Once upon a time there lived a man, neither rich nor poor. He had three sons. All three were beautiful, like a month, they learned to read and write, they gained intelligence, they did not know bad people.
The eldest Tonguch-batyr was twenty-one years old, the middle Ortancha-batyr was eighteen years old, and the youngest Kenja-batyr was sixteen.
One day the father called his sons to him, sat him down, caressed each of them, stroked them on the head and said:
-My sons, I am not rich, the property that will remain after me will not last you long. Don't expect or hope for more from me. I brought up three qualities in you: firstly, I raised you healthy - you became strong: secondly, I gave you weapons in your hands - you became skilled haymakers; thirdly, he taught you not to be afraid of anything - you became brave. I also give you three covenants. Listen and do not forget them: be honest - and you will live in peace; do not brag - and you will not have to blush with shame; don't be lazy - and you will be happy. And take care of everything else yourself. I have prepared three horses for you: black, dun and gray. I filled your bags with food supplies for the week. Happiness is ahead of you. Go on a journey, go see the light. Without knowing the light, you will not be able to go out into people. Go catch the bird of happiness. Farewell, my sons!
Having said this, the father stood up and left.
The brothers began to get ready for the journey. Early in the morning they mounted their horses and set off. The brothers rode all day and went far, far away. In the evening we decided to rest. They got off their horses, ate, but before going to bed, they agreed like this:
The place here is deserted, it won’t be good if we all fall asleep. Let's divide the night into three watches and take turns guarding the peace of those sleeping.
No sooner said than done.
First, Tongu's elder brother began to watch, and the others went to bed. Tonguch Batyr sat for a long time, playing with his sword and looking in all directions in the moonlight... There was silence. Everything was like a dream. Suddenly a noise was heard from the direction of the forest. Tonguch drew his sword and prepared.
Not far from where the brothers stopped was a lion's den. Sensing the smell of people, the lion got up and went out into the steppe.
Tonguch Batyr was confident that he could cope with the lion, and, not wanting to disturb his brothers, he ran to the side. The beast chased him.
Tonguch Batyr turned around and, hitting the lion on the left paw with his sword, inflicted a wound on him. The wounded lion rushed at Tonguch-batyr, but he jumped back again and hit the animal on the head with all his might. The lion fell dead.
Tonguch Batyr sat astride the lion, cut a narrow strip from its skin, belted it under his shirt and, as if nothing had happened, returned to his sleeping brothers.
Then, in turn, the middle brother Ortancha-batyr stood guard.
Nothing happened while he was on duty. The third brother Kenja-batyr stood behind him and guarded the peace of his brothers until dawn. This is how the first night passed.
In the morning the brothers set off again. We drove for a long time, covered a lot, and in the evening we stopped at a large mountain. At its foot stood a lonely spreading poplar; under the poplar a spring was breaking out of the ground. There was a cave near the spring, and behind it lived the king of snakes, Azhdar Sultan.
The heroes did not know about the king of snakes. They calmly tied up the horses, cleaned them with a comb, gave them food, and sat down to dinner. Before going to bed, they decided to keep watch, just like the first night. First, the elder brother Tonguch-batyr went on duty, followed by the turn of the middle brother Ortancha-batyr.
The night was moonlit and silence reigned. But then a noise was heard. A little later, Azhdar Sultan crawled out of the cave with a head like a pot, with a long body like a log and crawled towards the spring.
Ortancha Batyr did not want to disturb the brothers’ sleep and ran to the steppe, away from the spring.
Sensing a man, Azhdar Sultan chased after him. Ortancha-batyr jumped to the side and hit the king of snakes on the tail with his sword. Azhdar Sultan began to spin around. And the hero contrived and hit him on the back. The seriously wounded king of snakes rushed at Ortancha-batyr. Then the hero put an end to him with the last blow.
Then he cut a narrow strip from its skin, belted it under his shirt and, as if nothing had happened, returned to his brothers and sat down in his place. It was the turn of the younger brother Kendzha-batyr to be on duty. In the morning the brothers set off again.
They rode for a long time through the steppes. At sunset they drove up to a lonely hill, dismounted from their horses and settled down to rest. They lit a fire, had dinner and again began to take turns on duty: first the eldest, then the middle one, and finally it was the turn of the younger brother.
Kenja the batyr sits, guarding the sleep of his brothers. He did not notice that the fire in the fire had gone out.
It’s not good for us to remain without fire, thought Kenja Batyr.
He climbed to the top of the hill and began to look around. In the distance, a light flashed from time to time.
Kenja Batyr mounted his horse and rode in that direction.
He drove for a long time and finally reached a lonely house.
Kenja Batyr got off his horse, quietly tiptoed to the window and looked inside.
The room was light, and stew was cooking in a cauldron on the hearth. There were about twenty people sitting around the fireplace. Everyone had gloomy faces and wide eyes. Apparently these people were planning something evil.
Kenja thought:
Wow, there's a bunch of robbers here. Leaving them and walking away is not the right thing to do; it is not appropriate for an honest person to do so. I’ll try to cheat: I’ll take a closer look, gain their trust, and then do my job.
He opened the door and entered. The robbers grabbed their weapons.
“Master,” said Kenja Batyr, addressing the chieftain of the robbers, “I am your insignificant slave, originally from a distant city.” Until now I have been doing small things. For a long time now I have wanted to join some gang like yours. I heard that your honor was here and hurried to you. Don't look that I'm young. My only hope is that you will accept me. I know a lot of different skills. I know how to dig tunnels, I know how to look out and scout. I will be useful in your business.
This is how Kenja Batyr skillfully conducted the conversation.
The chieftain of the gang replied:
- It was good that you came.
Putting his hands to his chest, Kenja Batyr bowed and sat down near the fire.
The stew is ripe. Let's eat.
That night the robbers decided to rob the Shah's treasury. After dinner, everyone mounted their horses and rode off.
Kenja Batyr also went with them. After a little time, they drove up to the palace garden, dismounted from their horses and began to consult on how to get into the palace.
Finally, they came to an agreement: first, Kendzha Batyr would climb over the wall and find out if the guards were sleeping. Then the rest, one by one, will climb over the wall, go down into the garden and gather there to immediately break into the palace.
The robbers helped Kenja Batyr climb the wall. Batyr jumped down, walked around the garden and, finding that the guard was sleeping, found a cart and rolled it up to the wall.
Then Kenja Batyr climbed onto the cart and, sticking his head out from behind the wall, said: “The most convenient time.”
The chieftain ordered the robbers to climb over the wall one by one.
As soon as the first robber lay down on his stomach on the fence and, bowing his head, prepared to climb onto the cart, Kendzha Batyr swung his sword and the thief’s head rolled.
“Get down,” Kendzha-batyr ordered, held out the thief’s body and threw him down.
In short, Kenja Batyr chopped off the heads of all the robbers, and then went to the palace.
Kendzha Batyr walked quietly past the sleeping guards into a hall with three doors. Ten female servants were on duty here, but they were also sleeping.
Unnoticed by anyone, Kenja Batyr entered the first door and found himself in a richly decorated room. Silk curtains embroidered with crimson flowers were hung on the walls.
In the room, on a silver bed wrapped in white cloth, slept a beauty, more beautiful than all the flowers on earth. Kendzha Batyr quietly approached her, took the gold ring from her right hand and put it in his pocket. Then he came back and went out into the hall.
Well, let's examine the second room, what secrets are there? - Kendzha-batyr said to himself.
Opening the second door, he found himself in a luxuriously decorated room, decorated with silks embroidered with images of birds. In the middle, on a silver bed, surrounded by a dozen serving girls, lay a beautiful girl. Because of her, the month and the sun argued: from which of them she took her beauty.
Kenja Batyr quietly took the bracelet off the girl’s hand and put it in his pocket. Then he returned back and went out to the same village.
Now we need to go to the third room, he thought.
There were even more decorations here. The walls were decorated with crimson silk.
A beauty slept on a silver bed, surrounded by sixteen beautiful maidservants. The girl was so lovely that even Queen Aiszd herself, the beautiful morning star, was ready to serve her.
Kenja Batyr quietly took out a hollow earring from the girl’s right ear and put it in his pocket.
Kenja Batyr left the palace, climbed over the fence, mounted his horse and rode to his brothers.
The brothers had not yet woken up. So Kenja Batyr sat until Shri, playing with his sword.
It's dawn. The heroes had breakfast, saddled their horses, sat on horseback and set off.
A little later they entered the city and stopped at a caravanserai. Having tied their horses under a canopy, they went to the teahouse and sat down there to relax with a pot of tea.
Suddenly a herald came out into the street and announced:
- Those who have ears, let them listen! Tonight, in the palace garden, someone cut off the heads of twenty robbers, and one gold item was lost from the Shah's daughters. Our Shah wished that all the people, young and old, would help explain to him the incomprehensible event and indicate who the hero was who committed such a heroic act. If anyone has visitors from other cities or countries in their house, they must immediately bring them to the palace.
The owner of the caravanserai invited his guests to come to the Shah.
The brothers got up and slowly went to the palace.
The Shah, having learned that they were strangers, ordered them to be taken to a special room with rich decoration, and instructed the vizier to find out the secret from them.
The vizier said:
- If you ask directly, they may not tell.
It’s better to leave them alone and listen to what they talk about.
In the room where the brothers were sitting, there was no one except them. A tablecloth was laid out in front of them and various dishes were brought. The brothers began to eat.
And in the adjacent room the Shah and the Vizier sat silently and eavesdropped.
“We were given the meat of a young lamb,” said Tonguch-batyr, “but it turns out that he was fed by a dog.” The Shahs do not disdain even dogs. And here’s what I’m surprised by: the human spirit comes from bekmes.
“That’s right,” said Kenja Batyr. - All Shahs are bloodsuckers. There is nothing incredible if human blood is mixed into bekmes. One thing that also surprises me is that the cakes on the tray are arranged in a way that only a good baker can arrange.
Tonguch Batyr said:
- That must be the case. Here's what: we were called here to find out what happened in the Shah's palace. Of course they will ask us. What will we say?
“We won’t lie,” said Ortancha Batyr. We will tell the truth.
“Yes, the time has come to tell about everything that we saw during the three days on the road,” answered Kenja Batyr.
Tonguch Batyr began to tell how he fought with a lion on the first night. Then he took off the lion skin band and threw it in front of his brothers. Following him, Ortancha Batyr also spoke about what happened on the second night and, taking off the braid from the skin of the king of snakes, showed it to his brothers. Then Kenja Batyr spoke. Having told what happened on the third night, he showed the brothers the gold things he had taken.
Then the Shah and the Vizier learned the secret, but they could not understand what the brothers said about meat, bekmes and flatbreads. So they first sent for the shepherd. The shepherd came.
“Tell the truth!” said the Shah. “Did a dog feed the lamb you sent yesterday?”
“Oh, sir!” the shepherd prayed. “If you save my life, I’ll tell you.”
“Please, tell the truth,” said the Shah.
The shepherd said:
— In winter, my sheep killed. I felt sorry for the lamb, and I gave it to the dog. She fed him. Yesterday I sent just this lamb, because I had no others left besides him, your servants had already taken them all.
Then the Shah ordered to call the gardener.
“Tell the truth,” the Shah told him, “is it possible to
human blood mixed in?
“Oh, my lord,” answered the gardener, “there was one event, if you save my life, I will tell you the whole truth.”
“Speak, I will spare you,” said the Shah.
Then the gardener said:
“Last summer, someone got into the habit of stealing the best grapes left for you every night.”
I lay down in the vineyard and began to keep watch. I see someone coming. I hit him on the head with a baton. Then he dug a deep hole under the vine and buried the body. The next year the vine grew and produced such a harvest that there were more grapes than leaves. Only the grapes tasted a little different. I didn’t send you fresh grapes, but cooked some bekmes.
As for the flatbreads, the Shah himself placed them on the tray. It turns out that the Shah's father was a baker.
The Shah entered the heroes’ room, greeted them and said:
“Everything you said turned out to be true, and that’s why I liked you even more.” I have a request to you, dear guests-heroes, listen to it.
“Speak,” said Tonguch-batyr, “if it comes up.”
your request to us, we will fulfill it.
— I have three daughters, but no sons. Stay here. I would marry my daughters to you, arrange a wedding, call the whole city and treat everyone to pilaf for forty days.
“You speak very well,” answered Tonguch Batyr, “but how can we marry your daughters when we are not the Shah’s children, and our father is not rich at all.”
Your wealth was gained by reign, and we were brought up in work.
The Shah insisted:
“I am the ruler of the country, and your father raised you with the labor of his hands, but since he is the father of such heroes as you, then why is he worse than me?” In fact, he is richer than me.
And now I, the father of the girls before whom the loving shahs, the powerful rulers of the world, cried, stand before you and, crying, begging, offer you my daughters as wives.
The brothers agreed. The Shah arranged a feast. They feasted for forty days, and the young heroes began to live in the Shah's palace. The Shah fell most in love with his younger son-in-law, Kendzha Batyr.
One day the Shah lay down to rest in the cold. Suddenly a poisonous snake crawled out of the ditch and was about to bite the Shah. But Kenja Batyr arrived in time. He grabbed the sword from its sheath, cut the snake in half and threw it aside.
Before Kenja Batyr had time to put his sword back into its sheath, the Shah woke up. Doubt entered his soul. “He is already dissatisfied with the fact that I gave my daughter to him,” the Shah thought, “it’s not enough for him, it turns out that he is planning to kill me and wants to become the Shah himself.”
The Shah went to his vizier and told him what had happened. The vizier had long harbored enmity towards the heroes and was only waiting for an opportunity. He began to slander the Shah.
- Without asking me for advice, you passed off as some
rogues of beloved daughters. But now your beloved son-in-law wanted to kill you. Look, with the help of cunning he will still destroy you.
The Shah believed the vizier's words and ordered:
- He put Kendzha-batyr in prison.
Kendzha-batyr was sent to prison. The young princess, the wife of Kenj-batyr, became sad and sad. She cried for days, and her rosy cheeks faded. One day she threw herself at her father’s feet and began to ask him to free her son-in-law.
Then the Shah ordered to bring Kendzha-batyr from prison.
“It turns out you are so treacherous,” said the Shah. “How did you decide to kill me?”
In response, Kenja Batyr told the Shah the story of the parrot.
Parrot story
Once upon a time there lived a Shah. He had a favorite parrot. The Shah loved his parrot so much that he could not live without him for a single hour.
The parrot spoke pleasant words to the Shah and entertained him. One day a parrot asked:
o In my homeland, India, I have a father and mother, brothers and sisters. I have been living in captivity for a long time. Now I ask you to let me go for twenty days. I’ll fly to my homeland, six days there, six days back, eight days I’ll stay at home, I’ll look at my mother and father, my brothers and sisters.
“No,” answered the Shah, “if I let you go, you won’t come back, and I will be bored.”
The parrot began to assure:
“Sir, I give my word and I will keep it.”
“Okay, if that’s the case, I’ll let you go, but only for two weeks,” said the Shah.
“Goodbye, I’ll turn around somehow,” the parrot rejoiced.
He flew from the cage to the fence, said goodbye to everyone and flew south. The Shah stood and looked after him. He did not believe that the parrot would return.
The parrot flew to its homeland, India, in six days and found its parents. The poor thing was happy, fluttered, frolicked, flew from hill to hill, from branch to branch, from tree to tree, swimming in the greenery of the forests, visited family and friends and did not even notice how two days had passed. The time has come to fly back into captivity, into a cage. It was hard for the parrot to part with its father and mother, brothers and sisters.
Minutes of fun gave way to hours of sadness. The wings hung. Maybe we’ll be able to fly again, maybe not.
Relatives and friends gathered. Everyone felt sorry for the parrot and advised him not to return to the Shah. But the parrot said:
- No, I made a promise. Can I break my word?
“Eh,” said one parrot, “when did you see
so that kings keep their promises? If your Shah were fair, would he have kept you in prison for fourteen years and only released you for fourteen days? Were you born to live in captivity? Don't let go of your freedom in order to provide entertainment to someone else! The Shah has more cruelty than mercy. It is unwise and dangerous to be close to the king and the tiger.
But the parrot did not listen to the advice and was about to fly away. Then the parrot's mother spoke:
- In that case, I will give you advice. The fruits of life grow in our places. Whoever eats at least one fruit immediately turns into a young man, an old man becomes a young man again, and an old woman becomes a young girl. Take the precious fruits to the Shah and ask him to set you free. Perhaps a sense of justice will awaken in him and he will give you freedom.
Everyone approved the advice. Immediately they brought forth three fruits of life. The parrot said goodbye to his family and friends and flew north. Everyone looked after him, harboring great hopes in their hearts.
The parrot flew to the place in six days, presented the Shah with a gift and told what properties the fruits have. The Shah was delighted, promised to free the parrot, gave one fruit to his wife, and put the rest in a bowl.
The vizier shook with envy and anger and decided to turn things around differently.
- While you don’t eat the fruits brought by the bird, let’s try them first. “If they turn out to be good, it’s never too late to eat them,” said the vizier.
The Shah approved the advice. And the vizier, improving the moment, let strong poison into the fruits of life. Then the vizier said:
- Well, now let's try it.
— They brought two peacocks and gave them to eat the fruit. Both peacocks died immediately.
“What would happen if you ate them?” said the vizier.
“I too would have died!” exclaimed the Shah. He dragged the poor parrot out of its cage and tore off its head. So the poor parrot received a reward from the Shah.
Soon the Shah became angry with one old man and decided to execute him. The Shah ordered him to eat the remaining fruit. As soon as the old man ate it, his black hair immediately grew, new teeth erupted, his eyes sparkled with a youthful sparkle, and he took on the appearance of a twenty-year-old youth.
The king realized that he had killed the parrot in vain, but it was too late.
- And now I’ll tell you about what happened while you
“were asleep,” Kendzha Batyr said in conclusion.
He went into the garden and brought back the body of a snake cut in half. The Shah began to ask for an apology from Kendzha Batyr. Kenja batyr told him:
- Sir, allow me and my brothers to go home to their country. It is impossible to live in kindness and peace with the Shahs.
No matter how much the Shah begged or begged, the heroes did not agree.
“We cannot be courtiers and live in the Shah’s palace.” “We will live by our labor,” they said.
“Well, then let my daughters stay at home,” said the Shah.
But the daughters started talking vying with each other:
- We will not part with our husbands.
The young heroes returned to their father along with their wives and lived a happy life of contentment and work.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru