They say there was one leader; he fathered many sons. But he did not like the birth of sons, for he said that if the sons were adults, it would happen that they would take his power away from him. There were such old women appointed to kill the sons of that leader; when he begat a male child, it was taken to the old women so that they would kill it; they killed him immediately. They did this with all the male children begotten by that leader.
It happened one day that he gave birth to another son; his mother carried it under the arm of the old women. She gave the old woman a gift, she terribly prayed to them that they would not kill him, but would take him to his mother’s brother, for it was the son whom she
loved very much. And his mother generously gave gifts to the old women, she ordered them to feed him. They fed him, they took him to the boy's mother's brother and settled him there with his mother's brother. It used to happen to him, when he became a young man, that he loved to graze the cattle of his mother’s brother; he followed his mother's brother's boys; they revered him, they exalted him. “It happened while they were grazing that he said to the boys: gather large stones and let’s heat them.” They collected them, they made a pile of them. “He said: choose a good calf and let’s slaughter it.” They chose him from the flock they were tending. He told them to skin him; they skinned him, they roasted his meat, rejoicing. “The boys said: why are you doing this?” “He said: I know what I’m doing.”
It happened the next day they were grazing cattle and his father’s commanders sent by him were walking; They asked: who are you? He did not answer them. They took him without doubt, they thought: this child looks like our leader. They went with him and carried him to his father.
It happened when they came to his father, they said to his father: if we tell you a good incident, what will you give us? “His father said to the military leaders: I will give you bulls according to color, this color and this and this.” “The military leaders rejected them,” they said: “No, we don’t want them.” There was this herd of black bulls that they alluded to. — He asked what do you want? - The military leaders answered: a herd of blacks. He gave them to them. And they told him, they said: It happened during our campaign that we saw a child similar to yours. “Then his father saw that this young man was really his; he asked: what wife is he from? “They answered, knowing about him that she hid him, they said: from such and such your wife is the leader.”
In anger, he gathered the tribe and ordered the boy to be taken away. The tribe gathered; his mother came with her sister. He ordered them to send him away, go and place him further into a large forest. For it was known that there, in that forest, there was such a large multi-headed beast, which was said to eat people.
They went there. Many did not reach the forest; they were tired and returned back. His mother and her sister and son went, there were three of them. “His mother said: I can’t leave him in an open place, I’ll go, I’ll put him there in the place where I’m ordered to go.” They went to a large forest: they approached, they entered the forest. They placed him on a large rock in the middle of the forest. The boy sat down there. They left him and returned back. He was left alone at the top of the stone. It happened one day that a many-headed beast came, it emerged from the water. This beast owned all the things there. He took that young man, did not kill him, took him and gave him food until he recovered. It happened when he recovered and did not need anything, had a large tribe given to him by This many-headed beast, for this monster owned all things, both food and people, he wanted to go to his father. He went with a large tribe, being the chief.
He went to his mother's brother; he came to his mother's brother, only his mother's brother did not recognize him. He entered the house, only his mother's brother's people did not recognize him. His commander went to ask his mother's brother for the bull; - he said: says Sikulumi son of Hlokokhloko, give him a good bull to eat. “His mother’s brother heard this name Sikulumi son of Hlokokhloko, he was surprised and asked: who is this?” — The military leader answered: leader. His mother's brother came out to look at him. He saw that it was Sikulumi the son of Hlokokhloko. - He was terribly happy; he cried: yi, yi, yi! raising a noise of joy, he said: Sikulumi, the son of Hlokokhloko, has come! The whole tribe of his mother's brother had gathered. - His mother’s brother, out of great joy, gave him part of the bulls; he said, “Here are your oxen.” A great feast was made; they ate, they rejoiced because they saw him, for they did not know that they would see him again. He moved on, went to his father's people. They saw that it was Sikulumi the son of Hlokokhloko. “They reported him to his father; They said, “Here is your son, whom you sent into the great forest.” The leader was greatly alarmed. He called the whole tribe; he ordered them to bring their weapons. All his people gathered. - His father ordered: let Sikulumi’s son Hlokokhloko be killed. Sikulumi's son Hlokokhloko heard this and went outside. The whole tribe gathered. - His father ordered: let him be struck by spears. - The son of Hlokokhloko stood in the open and said to Sikulumi: throw spears at me without confusion. “He said this because he was sure that he would not die, even if they threw spears at him for a long time, at least until sunset, that he would not die. He stood there until the sun set. They threw spears at him, not having the power to kill him. For he had the power not to die; for the beast made him steadfast, for he knew that Sikulumi would go to his own; he knew that his father did not want a son; he knew that they would kill Sikulumi the son of Hlokokhloko; he made him resilient.
They were powerless to throw spears at him. - Sikulumi asked: are you exhausted? - They answered: we are exhausted. He took the spear, he struck everyone; they all died. He captured the cattle. He set out with his army from this country with all the livestock. And his mother went with him, and her sister with him - the leader.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru