It sparkles like an early star and outshines everyone with its beauty. Her face is like the sun, her figure is like a poplar. Famous for her soft skin, reputed to be smart and diligent. There is no end to suitors, They follow her in a crowd. The girl rejects everyone, But Ashamez reasons: “Why wouldn’t I be her groom? I’m not one of those who goes into a home Timidly, like a beggar. If she doesn’t want it, she’ll refuse, If she doesn’t gag, I’ll say it! Just don’t look down on me, Don’t consider me a simpleton, I don’t violate decency, Sacred to the custom of the dish.”
He entered the house to Ahumida. The servants, seeing him, reported about the guest: “A noble visitor is waiting there, Rarely have we seen something more beautiful, This is the son of Asha - a youth, Glorious with his deeds, His name is Ashamez.” But the bride turned into a prickly dry wind, a sultry and burning breath, scorched the earth around her, scorched both the waters and the grains, the earth withered in the darkness.
Ashamez took the fair source of Life - the pipe, and quietly sang his happy, his soulful melody. He plays the flute, And the earth comes to life, The valleys and fields bloom, Faces smile again, The animals and birds are cheerful, The river flows again. Ahumida did not calm down: She sends Ashamez a handful of sheep's wool Along with a dry vine. He accepted Ahumida’s gift and, after thinking about it, answered:
“I was neither a cattle breeder, nor a gardener, If you demand a herd - Take a look at this meadow, If you want flowers and trees - Go out into the yard and look!”
Akhumida went out into the yard, She saw flocks on the slopes, The yard was all covered in green bushes, The branches of the trees were full of golden apples. Then she hurried into the house, set the three-legged table, and took a bowl of stew. I cut the bread coarsely, Bread made from millet flour, In the brew, like little eyes, Mugs of fat float. She passed along a riddle along with the food: “Even though it’s a full moon today, it’s brighter in the underworld. The whole starry sky is in the clouds...”
The young man accepted the donation, Allegories in response: “There’s one thing missing here, - Your whip is faulty, The main thing is missing - the strap! And it’s dark today, It’s really brighter in the underworld, The luminaries are not visible in the sky, You know, half the moon was snatched away by a sharp sword in the sky.” The servant conveyed the cunning word quickly, intelligently. The bride looks at the table: Was there so much food? There is only half of the bread, You can’t see the circles in the bowl... And she got angry with the servant, She got excited. Nartu said angrily:
“If the handle of your whip is not made of boxwood, Can it be considered a whip?! The horse’s neck is like a goose’s. I can’t figure you out. Who are you: a rooster or an owl? Whose head do you have? If you are a cockerel, then what is the strap for?”
The Nart looks at the girl and answers her meekly: “My whip is a whip; As you embroider with silk, I use a whip well. Here is a handle made of boxwood, The hooves of a horse are strong, Its neck is not like a goose, But like a swan, The alps are many dearer to me! I am not like an owl, Nart is not the least reputed. I ran like a fast deer. I didn’t scour the area like an animal, I was looking for a good friend!”
Akhumida did not calm down, she hurls apt words: “And if the whip is excellent, And the handle is made of boxwood, The horse’s hooves are strong, Its neck is not like a goose, But it is similar to a swan, There is no horse more valuable, If you are not like an owl, And you are noble and brave, - Therefore, everything is in your strength, Go to the upper reaches of the Indyl, Ride into distant distances, And from brocade Bring me a wondrous dove outfit!”
Quickly jumping onto the alp, Ashamez galloped into the distance. Here they are, full of water! The rider is not looking for Ford, He rides through fields and forests, He sees flames all around. Unburnt by the flame, Tirelessly he rides forward and finds himself in a menacingly roaring storm! The black branches are twisted, the wind is tearing trees like grass from the hot earth, sweeping rocks from the road. The rain gives way to a blizzard, Nature threatens the vines with severe bitter frost, the rivers around have become shallow. And the noble rider remembered his pipe and put the pipe to his lips.
A sonorous melody spreads - The world is being transformed, It no longer lies scorched, - The earth has become green. A rider rides to the upper reaches and at the upper reaches of the river he sees a high mountain, someone’s simple hut opens to his gaze. A strong, branched green-leaved plane tree reaches out to the flock of through clouds. And on a high plane tree there is a nest, and in the nest there is a Tower, and in the tower with a dove a girl lives quietly. The appearance of a dove is marvelous, The dress she is wearing is not a bird’s, - The dress she is wearing is made of brocade. Every morning to Indyl, spreading her wings, this dove flies off - she loves to swim.
And Ashamez with a pipe came to the gorge in the morning, The young man tracked the bird: It should come down soon! The bird slows down its flight and leaves its marvelous brocade outfit in the grass. The thin-browed sledge hurries, The bright dress is grabbed, The dress shines with the dawn. The young man returned to his land and brought a dress for the bride. The bride doesn’t want a dress, Instead she says: “You, thin-waisted Ashamez, you are a welcome guest everywhere. It was in vain that you rode so far, in vain you got me an outfit, I don’t need dresses at all, - I need your loyalty. I need a fearless groom, who loves his land, I need a fair groom, and not an arrogant boaster. So that his starry eyes shine in the house, So that a rock of granite The glory of the horseman was. The sword would be a formidable lightning, And a deadly snake; I need one who thinks only about the people on a campaign, One who walks the noble path with the people, One who is called a man, Strong with the strength of a lion, With a pure heart, like a dove, He will lay down his head for the dear fatherland, For the abundance of the land, I need a generous, obedient groom. So that good countries would listen to his song, people and animals would come to him, firmly believing in him. This is the kind of knight I need - My betrothed is you!
So she opened her heart and forgot her pride. This is how Ashamez and Akhumida found their happiness.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru