Semetei. Semetei's Trip to Talas. Part - 4

Semetey's trip to Talas. Part - 4

- When the mighty lion Manas died, - Abyke continued to speak, - Shigay-khan and Jamgyrchi spread false rumors that you, Bakai, wanted to take six thousand dzhambs and a thousand beaver skins from Tekekche-khan's son Ormonbek to give him Kanykey as a wife. Tell me yourself, did such rumors not exist? Not even thirty days had passed since Manas's death when great unrest began in Afghanistan and Hindustan, in the land of three khans. Wishing for someone from us to arrive, settle disputes, and reconcile the warring parties, letters were sent to us from there, which arrived daily.

I did not want to overshadow Manas's glory at all, and you surely do not forget that, having placed my belt around my neck in a sign of submission, I came to you and said: - "Father Bakai, let us go together and settle their affairs," - but you replied to me: "The great Manas has died, my head has seen so much sorrow that I will not take a step nor go to any public assembly." Then, seeing my hopeless situation, I invited Azhibai instead of you, went with him to the place of the quarrel between the three khans, and stayed there for three or four months. When I returned, I found you no longer there, and Kanykey, taking Chiyrdy and Semetey with her, fled to the city of Temir-khan.

Father Bakai, tell me, have you received any news from Bukhara since then? Do you know anything about Semetey? If not, I ask you to try to find out about the orphan and inform me. In reward for good news, I will give you all my livestock that is on these pastures, and if you say that this is not enough for you, I am ready to give you my life, just to see the only son of Manas at least once. When I think of the unfortunate orphan, food does not go down for me, and when I lie down to sleep, sleep flees from me, and I cannot fall asleep.

Listening to his words, Bakai said:

- Oh, Abyke, my dear, give me the promised reward now. The unfortunate orphan you lost has been found. Here he is, look at him, - and saying this, he brought Semetey to him.

When Abyke saw him, his beard flared in different directions, tears flowed from his eyes forming whole lakes, and springs began to gush from his nostrils. Weak from crying, he tightly embraced Semetey and began to lament:

Remaining from Manas, you are my only!
Leaving us in sorrow and going far away,
Swift-flying you are my falcon!
Returning and arriving in Talas
My dear, unfortunate one!
Remaining from the falcon's chick.
You are the fluttering banner, poor one,
Remaining from the hoof of the tulpar,
The light remaining from Manas!
You are hung on the spear of the banner,
The support remaining from the great,
Going far away, my gift,
Oh Semetey, the only shadow of the great!
Seeing you, I ignite with passion.
You are my only support,
You are the remaining shadow of the hero,
You are my falcon that flew out of the nest,
You are the tulpar that came out of the herd.
Keeping the memory of you like a treasure, I lived long,
You are my hope, orphan,
I waited long for your arrival,
My dear orphan!
I have much of your livestock,
I kept and cared for it,
As for something entrusted to me for safekeeping.
In the city of Temir-khan you left as a nameless vagabond,
Now your herds of horses are numerous.
Among them are bright horses,
Like the moon rising,
Many chestnut and bald ones.
Among them are also argamaks and tulpars.
Oh, my speckled falcon,
You, standing before me Semetey!
My heart tightens, oh rising star,
Unreachable by the winds, you are my chinar,
Having experienced the sorrow of orphanhood,
You are my mighty falcon,
The shining constellation above me!
If the arriving enemies surrounded us in a ring of four rows,
You would be my unbreakable steel fortress.

Lamenting like this and weeping, he long embraced Semetey, saying as if he saw Manas himself before him.

Seeing Abyke and Semetey weeping, Bakai could not hold back and cried along with them.

At that time, on the throne erected by Manas when he ruled the whole world, Kyobosh-khan was lounging.

Ignoring the tears of Abyke, Bakai, and Semetey, he despised their sorrow, considering Semetey worse than a dog.

Kyobosh-khan was a cruel ruler: he imposed unbearable taxes on his subjects, made orphans and widows weep. His reign brought much suffering to the Kyrgyz people, so that, unable to bear the oppression, many began to scatter in different directions.

He spent his time sitting on Manas's throne, embracing Manas's former wife Akylai.

Seeing this, Semetey was outraged to his core.

He became furious, his hair stood up from excitement and anger, and flames ignited in his eyes. Struggling to contain himself, he began to speak to Abyke:

- Aba! Listen to my words! When my father Manas died, you humiliated my mother Kanykey in every way, worse than a dog. Scared, she fled to Bukhara and gave me to her brother Ismail. I considered myself his son and knew nothing of my origin. But one day the coalman Sarytaz told me in detail about my origin. Hearing this, I came here. When you took all of my father Manas's property, in your hands remained the dog Kumayik, the white falcon Akshumkar, the camel Jelmayan, the bulletproof akolpok, the sword, the akkise, the horse Tayburul, and countless herds of other horses, and storerooms full of treasures. Where is all this now? Give it all back to me.

Abyke replied to Semetey:

- My dear orphan, you showed yourself like the gray-maned Manas. With your words, you put me as if before a dark grave. Everything you said is true. You are right, your father Manas had everything! I would like to die of shame now - but life is dear, I would like to plunge into the grave - but the earth is hard. Those scoundrels did not listen to me then, and from this all these troubles arose.

When Manas died, the dog Kumayik mourned for a long time, howled loudly, and tears flowed from her eyes. Kyobosh and Akylai could not bear her howling and ordered the shepherds to beat her. Unable to endure the beatings and torment, she fled and disappeared. There is a rumor among the people that she fled to meet you.

Akshumkar has been missing for twelve years. If we believe the words of the horse herders, he flew into our lands this year and is here.

The horse Tayburul, although an animal, also mourned after the death of the lion Manas like a human: for several days he did not eat and eventually fled to the mountains and became wild.

I have six sharp swords, akolpok, and akkelte with me. Now I will give them to you. Your father's akkise is with Kyobosh.

The livestock on the pastures and all the other treasures of Manas lying in the storerooms not only have not diminished but have increased. If you want to receive all this - here it is all before you, take it! If you need it, I will not spare even my life for you!

Saying this, Abyke continued to humble himself and justify himself before Semetey.

Kyobosh-khan treated Semetey differently. Of the six scoundrels, he was the most foolish. In rage, he shouted:

- What is this vagabond orphan, son of the foolish Manas, talking about? Why does he demand the property left after his father's death? - with these words he rushed at Semetey intending to behead him. But Bakai stood between them and began to separate them, barely stopping the brewing quarrel. Then Kyobosh, sitting down, said to Semetey:

- From your foolish father Manas, only one shabby thin mare, a worm-eaten camel, and a torn old black yurt remain. Besides this, he had nothing. Manas took his Aqtulpar from me for a time to ride it, so it is mine. I also caught Akshumkar with my own hands, I found Kumayik when I was taking a bath, and I received Tayburul as a gift from the maiden Saykal. Why do you, worthless orphan, son of a foolish father, talk so much nonsense here?

He said many other insults and rudeness to Semetey, intending to kill him again, and fiercely tried to reach him.

Then Semetey stood up, struck him on the ear so hard that Kyobosh, turning from the blow, fell and buried his head in the frame of the yurt.

Abyke wanted to defend Kyobosh and jumped up, flushed with anger, also preparing to enter the fight, but Bakai threatened him:

- Hold back, remember that restraint shown in time is worth more than gold. If you think to defend Kyobosh, remember that I, although old, still have enough strength against you.

From one blow of Semetey, Kyobosh, losing his memory, lost his tongue. Pale as a dead man, he lay in that position for so long that the meat could have boiled.

At that time, miraculous phenomena began: Manas's akkelte began to fire loudly by itself, and the magical spear syrnayza, hanging on the wooden partition of the yurt, began to pierce by itself.

Semetey took all these items. When he donned the akolpok, hung the akkise and akkelte on his belt, took the syrnayza, tied Manas's sword, and rode out on Aqtulpar, he looked more formidable than Manas himself.

Bakai, riding with him, looked at him and doubted - was he not riding with Manas?

But it was not Manas, but his glorious son Semetey. In everything, he surpassed his deceased father and was not inferior to him in height either.

After a while, when Kyobosh came to himself and got up, Abyke said to him with reproach and anger:

- You foolishly did not hold back and openly expressed your hatred for Semetey, whom we should take by cunning, too soon. With such behavior, you will ultimately ruin me.

Kyobosh's wife Akylai approached him and said:

- Apparently, you boasted in vain, sitting alone at home, that you have enough strength to deal with this unfortunate orphan left by the foolish father Manas. In reality, it turns out otherwise. May you not eat food for your shame! I wish that stones were your food! - with these words, she tried to further ignite Kyobosh's hatred against Semetey.

Hearing all this, Kyobosh was ashamed, put on the white chapan sewn by Akylai over his bare body, took a greasy pole in his hands, sat on a bay stallion, and, shouting, chased after Semetey and Bakai, caught up with them, and struck Bakai on the head with the pole. Blood appeared on Bakai's head from the blow. Inflicting blows on Bakai, Kyobosh insulted him in every way and said many offensive words, which outraged the old man, but he still had enough spirit, and he did not respond to the abuser with a word.

And Kyobosh after this chased after Semetey, but when he wanted to strike him with the pole, Semetey himself pulled the pole from him, caught his horse by the reins, and was already about to swing his sword to behead him. Just in time, Bakai rode up to separate them, persuading Semetey:

- You could be judged for killing your uncle. This would fall on you with shame. I ask you, for my sake, spare this scoundrel's life and do not kill him!

On the head of the stallion, on which Kyobosh sat, was the bridle taken from Akkula. Semetey struck it off with his spear. Then, freed from the bridle, the stallion, accustomed to his herd, turned back and carried Kyobosh away.

Semetey. Semetey's trip to Talas. Part - 3