Once upon a time there lived Khan Mirwais. He owned untold wealth, which he acquired by trading with India. Throughout the region, Khan Mirwais was famous for his hospitality and generosity.
One evening, Ma-liang knocked on the gate of his castle and asked for alms. The maid decided to play a joke on the unfortunate old man. She took a bucket of ash and poured it into his bag.
The old man frowned and asked:
“If you don’t want to give me alms, then why spoil everything that honest people gave me?”
“Let all their goods turn to ash,” the girl shouted angrily and immediately burst into tears.
The old man looked at her carefully and said:
– You cry and get angry at people. This is bad. What's your problem? Tell! I'll help you.
And then the girl told the old man that her owners had no children, and they only thought about the child.
“This can be helped,” said the malang and cast a spell.
Then Mirwais Khan himself came out to him.
“You will have children,” the malang turned to him. “But just remember: the first child will belong to me!”
Mirwais Khan shook his head in disbelief, but threw him a few coins.
The old man disappeared as unnoticed as he had appeared.
And after nine months and nine days, cries of joy filled the castle. The khan had a son, named Zarif.
Seven years have passed. And then one evening a decrepit old man again knocked on the gates of Mirwais Khan's palace and asked for alms.
The maid opened the door for him and immediately recognized the same guy. The girl was delighted and told about the happiness of the khan.
The old man grinned:
- Come on, beauty, take me to the khan! I want to talk to him about business.
Seeing the malang who brought happiness to his house, the khan stood up from the throne, went to meet him, caressed him and said this:
- Ask me for whatever you want.
In response, the old man grinned again and asked:
- Do you remember our agreement? After all, the first child should belong to me.
The khan begged:
– Do not take away from me the joy of my eyes, the only son of Zarif! Take whatever you want, just not him. Otherwise, if you want, settle with me and you will know neither need nor grief. And Zarif Khan will grow before your eyes.
Malang thought, thought and agreed. So he remained to live in the palace of Mirwais Khan.
Several years have passed. The khan had two more children: the boy Lyal and the girl Babi. The khan loved his children very much, but his love for his first son, Zarif Khan, who by that time had become a strong and slender young man, was especially strong. Zarif Khan was so handsome that people, once they looked at him, could not take their eyes off his beautiful face for a long time.
All his peers loved Zarif Khan for his simplicity and kind soul. He organized wrestling competitions, wandered through the mountains, looking for game, read wise books, gaining wisdom.
And Mirwais Khan, looking at his son, increasingly thought about his future. And when the time came, he decided to marry his son. He called him to his place and told him this:
“My son, sit next to me and listen to me.” Isn't it time for you to become a man? Choose the most beautiful, richest and most noble girl for yourself, and let her be your wife.
Zarif Khan became sad:
- O my beloved father! Let me live my life to my heart's content! After all, I'm still young.
Mirwais Khan did not argue and released his son. When evening came, he went to the old man Malang and asked him for advice.
Malyang calmed the khan and told him to go to bed. And he himself went to Zarif Khan’s chambers.
Zarif Khan warmly greeted the old man, asked about his health and had a leisurely conversation with him.
And then the malang told him such words that the young khan thought about. And the malang told him this:
- Your father is old. Everything is in the hands of Allah. The hour of his death will come, the dark hour, and you, my beloved, will become khan. But you will be left alone, without a family, and there will be envious people who will only wait for your death. Think about it! It’s better to choose a girl after your heart and get married while there is time.
Zarif Khan did not answer. And the next morning, as soon as the sun rose from behind the mountains, he went into the forest and wandered there for a long time, thinking about the words of the malang.
At that time, in a small mountain village there lived one poor girl, so poor that she had only one blanket. But the beauty of this girl was famous throughout the country. Her name was Maby, and she was as beautiful as an early morning in spring.
So Zarif Khan decided to marry that beautiful girl. But when he told his father about his desire, he laughed:
– Who did you choose? Will this despicable and pathetic creature be your wife? The wife of the young khan?!
“It’s not wealth that makes a man,” Zarif Khan answered calmly. “Sometimes a poor man has a more beautiful soul than a rich man.” I chose Mabyi, and she alone will be my wife.
Mirwais Khan smiled: in youth people understand little! And he answered his son like this:
- Okay. Let it be your way, my son.
And, the next day, having wooed the daughter of the poor old woman Mabuy, Mirwais Khan began, under various pretexts, to postpone the wedding, which the lovers were so looking forward to.
One gloomy autumn day, the servants saw that Mirwais Khan was fast asleep on his bed.
Zarif Khan cried bitterly, all the people in the Khanate cried bitterly, because Mirwais Khan was a kind, cheerful and merciful person.
Only Mirwais Khan's brother, the cruel Khidri, secretly rejoiced at his death, hoping to take possession of the Khanate.
But when Mirwais Khan was buried, he cried more than anyone else and tore out his hair, thereby showing his grief for his deceased brother.
In less than a few days, Zarif Khan’s mother died of melancholy and grief, and he was left alone in this world.
Little Lyal and Baby cried bitterly. And Zarif Khan could hardly hold back his tears. But it is not proper for an Afghan to cry.
Meanwhile, Khidri moved to his brother’s palace and ordered his wife to mercilessly beat Lala and Babii in order to accustom them to obedience and make them pitiful and cowardly.
And about Zarif Khan, Khidri began to spread rumors that he was a debauchee, a scoundrel and a dishonest liar.
A bitter time had come for Zarif Khan. Only Mabya, with her tender soul, understood her beloved’s grief and consoled him as best she could.
Sometimes Mabyi came to the khan’s house and caressed Lala and Babiy as if they were their own brother and sister. Only in those moments did the tears dry on the children’s faces, and they had fun playing with the beautiful girl.
Meanwhile, Khidri was still thinking about how he could sit on the throne himself. And then one day he went to one powerful khan and started a conversation with him that Zarif Khan was too young to rule.
The mighty khan did not agree with Khidri and said that according to the law, the son should inherit the throne of his father. After all, this goes on from century to century!
But then Hidri said to him in a whisper:
- It doesn’t matter that he is young!.. The trouble is that he is a liar and a libertine. How can such a person be a khan?!
“Send him to me,” the khan answered thoughtfully. - If I see that he is the way you describe him, then I will never be his khan! – And he indicated with a sign that the conversation was over.
Khidri was delighted, ran home and immediately ordered Zarif Khan to go to the mighty Khan.
Not knowing anything, the brave young man went to the palace, approached the khan and said words of greeting to him. Khan affectionately received the young man, sat him down next to him and began a conversation with him about life and people. With every word, he liked the young man more and more with his smart answers and leisurely judgments.
But he decided to check it out and told him this:
“Oh Zarif Khan, I’m going to the mosque, and I’m leaving you with my beloved, beautiful wife so that you don’t get bored.” Wait for me here!
With these words, the khan stood up from the throne and left the room. But he did not go to the mosque, but leaned against the door and began to watch how the handsome Zarif would behave. The khan stood at the door for a long time, so long that his lower back cramped and green circles appeared in his eyes.
And all this time the slender Zarif sat next to the beautiful woman and did not dare to raise his eyes. Only once, when a ray from a green emerald pinned to her rich clothes fell on his face, he raised his eyes and immediately lowered them.
Khan's heart warmed. He entered the door, sat down in his place and, sending his wife away, asked Zarif:
– Do you want me to give you this beautiful woman?
- O lord, why do I need her? – Zarif asked, embarrassed.
- But you looked at her, didn’t you? – the Khan grinned.
- Master! – Zarif replied. “I didn’t look at the woman, I looked at the precious emerald on her chest.
The khan was ashamed of his suspicion and released the handsome young man in peace, saying tender words of friendship to him in parting.
Khidri’s surprise was great when he saw Zarif Khan alive and well. Fury began to boil in his soul, and he did not sleep for five nights, inventing a way to get rid of Zarif Khan. And on the sixth morning he called his nephew to him and said to him:
“For many years, together with your father and my brother, the mighty Mirwais Khan, I led caravans with goods to India. This gave us gold. And the shine of gold pleases the eye! Don't you think that you too should follow in your father's footsteps?
Zarif Khan agreed with his uncle’s words and gave the order to equip the caravan.
When Mabuy found out about this, she was overcome with sadness. She felt that Khidri was up to something wrong. Mabuy ran to Zarif Khan, grabbed him by the stirrup and said:
Wai, Zarif Khan, at the stirrup of the horse I beg you: do not leave me! The path is dangerous! After all, if you die, I won’t live a day without you!
But Zarif Khan did not listen to Mabuy. He kissed his beloved goodbye, spurred his horse and ordered him to set off in a loud voice.
The unfortunate Maby stood for a long time at the castle walls. She looked after her beloved, and her lips whispered words of love.
The caravan walked for many days and nights through deserts and mountains, through stormy streams. And finally, he came to a land where everything around was blooming and caressing the eye. That was India.
On the long journey, everything pleased Zarif Khan: new places, unknown people, and the hot sun. But
Khidri rode on his horse, gloomy and angry, and kept thinking about how he could get rid of his nephew.
After a few days of travel, the surface of a wide river flashed in front of Zarif Khan. In the muddy water, crocodiles clicked their teeth, swimming up to the very shore.
The caravan descended to the crossing. But as soon as the leading camels stepped onto the bridge, a man in a small cap on his shaved head jumped out of nowhere, waved his arms and stopped the caravan.
- Stop, stop! Why don't you pay to cross the bridge? Until you pay a hundred rupees, I won’t let you onto the bridge!
Khidri rode up to him and, holding back the hot horse, shouted:
“Your screams are surprising.” For many years I traveled here with my brother, the mighty Mirwais Khan, and never paid anything. What do you think, if a caravan is led by a young man, then you can take money from him? Get away, you mangy dog, or I'll break all your ribs!
The man did not leave the bridge and answered:
“If you don’t listen to me, I will order the soldiers to drive you away.” I charge according to the law. And if you don’t believe me, then let one of you come with me to our almighty ruler.
Khidri nudged Zarif Khan and whispered to him:
- Go with him and threaten their king! Otherwise they were too proud! Tell them that you are the glorious and mighty Zarif Khan, son of Mirwais.
Zarif Khan did not answer, but spurred his horse and rode after the bridge keeper to the palace to the king.
Khidri was delighted and thought to himself: “Well, if he is in trouble, we must make sure that he does not get out of it.”
And baring his teeth and clenching his fists, he rode after Zarif Khan to see what would happen.
Khidri drove up to the gates of the royal palace, drove back and forth, waiting for what would happen. In the end, he got tired of waiting, he dismounted, tied his horse and went to the king’s chambers.
Great was his surprise when he saw that Zarif Khan was sitting at the right hand of the king and they were talking amicably about something.
Khidri approached the throne and said:
- O almighty king! I have important news for you.
“Speak,” ordered the king.
“I cannot speak out loud, O Almighty.” Let me come closer to you and tell you everything in secret.
The king bowed his head in agreement. Khidri approached him, bent down to the ground and whispered:
“The young man who sits next to you is the impudent and deceitful Zarif Khan. Just now he spoke swear words about you, and my tongue is not able to retell them. For fifty years now I have been driving across this bridge and always paying tribute, but he went for the first time, did not pay a penny, and even insulted your honorable name.
Having said this, Khidri bowed again and stepped aside.
- Go ahead! - the king ordered him and looked at the young man with interest. He did not believe Khidri's words. But he liked Zarif Khan with his bold face, and the king decided that this young man would be a good military leader. Therefore he told him this:
– You will remain in my kingdom, young man! Here you are free to do whatever you want, but don’t you dare go beyond my borders.
Zarif Khan was sad, but there was nothing to do. He turned to the king with only one request:
- O almighty king! The man who came to you and said something in your ear is my uncle Khidri. Allow me to go say goodbye to him and at the same time say hello to my family back home.
The king called his soldiers and ordered them to go with Zarif Khan wherever he wanted.
Zarif Khan, surrounded by soldiers, arrived to Khidri and saw that he had already finished all his work and was about to return home.
Seeing Khidri, Zarif Khan was happy, because in captivity, in a foreign land, it is always joyful to see a compatriot. After all, Zarif Khan had no idea that Khidri was such a cruel and dishonest person. He rushed to him, hugged him by the shoulders and said:
“Don’t leave Lyala and Baby in your care, because they are very small and now they have no one but you.” And I also ask: take care of Maby!
With a feigned trembling in his voice, Khidri answered him:
- Don't worry, Zarif Khan! I will cherish them all like the apple of my eye. Meet your death hour calmly and courageously, as befits an Afghan.
Khidri did this because he thought that Zarif would be executed. But Zarif Khan grinned:
- Oh, if they put me to death, it would be easier for me! And I remain here as an honorary prisoner until the end of my days.
- So, then you won’t be executed? – Khidri exclaimed angrily. “Then know that I spit on your sister, and on your brother, and on your Maba!” These pathetic creatures will know what Khidri is!
And he laughed, thinking with these words to provoke the already grieving heart of Zarif Khan.
And only then Zarif Khan began to see clearly and realized that the cause of all his troubles was Khidri’s black cunning.
- Look, Khidri, all the evil that you did to me will fall on your head! - Zarif Khan exclaimed, jumped on his horse and rushed off, surrounded by soldiers, to the palace to the king, who was looking forward to the return of his new favorite.
And Khidri hurried to return to Zarif Khan's castle.
Maby heard that the caravan had returned, and, joyful, rushed to meet him. But then the loaves entered the gate, and Mabuy saw with horror that her beloved was not among those who had returned. She turned to people and asked where Zarif Khan was, but they all silently lowered their heads and averted their eyes, because Khidri strictly ordered them not to say anything about Zarif Khan.
Zarif Khan had a favorite black servant. He couldn’t resist and quietly whispered to Mabuy:
– When we left India, Zarif-hai was alive and well. Wait for him!
Khidri heard these words and, becoming enraged, immediately cut off the black servant’s head.
Mabuy was frightened, rushed to another beloved servant of Zarif Khan, Saun, and began to ask him about his master. And Khidri stands nearby and tries the edge of his saber. Seeing this, Saun turned pale and answered Maby:
- Go to our new khan Khidri and ask him. But I don’t know anything.
Khidri smiled when he heard that he was already being called khan. And Mabuy answered like this:
“My beloved nephew Zarif Khan died in India from a stomach illness.
Maby cried bitterly. But she would have wept even more bitterly if she had known that Khidri was planning to take her as his wife. He celebrated a magnificent funeral service for Zarif, and then ordered his servants and guards not to let anyone into India and not to let strangers from there. Khidri was very afraid that people would find out that Zarif Khan was alive and well.
Khidri even called Saun to his place so that he would remain silent about everything he knew and, in gratitude for this, promised to give him Zarif Khan’s sister, Babi.
And a few days later Khidri sent matchmakers to the house of the beautiful Mabya. The girl refused him. Then Khidri became angry and came to her and asked:
“Why don’t you want to become the wife of the Great Khan, oh stupid woman?”
- Wait another twenty-five years! If Zarif Khan does not return during this time, I will become your wife.
Khidri became furious and ordered his servants to drive Maby out of the house. And on the same day he gave Zarif Khan’s brother, Lyal, into the service of a kebab maker, and Babi gave Sauna.
Unhappy Mabiy, remaining faithful to her beloved, made a small hut in the mountains and lived there alone, grieving for Zarif Khan. Her beautiful eyes turned red from tears, and her face became yellow as saffron.
One day, overwhelmed with melancholy, Maby wandered through the mountains and remembered how she and her beloved walked here. And suddenly she met a small gazelle. Seeing her, Maby said affectionately:
Why, gazelle, did you come to this region? There is so much baseness and evil in people here, Without pity they will destroy you - Run away quickly while you are safe.
The peaks of the mountains all shine in the snow, The flowers are fragrant in the meadow, Hurry, gazelle! How bitter it is that with you I cannot escape from grief.
The gazelle obeyed and ran away into the mountains. And again Maby was left alone with her grief.
Several years passed like this. People in the area knew how beautiful Mabuya was suffering, but they could do nothing to help her. Everyone was afraid of the wrath of the fierce Khidri.
But one day that old malang, who had lived in the palace for a long time, saw Maby from the window. The poor girl was collecting brushwood near the walls of the palace. The old man’s heart sank, he took his stick and went out to Maby. He approached her and, looking around, whispered:
- Go to your place and write a letter to Zarif Khan. I will secretly go to India and will not rest until I find Zarif Khan or find out where he is buried.
With these words, the malang turned and slowly went into the palace.
Delighted, Mabuy ran to her hut and wrote a letter to her lover for a long time, telling about all the cruelties of Khidri, about how he drove her out of the palace, and about how he gave Lyala to the barbecue maker - to drive away the flies and make a fire in the hearth, and about how he gave Babiy as a wife to Sauna.
At night, Maby secretly made her way into the palace and handed the letter to Malang. He hid it in his clothes and began to wait for an opportunity to leave for India.
Malyang waited for a long time and, finally, on a rainy night, when thousands of lightning bolts were darting in the sky, he left the palace, deceiving the vigilance of the guards.
The old man wandered for a long time. Already the last of his strength was leaving him. When he went to bed, he thought bitterly: “Will I really not find my Zarif Khan?” In the mornings, the old Malang’s bones ached, and in the afternoon his eyes were blind from the bright sun. He had already decided that he would never see his pet. But one day the malang stopped at a bridge over a wide river and asked the guard:
“Do you know, good man, an Afghan named Zarif Khan?”
– What do you want from the great Zarif Khan? – the guard asked laughing. -Have you heard about his power in our kingdom? Better get lost, beggar, and don't get caught next time!
Malang wandered into the city and suddenly saw: the beautiful Zarif Khan was riding on a beautiful horse, in rich clothes, surrounded by a crowd of servants. He sits sadly in the saddle and thinks about something. The malang was delighted and shouted loudly with all his strength:
- Listen, O Zarif, listen to the old man! Maby and Lyal are crying bitterly in captivity among evil people!
Hearing these names dear to his heart, Zarif Khan shuddered. He was incredibly happy when he saw the boy in the crowd.
- Bring me this old man! - he ordered his servants.
The guards approached the malang, bowed before him and asked to go to the chambers of the great warrior Zarif Khan, the king's best friend.
Zarif Khan hugged the old man, ordered him to be given beautiful clothes, sat him down next to him and prepared to listen. It was then that the old man gave him a letter from Maby.
Zarif Khan wept bitterly when he learned about the torment that befell his relatives. But then, gathering his strength, he hid the agony on his face, wiped away his tears and thought...
Morning came and he came to the king. Without saying a word, Zarif Khan handed him a letter from Mabuy.
The king read the letter for a long time, and when he read it, he also began to think.
- Let me go, oh lord! - Zarif Khan begged. “You have always been so kind to me.” Be kind for the last time!
The king did not answer and went to his chambers.
The next day Zarif Khan came to the king again and again, falling on his knees, asked for great mercy.
But this time the king did not answer him. He didn’t want to let go of such a courageous warrior like Zarif Khan, and he loved him like his own son. The king thought for a long time, and in the end he decided: “I will let him go, but I will order the bridge across the river to be destroyed. If Zarif Khan crosses the water, it means that this is fate. But no, it will come back to me.”
And the king released Zarif Khan to his homeland.
Zarif Khan jumped on his horse and rushed to the river. He drove up and saw: the bridge was destroyed! And if you swim across the river, the crocodiles will immediately tear you to pieces!
The saddened Zarif Khan returned to the palace, fell at the feet of the king and asked:
- Why did you do this, O lord?
And there was so much pain in his words that the king’s heart trembled. He descended from the throne, placed his strong hands on Zarif Khan's shoulders and said to him:
– I have two daughters! They have no equal in beauty in my kingdom. Choose any of them, get married, and may happiness accompany you always and in everything!
Having said this, the king ordered to take Zarif Khan to his daughters.
And the king’s daughters were truly such beauties that you can’t describe them with a pen. The girls began vying with each other to court Zarif Khan, but he didn’t even look at them. They sang songs to him, told him fairy tales, and the handsome Zarif Khan only sadly looked at the high sky and remembered his beloved. Only later, when he saw the sadness of the girls who tried in vain to entertain him, Zarif Khan said:
– I have my own home in a distant homeland. A wonderful girl lives there, whose name is Maby. She may not be as beautiful as you, but I gave her my heart a long time ago.
The girls felt sad, but they realized that this could not be prevented.
And again Zarif Khan began to ask the king to let him go home. And then the king said to him:
- Okay, I'll let you go! But before that you will bring me the head of the rebellious Raja.
And the king told Zarif Khan where the possessions of that rajah were and how to get to them.
- Okay, lord, I will carry out your order! - Zarif Khan said. “But for this, give me thirty sabers, thirty camels, thirty brave warriors, thirty mana of wheat and sixty chests.”
[Man is a measure of weight.]
The king was surprised, but did not ask what and why, but ordered Zarif Khan to be given everything he asked for.
And so, after a few days, Zarif Khan filled thirty chests with wheat, and placed armed warriors in the other thirty, loaded the chests on camels and set off. All the chests were tightly locked during the day, and Zarif Khan kept the keys to them. Only at night, when darkness hid all living things from human eyes, did he open the chests and let the warriors out to rest by the fire. And at dawn the caravan moved forward again in complete silence.
Finally, after a long journey, the mysterious caravan arrived at the gates of the city where the rebellious Raja ruled. Zarif Khan threw ten gold coins to the guards, and they let the caravan pass without even examining it.
Zarif Khan led the camels to the caravanserai, unloaded the chests with “wheat” and hid them in the barn. Here he opened the chests and released the warriors. Then he closed the barn doors, locked them, and took the key with him.
Zarif Khan walked around the city for three days, talking with different people, and all the time he kept an eye on the Rajah’s palace: he noticed when the guards changed there, looked out for where the entrance was and where the exit was.
And then the fourth night came. Everything was quiet, people all around fell asleep. Zarif Khan carefully opened the barn, released the soldiers, and they, stretched out in a chain, went to the entrance to the palace.
Zarif Khan approached the first guard who stood at the gate, and before he had time to say a word, his head rolled on the ground. One of Zarif Khan's warriors took the place of the killed guard. And Zarif Khan and everyone else moved on. And everywhere, killing the Raja's guards, they left their warriors.
Finally, Zarif Khan reached the Raja's chambers. He carefully opened the door and went inside. He sees the Rajah sleeping on the bed next to his wife. Zarif Khan woke him up, threatened him with a saber and ordered both of them to sit in the chest. The frightened Raja and his wife obeyed. Zarif Khan learned from the Rajah which way he could safely leave the city, locked the chest and, together with his soldiers, went to load the caravan. And an hour later they all safely got out of the city walls.
And so Zarif Khan returned back to the royal palace, appeared before the eyes of the king and said to him:
- I carried out your order, oh my lord!
The king shook his head in disbelief.
-Where is the Raja?
Zarif Khan clapped his hands, and three warriors brought in the chest.
Zarif Khan clapped his hands again - the chest was opened, and the frightened Raja and his wife crawled out of it. “The king was indescribably delighted. He gave Zarif Khan a lot of gold and loyal servants and sent him away in peace. Zarif Khan was delighted and rushed home that same day.
Crossing the river, he saw how high in the sky a predatory falcon attacked a flock of defenseless pigeons. Zarif Khan's heart sank because, looking at the doves, he remembered his relatives, and looking at the falcon, the evil Khidri.
And after many days of travel, he arrived in his hometown. Zarif Khan stopped at a kebab shop, went in and asked for food.
The shish kebab man hit Lyal, who was serving him, and shouted:
- Don’t you see the noble guest! Quickly give him whatever he wants.
The boy cried from the blows, but went to carry out his master’s order. He served Zarif Khan the kebab, and he wiped his tears and stepped aside.
- Come to me, boy! – Zarif Khan called him. - Sit next to me and eat!
- What are you talking about, sir! - Lyal was scared. - The owner will beat me!
Zarif Khan was unable to eat due to excitement. Without saying anything to the owner, he left the kebab shop and jumped on his horse. And then suddenly the owner, looking at the rider, thought in fear: “Isn’t this Zarif Khan?” He thought so, grabbed Lal by the hand and ran with him to Khidri.
Meanwhile, Zarif Khan, driving past Saun's house, saw the sad Baba. The girl cried bitterly because Saun's wives offended her.
Babii did not recognize her brother. Then he came up to her, hugged her and kissed her.
“Don’t you recognize me, little sister?” – Zarif Khan asked.
For the first time in all these years, Babii cried tears of happiness and told her brother everything.
– So you are Saun’s wife? – Zarif Khan asked menacingly when she finished telling her story.
- No, my dear brother! Without Hidri's knowledge, Saun treated me well. I lived with him like a sister.
Zarif Khan was delighted, put his sister on a horse behind him, and threw several gold coins to Saun’s wives. The two of them went to Mabyi.
And Saun, returning home and not finding Babi there, attacked his wives:
- Where is Babiy? Where did you put her, you worthless creatures?
“A stranger took her away and paid for her in gold!” Saun jumped on his horse and rushed after Za-rif Khan. Having overtaken him, he stopped his horse in the middle of the road and shouted:
“Give me the beautiful Babi, the sister of my beloved master Zarif Khan!” You have your despicable money on you! “And he threw into the dust the coins that Zarif Khan had given to his wives.
Zarif Khan smiled.
- Don’t you recognize me?
Saun almost fell off his horse from amazement and joy. He rushed to the owner, and Zarif Khan greeted him in a friendly manner.
The three of them went into the forest to Mabyi’s hut.
Great was the joy of the lovers when they met after so many years of separation!
Mabuy cried sweet tears of happiness, and from these tears her faded face became young and beautiful again, as before.
And then they all went together to the palace of Zarif Khan.
Meanwhile, the frightened Khidri, hearing that Zarif Khan had returned, ordered Lal to be dressed in the best clothes and given him khan's honors. Khidri turned white from fear, was shaking and did not know what to do. Finally, he saw the approaching horsemen. Khidri took a closer look - and it was Mabuy riding next to the handsome warrior. Khidri immediately understood who this warrior was, but decided to cheat for the last time. He left the castle and turned to Mabuy with these deceitful words:
- Why have you cheated on my beloved nephew Zarif Khan and are you going with this stranger? If only my beloved Zarif Khan could see this!..
And Zarif Khan is moving closer and closer to him. He stopped nearby, spat in the vile man’s face and at the same moment cut off his head.
Great was the joy of the people in the area when they learned that Zarif Khan had returned.
Since then, Zarif Khan has lived with his wife Mabuy, with his brother Lyal and sister Baby in his castle, and no one in his possessions knows either grief or sadness. Because a person who has suffered a lot will never cause suffering to others.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru