In one tribe there lived a husband and wife. The husband went hunting, brought game, and the wife looked after the deer, sewed clothes and coverings for the tent. Many children were born to them, but they all died.
The husband went hunting again, and at this time his wife gave birth to a son. A beautiful boy was born. The face was like the full moon, and the eyes sparkled like two stars. The mother bathed the newborn in salt water so that his skin would be strong and resistant to adversity, and put him in a bedik - a cradle made of birch bark. Then she began to bake cakes.
How much or how much time has passed, but the husband still does not return from the hunt.
So my son has already become big. He bent himself a bow from a young birch tree, made arrows and asks his mother to let him go hunting to try his luck and look for his father.
Young Ulugen walks through the taiga, feeds on game, falls asleep under a cedar tree, washes himself in a mountain spring and moves on.
[Ulugen means owl in Tofalar.]
One night, Ulugan woke up from a terrible scream. The young hunter got scared, pulled his bow and began to wait. At the top of the cedar, under which Ulugen stood, laughter was heard. The young man looked there and saw an owl. It was she who woke him up with her scream, it was she who laughed at him.
The hunter got angry, pointed an arrow at the owl, and the owl flew away and said:
- Stop being angry, brother Ulugen, better remember where you are going, and I will help you. Now we will sleep during the day and go at night to look for your father. Your father is alive, but he has been bewitched by an evil sorceress, and he must be saved...
The owl flew for three nights, and Ulugen walked behind it. The owl sat in the hollow for three days, and Ulugen slept under the tree. On the fourth night the owl says to Ulugzn:
- Now we will be at the enchanted place with the sorceress. She will make you sleepy, but don’t sleep, otherwise you yourself will disappear and you won’t save your father. Fill your pockets with sharp stones and twigs, place them under you when you start to feel sleepy. Well, then you’ll figure out what you need to do, and I’ll be there.
At midnight, Ulugen came out into the clearing. The ringing of bells and bells was heard from all sides, and a song was heard. A girl sang this song. As soon as the song was heard, the entire valley lit up. Each flower radiated light. And among these flowers a yellow stripe was visible on the grass.
Ulugen’s eyes began to close on their own. He lay down on the grass and then remembered what the owl had punished him. He placed twigs and stones under himself.
An invisible girl sings songs, bells and bells ring. Ulugen's head completely fell onto the grass and hit rocks and twigs. Ulugan opened his eyes and cried out:
– Who sings here? Who keeps me awake in the middle of the night with his songs?..
“It’s me,” the girl’s voice answers.
- Who are you? Show yourself.
“I can’t show myself to you now, you’ll find me at sunrise.”
- How will I find you?
– Do you see the yellow stripe? You will approach her at sunrise and you will see me.
Then Ulugen heard the cry of an owl and realized that it was time to catch the sorceress. Then he jumped to his feet and walked towards the yellow stripe. The bells and bells rang alarmingly.
Ulugen approached the yellow stripe and saw that it was a beautiful, shiny women's sash. Ulugen grabbed him with his hands, and a girl of indescribable beauty in a yellow dress appeared in front of him. The young man looked at her and forgot even why he came here. The owl screeched again.
- Why didn’t you wait for the sun to rise? Why didn't you listen to me? - said the girl.
– You are powerless now. You won't bewitch me. I'm not afraid of you. Tell me, where is my father?
The girl stood and was silent. Then the cry of an owl was heard.
-Tell me, where is my father? I will tear your sash and your strength will be gone.
-Your father is here, but he is blind. Looked at me at sunrise. Anyone who looks at me at this time is blinded by my beauty and my dress. Give me my sash, I will bring you your father.
- No, you first bring your father here, and then I’ll see: should I give you the sash?
Bells and bells rang. One red flower opened, swayed, dropped its petals, and soon a hunter who looked like him stood in front of Ulugen.
“I don’t see you, sorceress.” Let me touch your sash, it will give me life,” said the hunter.
- Your son has come for you. “I will free you, but you will be blind,” the girl said. He was delighted, tears flowed down his cheeks.
The owl screeched again. Ulugen looked at the valley, saw many flowers and guessed that the flowers were hunters who had been bewitched by the sorceress.
- No, that’s not enough for me. Free all hunters. So that not a single flower remains.
The sorceress was angry, but there was nothing to do. All the flowers opened, swayed and dropped their petals. The stems began to grow, and soon seventy-seven hunters appeared before Ulugzn. They were all blind.
The owl screeched again. Ulugzn tore the yellow sash, set it on fire, and put the ashes in a taksha. The owl screeched again. The young man approached his father and rubbed his head with ashes. The father began to see. He did this to all the hunters. They all began to see. People rejoiced at the liberation, thanked Ulugzn, and praised him.
[Taksha is a wooden cup.]
And then the owl screeched again. Ulugen looked at the girl. A beauty in a shiny dress sits on the grass and cries.
- Why are you crying? You are no longer an evil sorceress, but an ordinary girl. You are beautiful, I fell in love with you. Get together with us, we will live together, I will be your husband.
Ulugen, his father and the girl returned to their tent.
The mother was delighted with her son and husband. She liked the girl too. And they got married and lived happily ever after.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru