Semetey. Childhood and Youth of Semetey. The Escape of Kanikey to Bukhara. Part - 2

The Escape of Kanikey to Bukhara. Part - 2

A day passed, then another, after the departure of Bakay. Kanikey could not remain calm and decided to set off again. They traveled for a long time and finally approached a sacred place called Baiterek. There, both fugitives fell into a deep sleep, with Semetey lying between them.

While they were sleeping, a female white argali approached them. Seeing Semetey, she struck her hoof against his cradle. The boy woke up from this, crawled out of the cradle, followed her, and began to suckle her milk.

At that moment, Kanikey woke up and was horrified to see that Semetey was gone.

"Could it be that while we were sleeping, a dragon or the black bird Alp-Karakush came and took him away?" she thought and woke Chiyyrdy. Together, they began to search for the boy, but could not find him anywhere. In terrible grief, Kanikey was ready to kill herself.

- "Wait, my child," Chiyyrdy said to her, "his father, the lion Manas, also disappeared from my sight when he was a child, so calm down, he will be found, let’s search for him."

After a while, dawn began to break. Kanikey looked around and suddenly saw nearby the female white argali feeding Semetey. When she ran over, the female argali immediately disappeared.

Joyfully, she grabbed the child, and they set off again.

At that time, Bakay, having taken with him the horses Taytoru and Achbuidan and loaded them with provisions, approached the cave where he had left the poor ones. Seeing that there was no one there, he began to mourn, thinking that something bad had happened to them. He searched for them for a long time and finally found their tracks, followed them, and caught up with them.

- "My child," he addressed Kanikey, "I do not have much help for you, but take what I have. Raise and nurture the orphan left by the lion, and when he turns twelve, send him to Talas."

Having said this, he bid farewell to them and rode back, while Kanikey mounted the horse Taytoru, took Semetey in her arms, and, accompanied by Chiyyrdy, set off on a long journey.

They traveled many days and nights through the desolate steppe, hiding from human eyes. Wandering without rest, they became very tired and decided to take a break in a dense forest. They tied the horses to the trees and lay down to sleep.

When it began to dawn, Kanikey woke up, let the horses graze, and began to look around. Not far beyond the forest, the city of Kokand was visible. When she saw it, her heart raced with fear, as she remembered that when Manas was alive, he had been at war with the Kokandis.

- "If they find out that I am here, a helpless fugitive, they will tear Semetey apart like a kid in a goat-skin," she thought, and deciding that it was dangerous to stay here any longer, she wasted no time and rode on.

After traveling for a while longer, they reached the borders of Kanikey's father's lands - Temir-khan. Seeing the places where she was born and raised, Kanikey remembered all she had experienced as a girl, turned her horse around, stopped, and addressed Chiyyrdy:
- "That lake was called Kenkolchuk, and there was a garden around it. My father built a palace for me there and placed a golden throne. I often came here with young women and girls from Bukhara to have fun and spend time. I would like to see that lake now."

Chiyyrdy agreed, and they both rode to the lake.

As they approached, they saw that the lake had dried up, the trees in the garden had also withered, the palace and buildings had collapsed, and there were no traces left of the golden throne. Seeing all this, Kanikey's face changed, and turning to Chiyyrdy, she said:

- "Dear mother, the water in the lake has dried up, the trees have perished, and the buildings have collapsed. This is a bad omen. Quickly guess why, in the days of our misfortune, there is no water left for drinking in the lake?"

Having said this, she dismounted and fell to the ground in a faint. Chiyyrdy looked around the lake, thought for a moment, lifted Kanikey's head, and said:

- "My child, do not be sad and do not kill yourself; this deceitful world is worthy of contempt, who can be saved in it? Many prophets have passed through it, many peoples have passed, many brave batyrs have passed. The Master does not create what does not break; the immortal God has not yet created. I will explain to you what you see. The dried-up lake is the death of Manas. The withered chinars are Abike and Kyobesh, who plundered and divided our possessions. They have disgraced you and made you wander like a homeless dog. But know, my child, that this is not an ordinary lake; it conceals a miracle. Look in the middle; do you see that where a spring should be, there is a large black mound of earth?

Approach and pierce it with a spear. If water flows from the ground, then God will save us; if no water appears, then God has punished us, and we must, not lagging behind Manas, bid farewell to this world."

Kanikey quickly jumped up, performed ablution, and, calling upon the spirit of Manas, thrust the spear into the ground. And suddenly, a miracle occurred. The lake quickly filled with water, and the trees turned green again.

Happy that their wish had come true, the fugitives, placing their belts around their necks, with tears of joy said:

- "This is a sign for us that Semetey will grow up safely and will be braver than his father, Manas. He will avenge all the insults and offenses inflicted upon us by Abike and Kyobesh."

After that, spreading their saddle blankets, Chiyyrdy and Kanikey placed Semetey between them and lay down to sleep under the chinar.

Let them sleep for now by the lake Kenkolchuk, and in the meantime, we will tell about Kanikey's father - Temir-khan.

He had thirteen daughters. Kanikey was the youngest among them, and her father loved her more than his own soul. His last child was a son, whom he named Ismail.

Ismail became khan at the age of twenty-five alongside his father. Taking the reins of power, he firmly began to rule his people.

One fine day, Ismail, taking seventy heroes with him, along with hunting dogs and falcons, set out from Bukhara to hunt in the field. While hunting with a falcon, he set his gaze on the lake Kenkolchuk and, calling his horsemen to him, said:
- "This lake does not drain, and the trees around it have begun to wither. This lake belongs to my sister Kanikey! A palace stood here, and in it was a golden throne arranged for my beloved sister."

As he approached closer, he was surprised to see that water was again flowing from the lake and the gardens were turning green.

- "My son-in-law, the lion Manas," Ismail said, "was in Beidzhin and fought with the Chinese. Losing Almambet, Chubak, and Kyokche, he received a serious wound and, returning home, died. After Manas's death, his relatives treated Kanikey cruelly, plundering all the possessions left after her husband. I heard that she fled here. When I saw the green garden and the pond, I suspected that my unfortunate sister was here. Let’s go to the lake, and if there are enemies there, we will seize their possessions; if we meet Kanikey, we will proclaim her khan of Bukhara."

With these words, they headed to the lake.

Kanikey and Chiyyrdy, hearing the noise, woke up.

Seeing armed men, they thought their end had come. Not knowing where to hide and trembling with fear, they crouched in place.

Ismail and his companions, approaching, recognized Kanikey. They dismounted and, weeping for their deceased son-in-law, leaning on their axes, bowed to her.

Kanikey told Ismail everything that had happened to them from beginning to end and handed him the orphan Semetey, asking him to adopt and raise the infant. While handing him over to her brother, with bitter tears, she swore that she would never again call him her son and would not seek to return him to herself.

- "My word is firm and unbreakable. By cutting a twig, I will make the infant cross through a dog’s bowl, I will make him leap over the edge of a sword."

Having said this, she wept bitterly and handed Semetey to Ismail.

Ismail brought them to Bukhara before sunset. In honor of their arrival, the festivities lasted for seventeen days.

Temir-khan, learning from Ismail about Kanikey's misfortunes, summoned the eight khans under his rule and said:

- "None of you should tell the people that Semetey is the son of Kanikey and that they arrived here as rootless wanderers. If any of you violates this order and dares to spread such rumors - let him blame himself! "

The eight khans listened to Temir-khan's words and promised to remain silent. Nine hundred households were assigned to Kanikey, and she was proclaimed khan over them.

Semetey. Childhood and youth of Semetey. The escape of Kanikey to Bukhara. Part - 1