Khan of the West was surprised at the insolence and stupidity of his neighbor. I was surprised and thought about it. He didn’t want to start a war, and it was also a shame to lose the offspring of his countless herds.
The Khan of the West decided to convene the old men, famous among the people, for a council. They called the wisest, and the khan told them what was troubling him.
And then a gray-bearded old man named Zhenali stepped forward.
- Order, lord, to arm forty brave horsemen who would obey me in everything. Give me forty empty bags, a tall camel, a small donkey and a long goat. Noah's beard, and I'll spare you the trouble.
The khan was delighted, ordered to give the old man Zhenali everything he asked for, and ordered his horsemen:
“Obey Zhenali as you obey me, otherwise my sword will taste your blood!”
Old man Zhenali set off at the head of his detachment.
They rode for many days and many nights until they finally reached the capital of the Khan of the East. Zhenali pitched his tent near the city walls, on the river bank, and ordered the horsemen:
- Collect more cobblestones on the river, fill bags with them, go to the city and throw stones at the Khan’s dogs.
As he ordered, so the riders did. They threw stones at the Khan's dogs. The dogs started squealing and howling. The angry Khan of the East called his vizier and asked:
-Who dared to offend my dogs?
“The visiting people threw stones at them, Great Khan,” answered the vizier, trembling and bowing low.
- Send their eldest to me immediately! Let the biggest one come!
The vizier personally galloped to old man Zhenali and said:
“Our gracious khan immediately demands your eldest and greatest!”
And Zhenali sits calmly on the bank and points to the camel:
- Here we have the biggest one! Drive him if you need to!
They brought the camel to the palace. The khan became furious. Shouts:
“I wasn’t talking about height, I was talking about seniority!” Bring their elder to me. Who's there with the beard?!
The vizier rushed to Zhenali, galloped up, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve:
- Khan demands your bearded one!
But Zhenali is not worried at all. He pointed to the goat, which was immediately nibbling grass:
- Here he is, our bearded man! Lead if you want!
They dragged the goat into the palace. The goat shakes its head and resists. When the Khan of the East saw him, he turned white with anger.
- Did I talk about such a beard? I ordered the gray-bearded old man to be brought!
The vizier flew to Zhenali for the third time, driving his horse at full speed, he could barely catch his breath. Says to the old man:
- Khan of the East, phew, demands you, phew, to the palace!
“I should have said so right away!” Zhenali became angry. “I have no peace from you!”
Zhenali came to the palace. Khan of the East asks menacingly:
- How dare your people beat my best dogs?
And old man Zhenali answered him:
“The flock of Khan of the West was attacked by wolves, and your dogs lay down here as if they had nothing to do with it!”
The Khan of the East was amazed.
-Are you out of your mind, old man? What do they care about your flock?!
Then Married him in response:
“What do our herds care about the neighing of your famous stallion?”
Khan couldn’t find how to answer. His wife came to his aid.
“We will answer you tomorrow, old man,” said the Khansha. “Only tomorrow you come to the palace neither naked nor dressed, not on foot or on horseback, on the road or without the road.”
Old man Zhenali returned to his tent. He sits and thinks: “Matting is not clothing, the roadside is not a road, my donkey is not a horse...” He made himself a beshmet from matting, sat astride a small donkey and calmly went to the Khan of the East.
He himself drives along the side of the road, moving his feet along the ground.
And the Khansha was already waiting for him. She saw Zhenali from the window, called him over and said:
- You outsmarted me, old man! I myself will tell the khan how you arrived. Return and tell your lord that the Khan of the East has appreciated the intelligence of your people.
The old man brought good news to Zhenali Khan of the West.
To celebrate, the khan poured him a sack and another sack, and a total of forty sacks of gold. And the wise Zhenali lived until death in wealth and honor.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru