The Tale of Manas. How Manas Sowed Wheat and Bought Himself a Shark
ABOUT HOW MANAS SOWED WHEAT AND BOUGHT HIMSELF AKKULA
Thanks to the fame of his son, who was previously called "bai Jakyp," the father now began to be called "khan Jakyp." Greedy for livestock, he could not bear that Manas was playing in the ordo, and one day he shouted:
– May you perish, son, and I will slaughter all my livestock and bury you. They are only gaining weight, and you keep slaughtering my camels, which have only a palm's worth of fat; at this rate, you will slaughter all my livestock. You forcibly take all my livestock from me and slaughter them so that I can no longer endure it, and I have lost my peace and sleep.
Hearing his father's reproaches, Manas stirred like a tiger, was offended by greedy Jakyp, and, without saying a word, silently left with the determination never to return. Why should I quarrel with my father over livestock? It is better to give him everything and leave far away. To avoid quarreling with my father over wealth forever, to not hear reproaches that I eat too much, it is better to leave and be independent. I will use my current strength, travel through eighteen thousand worlds, fly around the West and the East seven times, and find a friend who would be my support and help, someone who is brave and courageous like me, and let him be my constant bodyguard. To not hear reproaches three times a day, to not be offended and worry over trifles, I will find myself a steed that will not tire for six months, find people close to my spirit, so that they will be dear to me in this life and the next. Thus, Manas grumbled to himself, dissatisfied with the reproaches of his greedy and insatiable father Jakyp. Then he got up early and, while people were sleeping, without revealing himself, rode out of Talas.
Having crossed the Besh-Tash pass, after a long and continuous journey, he arrived in Andijan. In the wide, deserted expanses of Andijan, a white-bearded wandering dervish came out to meet him.
After they greeted each other, the dervish spoke first:
– You are the brave warrior who has an extraordinary destiny. Stop, hold your horse. I have known for a long time that you came from Altai. The world is full of rumors, so I only pray for your well-being.
Your lands and mountains are vast, but there are also enough enemies eager to tear you apart. You have many yet unconquered peaks, and they protect you. If you challenge the whole world and fight against your bloodthirsty enemies, if you traverse the entire land and engage in combat, the hoof of your horse is only a handful, and this is a sign of its weakness; the heels of your horse are with a handful, and that is not enough for battle. Your gray horse will be frightened when the spears begin to be thrust, it will raise its mane and toss its head, but it will not budge. If you start fighting with a club, your horse has a weak heart; if you begin to retreat, you will have to travel six months, the horse will weaken in the steppe, and you will be left on foot. When the white banner is raised high, when the shout is raised, and all your enemies attack, when an innumerable army with a deafening roar directs its spears at you, when you have to fight in a fierce battle, your horse will not be able to overcome even the lowest mountain saddle. If your unfortunate soul has to endure hardship, your horse will not even take a step. Its ears are long, but it is weak. Do not be deceived that it is a good trotter on the way; in hard times, it will easily let you down. If you listen to me, heed my advice, I can become a father to you. Listen carefully to me; if you are truly generous, my son, you are a lion, act as I say.
If you ride further, you will meet the mazar of Baabedin. All who know him call it "The Pass of Grandfather Baabedin." It is said that it was here that Adam and Eve united, and they wandered here. Ride there to Boz-Talaa, and until the horse is full and gains strength, until the warrior is full and gains strength, let us plow the land together, cultivate it with a hoe, scatter seeds by handfuls, and grow bread.
Heed my advice, do not disdain, and let us work together in the sweat of our brows.
Manas was pleased with the elder's advice.
– Alright, let me cultivate the land with a hoe and eat my fill. Will I achieve a better fate if I become idle and lead a carefree life? I would rather be a plowman and a sower. I will heed the advice of this elder and together with him here in Boz-Talaa will grow a harvest.
Manas stayed with this elder in Boz-Talaa for the summer, brought oxen, plowed the field, sowed seeds by handfuls, knowing neither peace nor sleep nor rest, not complaining at all about fatigue, all summer he watered the field with water, working in the sweat of his brow. When he harvested the ears of grain in the autumn, the elder began his speech:
– Now listen to me, my son. It has been four or five months since we sowed the bread, and since then we have become companions. May you be a courageous hero and a glorious warrior, may your wealth increase, may your enemies decrease, may you always be alive and healthy. I have heard about you before, I dreamed that you, the brave leopard, would finally appear here. We met, recognized each other, became inseparable friends, swore eternal friendship, sowed bread together, guarded it together, shared hardships and joys together. I will not take my share from this harvest. The world is such: those who are here today may not be here tomorrow. I will never covet this world. I am close to the poor and needy, the orphans and widows; I am indeed Baabedin. I want you to buy yourself a steed for bloody battles, for fights that will make the earth tremble, with the honest money earned from hard work.
On the banks of the Lop River, where the cawing of crows is not heard, on the edge of the endless and waterless desert at dawn, the mare of the Noygut khan Karacha, the mare Kuu, which could catch up with and outpace even the onager, foaled.
Seeing how the newborn foal immediately got to its feet and jumped back and forth over its mother's still weak back after giving birth, how it frolicked, and its jumps already reached a thousand, seeing all this with his own eyes, the astonished Karacha gathered all the experts, all the seers and prophets, and asked them to evaluate the future steed.
Then one of the experts said:
– This piebald does not have an owner, and even if one is found, he will still be ownerless in his head. Listen to me, find him a good owner. His racing qualities are incredible; his entire stature is fire; none of the horses in the area, none of the fastest steeds can be compared to him. He will not tire even if he walks continuously for six months, and he will not age until he is sixty years old. This is a horse whose tail should be tied short, and he should go straight into battle. You need to put on battle sleeves and go into battle on this horse. He will not flinch even upon hearing a howl; even on a moonless night, he will not stumble once. At the first call, he responds, galloping forward furiously; God willing, this piebald will become a famous steed. Huge hooves, a wide croup from this generous land, he should be equipped for a fight; just do not think of denying his future owner and do not deprive the horse of a rider, do not bargain too long, and do not miss a good rider for the horse. Put a halter on his head, but sell the horse to someone who offers a good price for good fortune. This horse is for a warrior with a red spear and sword; he is fit for great battles. Heed my advice, and do not take offense; find him a worthy owner. You have accidentally raised Kulatay, so you are not his owner, and this horse is not for ordinary riders. This horse has its hero; this steed has its true owner.
Having said all these words to Karacha-khan, the horse expert rode off to his village. A year or two later, famine struck the land of Khan Karacha; the Noygut people were left without a crumb of bread and quickly lost all their livestock, scattering across the land. All the fields were eaten by locusts, the livestock died of hunger, people were left without bread, and the khan was at a loss, not knowing what to do.
– My son Manas, heed my advice, give them all the wheat and take this foal from them. If you take him, all your troubles and misfortunes will leave, luck will always accompany you, and happiness will smile upon you. This horse can overcome six months of continuous travel, will not age until he is sixty years old. He will not tire on watch, will not fall ill in the rear, will not be frightened in battle. The Lord God has destined this swift steed for your happiness and fortune. This horse will tirelessly travel both east and west. If he steps on a stone, it will crumble to dust, rise to the sky like a cloud; this horse will be blessed by the saints and will be called Akkula.
The peasant spread his hands:
– Oh my Manas, let it be so: may no one dare to stand in your way, may the one who resists you perish, may your armor be impenetrable, may no arrow catch your horse. May the one who grapples with you not succeed, may the one who fights with you perish. May your path be glorious, and may luck be your companion.
May your horse Akkula be enduring and strong, and may your head on your shoulders not roll to the ground from a sword. Amen.
The white-bearded elder tested the young man for six months, finally blessed the agile youth he liked, and immediately disappeared. Manas, who did not expect such a thing, was greatly surprised. Then he took off the saddle from the horse Aibanboz and let it graze in the meadow, placed the saddle with a wide larch under his head, laid down a leather saddle blanket with blue girths, and fell asleep.
At that time, without a crumb of bread in his mouth, the sorrowful khan of the Noyguts, Karacha, was riding in search of food with his hungry tribe, day and night forcing his aides to drive ninety camels. They noticed the mountains of white wheat from afar, rejoiced immensely, and ran there as fast as they could. But they saw Manas lying on the threshing floor like a mountain and stopped, not daring to touch him. Then the experienced and clever khan Karacha turned to his close elder Bolot:
– This terrifying figure with deep eye sockets does not look like ordinary people. This is both a man and a provider; he is surely a famous warrior. He is both stately and important; it seems he is a famous hero. It seems we will have to suffer from hunger further; otherwise, we will perish for a handful of bread. If he starts to defend himself, we will not escape death; none of us can defeat this formidable giant. Are we destined to perish for a piece of bread?
Elder Bolot came to his senses and began to comfort Karacha:
– Oh, my khan. If you tremble so, what remains for the others to do? They are all petrified, dropping their whips, trembling with fear.
After such words, Khan Karacha finally took control of himself and continued his speech:
– Elder Bolot, if a commotion starts, we may become food for all crows and vultures. He does not look like one who will show mercy; if he gets angry, we will not escape trouble. Let us rather be cunning: while he wakes from sleep, while he comes to his senses from his half-sleep, we will offer him a horse and gift him Akkula. Perhaps he will spare us; what do you think, esteemed one?
– Yes, my khan, you are right here, – exclaimed elder Bolot with joy.
Khan Karacha then perked up, prepared a robe of expensive fabric, ordered his aides to bring forward Akkula, raised away from human eyes, and appeared before Manas.
Dressed in golden attire, Manas awoke from sleep, lifted his head, and, not understanding what was happening, looked around, and only then did his gaze fall upon Akkula. He admired its beauty and stature for a long time, examining it with surprise.
This was a horse fit for riding in festive attire. This was a steed fit for great battles and for charging enemy troops. This was a horse fit for combat with a red tassel on the spear, with a sharp sword at the ready.
This was a horse fit for a duel with a spear with a fluttering tassel, for hand-to-hand combat with a sword. This was the horse that the peasant spoke of; the Lord God himself sent him to me...
Overwhelmed with joy, Manas flared his wide nostrils, sharpened like a lion, and repeatedly thanked God, rising from his place.
With his hands folded on his belly, Khan Karacha began his speech:
– My son, seeing your stature and agility, I am pleased with you. Baabedin protects you, so you are strong, stronger than any spearman. You are capable of uplifting the people and defeating anyone who dares to attack you. I have seen many lands, peoples, and heroes, but I have not seen anyone like you. You are of a different breed, my son. If you do not take offense, tell me, what is your name, from what lineage do you come, who are you? It has been customary since ancient times to ask about fathers and grandfathers, my son. I long to know about you. By your appearance, you are not an ordinary person but one protected by the saints. By your stature, it is evident that you are of royal blood. We are humble people and, burdened by hardships, are weighed down by suffering.
Now we wander the world seeking bread for ourselves.
– Hello, father! – Manas slightly bowed and greeted Khan Karacha and elder Bolot. – Since you ask, I will answer you all. Our homeland is Ala-Tuu, and our people are Kyrgyz in white kalpaks. Our ancestor is Karakhan; I am the only son of bai Jakyp.
– Oh, dear son! – Khan Karacha kissed Manas on the forehead. – Thank God that he helped us find you; may you live long for the happiness of your people. I am also Kyrgyz. I am your uncle, the khan of one of the forty Kyrgyz tribes, the Noyguts Karacha. I was once one of the fearless warriors; I was a prince, so I gift you Akkula. He is more than an animal and worthy of being your horse. I will also say about him that he is not an ordinary horse. This year he will only turn five, and this is not by chance. Found in the remote steppe, protected by spirits, his mother is also of a special breed; she competed with an onager, foaled in the desert, so he grew up among stones and is different from other horses. He suckled from seven mothers. I covered him with a patterned blanket and raised him separately from the other horses. Our people have fallen into distress, and here I have brought Akkula to you, my hero; this is my gift to you. Take Akkula and share your wheat with us.
For Akkula, ready to give not only all the wheat but also spend all his father's livestock, Manas immediately agreed to Khan Karacha's offer.
– My father, khan, take all the wheat without exception.
Pleased with Manas's generosity, Karacha called all the young men, ordered them to load the wheat onto ninety red camels, and they quickly loaded the animals, leaving not a handful of grain on the ground. The young men, who had just been standing sad and gloomy, immediately blushed with joy, began to joke with each other, became lively and cheerful, and their hearts were at peace.
Having obtained enough wheat to feed his entire tribe, Khan Karacha also rejoiced; his soul calmed, and he blessed Manas:
– May luck always accompany you, and may your enemies not know joy. Amen. My foal, Manas, always be ahead of everyone and do not forget your uncle, old Karacha. Always be in sight of the people; my homeland is on the banks of the Lop River, so come visit me.
Khan Karacha embraced Manas and set off on the return journey to his people.
Manas, who earned the wheat through honest labor, tireless work, and black sweat, and bought Akkula with it, sitting on his horse, looked even more stately; he towered above the ground so that he could be seen from afar; thus, he set off to Talas, accompanied by a black-spotted leopard on his right side and a tiger with black ears on his left side.
The Tale of Manas. The Resettlement of Manas to Talas
