Kendebay named Kerqula

(a fairytale of kazakh people)

Once upon a time, there was a poor man named Kazanqap in the district of Karatau, near Karasu. He made a living by shooting the birds, his wife knitted and did not make the patches, so they saw their days and just walked around. One day, Kazanqap's wife became pregnant, and as the days approached, the woman's legs became heavier with each passing day. At the end of nine months and nine days, the woman gave a birth. She gave the birth to a white boy with a forehead. His parents were overjoyed and named their son Kendebay. Kendebay grew not every month, but every day, smiled for six days, walked for sixty days, and became a guy for six years. He was so strong, he kept beating from afar, also kept fighting, and kept pulling the fathers who fell into the abyss alone. He hunted and helped his father, gradually got an ass, became a sniper who hit a squirrel in the eye, and antelope were piled up. The black houses on the banks of Karasu River were flooded and normal. One day, Kendebay was hunting, and in Karatau's game, a lion-like wolf was just biting a pregnant mare on the deep cliff. Kendebay ran and grabbed the rainbow by the tail and threw it. A wolf growled, bit his lip, and died there. When Kendebay slaughtered the wolf's skin and came to the mare, the mare was running and dying. Kendebay cut the mare's stomach with a diamond dagger and pulled out his slave. A male`s slave was like a lion. Kendebay took the foal and fed it with ass milk. The foal grew every minute, not every hour. It turned out to be a horse six times in six months. The horse was pale. Kendebay taught Kerqula to the ride, hunt at night and went to the hunting. Kerqula was a brave man who could vomit and run away, and a bird bit his mouth. Kendebay flew Kerqula like a bird, caught the tail of an ass that ran across the six ridges in the blink of an eye and grabbed it by the tail. Kendebay continued to hunt and travel around the country. He was very kind, he did not like to lie down and comfort the crying, and the whole country shared his success. Kendebay named Kerqula became a hero and had been known to the world. One day Kendebay went the hunting and far away. As he was leaving, he met a boy who was taking care of the lamb. A boy is crying. And, Kendebay has arrived:

– What are you doing with tears in your eyes and sadness in your chest? – he asked.

The boy's head was bald and his clothes were torn.

– If you take your dear mother, you will be happy. If Askar takes your father like a mountain, what a day he would see! – Then, the boy continued the conversation.

– What happened? Can you fix it? – Kendebay asked. The boy burst into tears, sighed heavily, and replied:

– I was the only child of a hero named Mergenbay. I'm six now. This is the fourth year that the enemy has invaded our country and drove away without leaving the hoof. My father was a sleeping hero. He slept for six days in a row after the long expedition. While he was sleeping, my father was captured by the enemy. My mother, who was trying to intervene with my father, turned to the cruel enemy and left the place. I was orphaned. Since I have no clothes to wear, I have to take care of Taskara's lamb. I'm tired and worn out. My lips were bare and bald. Since then, I have tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart. I cry for my parents, and I cry for the rich horse as well.

“Then don't cry”. I will look for your parents, – says Kendebay. The boy is feeling happy.

– Uncle, then lie down with our shepherds for two or three days, and then you will go, – he asks. Kendebey said yes and went to the shepherds. He hangs the shot ass and cooks. In the evening, other shepherds come, but the lamb does not come, and he waits and just waits. Kendebay's eyes widen as he goes to sleep.

– Why are you late? – Kendebay asks.

“It's just that my stomach hurts”, – says the boy. In the morning, the boy plays and laughs and leads the lamb to the field. When the other shepherds come in the evening, the lamb will not come again. Kendebay went in search and found the boy. After the boy regained consciousness, Kendebay asked about the situation. She doesn't talk about the child. Then Kendebay gets angry with the boy. Then the lamb says:

– Since yesterday, at the sunset, six swans flew around my head and say:

Is Kendebay here?

Is the name Kerqula available?

Does the string shine?

Does the baby's hair stand at the end? – he asks. I got up:

I was Kendebay,

My name was Kerqula.

The light shines on the rope,

My baby's hair is falling out, – I answer. They fluttered their wings and make me fall. I am tired, – he answers. On the third day, Kendebay went out to feed the lamb, dressed as a child. When the sun went down and it was getting dark, the same six swans flew six times from Kendebay's hill and approached:

Is Kendebay here?

Is the name Kerqula available?

Does the string shine?

Does the baby's hair stand at the end? – he asks.

Kendebay`s lamb named Kerqula was a child:

The light shines on the rope,

The baby's hair is falling out, – he answers.

Then, the swans got angry and started beating Kendebay with their wings. Kendebay can grab someone by the leg. Swans fly. One of them has a gold bar, in Kendebay's hands. He noticed that there was an inscription on the kebis. Kendebay waits for other swans for several days. But they do not come. Then, Kendebay said goodbye to the shepherds and returned home. He prepares food for his parents for a year, puts on his armor, hangs his weapons, takes the judge of sixty slaves for food, and goes in search of the orphan's parents. Kerqula flies like a bird, and only six times per month. Kerqula jumps on the horse until it spreads its wings and rises from the ground. He does not see the sea, lake, river and mountains. So, Kendebay walks day, night, moon, week, and when he comes to the place, he sees a high mountain against the sky. At the foot of the mountain, Kerqula spoke to the horse: “My friend Kendebay, what you are looking for is not far away. Not one, but both. If you go beyond this mountain, you will see a river flowing. There is an island in the middle of the river. The island is inhabited by a human fairy khan. The golden kebis in your arms is the kebab of this princess. Parents of the same shepherd boy are also in the hands of this khan. They are in the deep dungeon. The dungeon is locked. His key is out of reach. It lies at the bottom of the deep river with sixty keys. Man cannot reach the bottom of it. On the other side of the mountain, there is a big man tending a cow. He was captured during the campaign and now he is a slave of the khan. You go to that person and give him enough money for the trip. Put on your own clothes and put your own clothes on him. So, release the man and take care of the cow yourself. Now take a piece of my tail and let me go, put your armor and equipment on me. You don't need me or the tool yet. If, I need to, he catches the string from my tail. Then, I will be ready. You will see the story when you go”, he said. Kendebay pulled Kerqula a thread from the horse's tail and let it go. He did, as he was told. He frees the shepherd. Also, he gives the money for the trip. He puts on his clothes and takes care of the cow himself. If I try to drive them across the river in the evening, the cows will not swim. Kendebay got angry, grabbed the cows by the hooves and started throwing them one by one. The cows are thrown to the island in the middle of the river. At that time, the khan's youngest daughter was watching from the other side of the water.

– Oh, you are an idiot, you kill the cattle. Why, as usual, “Let the water of separation be lost!” Don't you say he shouts? Kendebay used to say: “Water of the fork is lost”, the water of the river is divided into two and the road is opened in the middle. So, Kendebay continues to graze the cattle. One day, the khan called his two children and said:

– Today, the black mare will give the birth. This is the ninth fall. On the day of slaughter, the slave disappears at night. Watch this mare today. See for yourself what happened. Kendebay hears this. In the evening, when the khan's two children went to watch the mare, Kendebay also went into hiding. After a while, the khan's two children snored and fell asleep. Kendebay stays awake. At the dawn, the mare gives birth to a golden-tailed, beaver-haired stallion. Suddenly, a cloud came up from the sky, and he picked up the donkey and left. Kendebay snatches it from the tail. In Kendebay's hands, the golden tail is torn off. Kendebay hid the golden tail in his pocket and fell asleep. The next morning, the khan called his two children and asked what they had seen. The children get up:

– The mare did not stall, nothing happened, – he answers.

While the khan was surprised again, Kendebay came in the door and said:

“Dutch, my lord!” – he says.

– If you have a taste, tell me! – the khan shouts.

– I mean, they are lying. I was also invisible to them. In the middle of the night, your two children fell asleep. In the morning, the mare gave birth to the golden-tailed, beaver-haired foal. A cloud came up from the sky and lifted it up. I was able to grab the tail. A large bird mixed with the clouds, took the colt, and the tail remained in my hands, – he said without waiting for the end of the word:

– Where is the tail? said the khan.

“Sir, calm down”. If I want to make a golden tail, I won't tell you, here is the tail,

– said Kendebay, pulling the tail out of his pocket, and the house became bright. The khan's children look at the ashamed ground.

– Now, all three of you go out and find the bird and colt. If you can't find them, don't look around me! – says the khan. When Kendebay crossed the river and lit the tail, Kerkula came. Kendebay rode a horse, hung up his weapons, put on his armor and left. When he came to the place, the horse stopped again and said to Kendebay: “That flame is a river of fire rising to the sky. Your destination is across the river. Close your eyes now. Don't eat until I'm hungry. If you open your eyes, both of us will die”. Then, Kendebay was died. So it flies, it flies. At first he felt a warm shock, then a hissing wind. After a long time: “Open your eyes!” – Kerkula says. When Kendebay opened his eyes, he came to an island in the middle of the big river. Eight golden-tailed slaves and one tailless slave were drinking water from the golden tray on the island. Kerkula said to the horse again: He goes in search of food once every six months and returns every fifteen days. Now, he has gone in search of food, and he still has six days to return. We have to take a six-month trip in six hours in order to avoid falling into his hands. Ride on me and put the golden tray in front of you. The foals follow us and sit on the golden tray. We can't cross the river of fire directly, we have to go around. That's why, our short way to the future is far away. There are three obstacles on this road. First, we meet a seven-headed giant, a roaring lion, and then, a fairy-tale old woman connects. And let's not waste our time”, he said. Kendebay turned the golden tray on Kerqula's horse and set off. All his slaves follow him. At one point, a large mountain appears in front of them. The mountain is swaying and moving closer to them. It was a seven-headed giant. Kendebay puts the gold tray on the ground. The foals are spinning on the tray. Kendebay takes a hundred batpan sticks in his hands and Kerqula rides with all his horses against the giant. In the blink of an eye, it slips away. One of David's heads falls off. Later, when he struck again, the other head flew away. In this way, the seven giants flew seven times, and the seven giants flew away, and the giant fell down. Kendebay cut out David's eyes and put them in the basket. Kendebay came back, turned the golden tray, took his foals and left. Kerqula's horse is flying without a hitch, at least over six ridges. Suddenly, a lion roars in the distance. This time Kendebay left the foals named Kerqula and walked to the sound. Two or three minutes later, a surprise grabbed Kendebay. At one point, Kendebay saw a lion's mouth. That's what attracts Kendebay. Kendebay holds a six-pointed diamond sword horizontally. The diamond sword split the lion in two and shot Kendebay in the back. Kendebay grabbed the lion's jaw and walked away again. Many hills and mountains are left behind. Suddenly, a fog covered the earth. Only the light of the golden tails illuminates their path. Meanwhile, as darkness fell, a beautiful girl appeared there. On behalf of Kendebay, he goes against the girl. The girl looks at it for a long time and says:

– You may be tired after a long walk, go to the horde and rest, – he says. Kerqula said that the fairy would greet the old woman as a girl, and that anyone who entered her palace would not come back.

– It's definitely true that I'm tired. I don't mind to rest, so just start, – says Kendebay. As the girl stepped forward and woke up, Kendebay shook the apple, the diamond sword flashed and the world was covered with fog again. When the fog clears, the girl is replaced by two separated old women. Kendebay cuts off the old woman's head and puts it in the basket. “It's a bird that flew out of the old woman's possession, and a running animal couldn't pass. Now, nobody knows that the old woman is dead. That's why, Samruk doesn't come here. Let's rest here for three or four days”, said Kerqula. Kendebay rested for three or four days, collected the old woman's treasures, turned the golden tray in front of Kerqula's horse, took the golden-tailed foals and reached the khan's house safely. The khan is happy and has a big wedding. At the wedding, the khan's two children came, their necks swaying and their limbs swaying. Khan, puts Kendebay on the throne and asks for his name.

– I am not a prince, I am a human being. My name is Kendebay, people call me Kendebay named Kerqula. I did not come to your country, I came to work. I'm looking for both ... I am looking for an honor, I will tell you if I have permission, – says Kendebay.

“Say, say, boy!” – says the khan.

– A few years ago, your campaigners raided our country, drove away our cattle and tied up our captured hero. I wanted to release that hero. This is the first. The second problem is that one day, when I was herding the cattle, I was left with the golden feathers of six swans that flew in the sky. That golden leopard says your country. I wanted to give it to you, – says Kendebay, offering the golden kebis to the khan. Then, the Khan says: That's right, son! It is true that I drove the cattle of your country and tied the hero. Mergenbay Batyr and his wife are in our hands. I sent an envoy to Mergenbay Batyr, who was in prison, saying, “If you serve me, I will release you”. “I will not serve my enemy. But if you let go of my hands and feet, then I'll talk”, –he said. We are afraid to release. A purpose was to capture you. We also knew your name. I would like to send you to the black bird that will not leave my slave. I couldn't find it myself, so I swept the country and tied up your hero, hoping to find him, if he was honest. You didn't come for about two years, and then my six daughters came looking for you. This is my youngest daughter's hair. Now, I have another condition for you. It looks like this: there are seven giants in the world, there is a roaring lion, and there is a vicious old woman. Kill these three and bring their heads. If you do this, I will release your hero and give you back your cattle. I will give my youngest daughter in marriage. Kendebay named Kerqula brought a horse's saddlebag and threw the lion's fangs, the old woman's head and the seven-headed giant's eyes in front of the khan. The khan agreed and released Mergenbay Batyr, his wife and other captives from the prison. He returned the slaughtered animal. He married his youngest daughter to Kendebay, made a thirty-day game, a forty-day party, gave a lot of presents and sent Kendebay to his house. Kendebay brings the country's cattle and hands them over to the owners. The child rejoices, when he joins his parents. Parents rejoiced, when they joined their child. It has been a great thought and very nice wedding. While Kendebay is standing, no enemy can sink to the country. Thus, this country became the land of Kendebay Batyr named Kerqula.