The Tale of Manas. In Memory of Kököktöy. Part - 5

Mourning for Kököktöy. Part - 5

After that, sixteen young men began to rub his lower back. At that moment, a messenger from the Chinese arrived. He looked at Koshoy and said:

- But the fighter is already too old! Joloy will defeat him in his sleep.

Koshoy the wrestler, renowned among the people, was greatly angered by this.

His white beard fluttered.
He swayed like an angry bull.
Deciding to fight,
He moved towards Joloy.
At that moment, from Joloy
Flames erupted from his mouth.
Sparks fell from his eyes.
Wherever he grabbed someone, blood would flow.
He stood up with a crash and said to Koshoy:
- Your beard is already turning gray.
It is time for you to embark on a long journey.
You are stepping into battle in your old age.
You will lose your honor,
And meet your death!

Then Koshoy replied:

- Your clothing is a child's bib. Oh, you vile glutton! Do you remember in the Ukurchu gorge, at Uishunbai, how I dragged you across the ground like a kid at a goat fight? Or have you forgotten that? Or have you become different now? No, you are still the same Joloy, and I am still the same Koshoy.

Having said this, he extended his hand. When Joloy grabbed it, Koshoy pulled it back, but all the skin from his hand remained with Joloy. When Joloy extended his other hand, the skin also pulled back and remained with Koshoy.

The two giants lunged at each other, and the people watching the struggle of the two wrestlers were frozen in astonishment.

They fought day and night. Thousands of torches were lit around to witness the battle. But neither could defeat the other. By noon the next day, the old man Koshoy began to succumb to sleep, his eyes were already closing. Seeing this, Joloy decided to finish it immediately; he lifted Koshoy and wanted to slam him against a stone the size of a small house. But Manas noticed this:

He cried out fiercely: "Oh, Khan!"
He called out loudly: "Abake!"
Manas sought to rouse Koshoy,
Who was in the arena.
What happened to Abake Koshoy?
- My honor is leaving me, - he thought.
- Vile Koshoy, open your eyes,
The black force will trample you!
Will you let yourself be defeated by a pig?
You will give your honor to a coward,
You will leave the Kyrgyz
To disgrace and bad fame!
After all, you have had wonderful feats.
You were a lion in appearance and a trickster in grips.
When you were angry, your face was terrible.
When you cursed, your words were poisonous! -
The voice of Kankor rang in the air
And reached Koshoy's ears.
He heard Manas's voice,
Thunderously ringing in the air.
In the tense call of Manas
Roared boundless fury.
Kankor cursed his sleep.
And where did he get such a voice!
Then Koshoy opened his eyes,
And his mind immediately returned to him.
Straightening up to his full height,
The coward Joloy stood.
He wanted to slam Koshoy against the stone.
Like a ball of yarn.
But at that moment Koshoy surged forward,
Wild hatred engulfed him.
Old Koshoy, Abake.
He touched the ground with his feet.
Abake Koshoy the giant
Became so enraged.
Until then, at the ash and toya,
No one could bring Koshoy down in the arena.
Abake Er Koshoy
Tucked in his expertly sewn shims
From all sides.
And Joloy still had in mind
To slam Koshoy against the stone.
With his right foot, Koshoy Abake
Delivered a kick - a trip.
The whole crowd watched the struggle,
Watched as Joloy, a hero the size of a mountain,
Was yanked from the ground by Koshoy,
And with all his might, he threw him to the ground.
Many people watched,
How Joloy was struck,
How Koshoy stepped over his head,
And became the victor.
Joloy said:

- You tripped me; otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen, - and grabbed him by the edge of his pant leg. Manas was furious that the defeated one, breaking the rules of the fight, was trying to hold Koshoy again, and raised his whip (47).

The solid wood from the huge mountain
Was uprooted
In winter and summer for twelve months
It was tempered.
From the hide of a five-year-old bull
A whip was made.
A tin was inserted into the middle of the whip.
Patterns were drawn on the surface,
At the bend of the whip is a mirror.
On the strap for hanging the whip is a tassel.
So that ears go deaf at the strike.
Inside the knot at the tip of the whip
A piece of lead with lamb's liver was placed,
From the Sart who do not slaughter a ram for a guest,
The heroic whip made them cry.
Women who do not submit to their husbands,
It made them writhe.
The singer Manas, the hero.
With all his might
Struck Joloy, who was the size of a mountain,
And he flew head over heels.

All the Kyrgyz shouted joyfully. Koshoy jumped onto Kokkoy and the horse galloped, lifting the rider high above the crowd.

When the duel ended, the heralds shouted:
- Step forward, bald ones, start wrestling! For the winner, a prize of ninety heads of cattle, nine camels, and one hundred sheep has been designated.

From the Chinese came the bald Mardikelen. Among the Kyrgyz, there was not a single completely bald head, so no one stepped forward. Due to the lack of an opponent, the designated prize went to Mardikelen.

Then the unraveling of the camels began.

The prize was designated as ninety heads of cattle, nine camels, one hundred sheep, and the heralds invited to unravel the camels. But no one came forward. Only towards the end did the princess Orongu from among the Chinese and a man named Mardikelen come forward, and scaring the camel away, Orongu took the prize (48).

- Now we announce the horse competition, - proclaimed the heralds. - All strong, all mighty, choose powerful horses, step forward for the competition. The reward for the winner will be one hundred battle horses and three hundred mares.

A rumor spread that Manas himself would come out from the Kyrgyz. Everyone froze, and no one dared to step forward, saying:

- Who can stand against Manas, except for a man desperate in life?

Hearing this, Konurbay became extremely furious.

- If Manas really comes out, then I will step forward against him myself, - he decided and began to prepare for battle in haste. First of all, I couldn't step forward for the wrestling yesterday; secondly, I have long harbored a grudge against him.

Konurbay donned all his armor and awaited the start of the competition (49).

At the black mountains of Kaskana,
At the gates of mighty Beidzhin,
Konurbay camped in the Chontabylga area,
Tying his black steed there.
He armed himself as soon as he learned of the enemy's approach.
He was the younger brother of sixty jaysans,
He was the youngest son of Khan Alooke,
He was the offspring of the wicked Kaldai,
He was the greatest hero of China.
He mounted his Algaran,
Put on his golden armor,
Took a blue spear in his hands.
He unfurled his colorful banners.
Like a huge thick man
He hung a stone - a coral - at his side.
On his head shone a crescent moon.
Around his neck were golden beads, the size of a bowl.
The glass of his eyes sparkled.
He wore a cloth belt,
And quilted boots made of cotton.
- This is what this bloated Kalcha was like!
On top were leather boots,
The lower back was carefully wrapped,
This is what the proud Kalcha was like.
He belted himself with iron as thick as a kerge,
- This is what he was, the boastful Kalcha!
His eyes shimmered,
Like the bays of a lake.
He could swallow anyone who crossed his path.
The brows hanging over his eyes
Were like a chapan thrown over the saddle of a horse.
The hair of his mustache stood on end.
If you look at his mustache,
They are like a hatchet handle.
The face of Kalcha is stern and blurred,
The cheeks - the color of boiled liver.
If you look at his beard,
It is hard, as if it had grown, breaking through iron.
His eyes are murky, like metal sharpened with a coarse file.
His nose is like a mountain ridge,
The brows are like a faded golden eagle,
His head is poised like a tiger ready to leap.
He covered himself with a kokubets,
- Look at Konurbay!
He stood alert like a lion,
- Look at Konurbay!
The Algaran beneath him
If he sees a kulang, will surely outrun it.
His tail is thick, but his mane is sparse,
He is skillfully trained for competitions.
His hooves, like blue stone.
Wearing a huge ochogor.
He pulled the reins of Algaran,
Like an arrow in flight.
To the golden smoking pipe
He attached a kishet.
He poured in six bags of tobacco at once,
Then took a burning dung the size of a house,
Lit the pipe and took a puff with a rumble.
Flames burst from his mouth.
Sparks fell from his eyes.
From the smoke swirling from the pipe,
The enemy camp was not visible.
The Manchus swarmed,
Light-footed like Shibe,
Were always a support
To Er Konurbay, the hero.
On the rocky hill around the arena
They all came out to admire him.
Koshoy, learning of Konurbay's preparations, came to seek advice from Manas:

- Konurbay was very upset yesterday; he has long harbored a grudge against us. Therefore, he is arming himself.

Now it will be either me, the withered old man, or you, my Kankor. There is no one else! It seems to me that Konurbay is preparing to bring great misfortune upon the Kyrgyz.

- Choose me a strong and resilient horse, and prepare me for battle, - said the glorious Er Manas in response.

Koshoy then ordered all the horses that Manas indicated as suitable for battle to be gathered; from the multitude, the best horse was chosen, and Manas mounted it. The whole crowd wished him good luck. The observers on his side were Bakay and Tyoshtyuk.

Manas and Konurbay clashed twice. When their lances crossed, the powerful horses reared up on their hind legs from the force of the blows, like weak puppies. Then the wrestlers threw down their lances and began to stab each other with blades. Observers from both sides, seeing this, declared:

- This is not right; according to the agreement, one can only fight with lances, - and separated the fighters.

When the fighters met for the third time, Konurbay struck first with his lance, and Manas nearly fell from his horse. His foot slipped out of the stirrup, and he leaned back on the horse's rear. But gathering all his strength, he quickly recovered and suddenly noticed that Konurbay had an uncovered gap in his armor at the back of his neck. He immediately aimed and struck there. The Chinese hero fell from his horse, and Manas with a loud victorious shout arrived at his people. The heralds announced:

- A competition in throwing off from the horse is announced. No Kyrgyz should step forward. The competition will be between the peoples coming from the East and the peoples coming from the West. The winner will be awarded ninety heads of cattle and fifty sheep.

From the Chinese came the giant Shan, from the Western peoples - Chinonchuk. Both turned out to be equal in strength; they met sixty times, grappled sixty times, but neither could bring the other down.

As the day began to fade and evening approached, the fighters were decided to be separated, and the old man Kenen from the Chinese and the Kyrgyz Akbay were sent for this purpose. Old Kenen wanted to stop Shan, but at that moment Chinonchuk jumped forward and knocked Shan off his horse.

The Kalmyks and Chinese were defeated, harboring a bitter sense of resentment.

The time for the return of the horses that participated in the baiga was approaching.

For six days, the steeds moved forward, and they returned for two days. On the day of their return, the whole crowd was terribly agitated. Konurbay and Joloy, defeated by the Kyrgyz heroes, decided to take revenge. Konurbay gathered all the Chinese and Kalmyks and declared:

- Manas, Koshoy, Tyoshtyuk, and others declared themselves the leaders of the Kyrgyz. This is the kind of mourning ash they hold for their deceased, and their power is growing all the time. If this continues, if we do not restrain them, they may want to lay their hands on mighty Beidzhin as well. Therefore, we must exterminate all the Kyrgyz, destroy the very Kyrgyz seed. The pretext for starting the massacre should be the disorder during the return of the horses.

Everyone agreed with Konurbay's words. The strongest mounted selected horses, donned bulletproof chain mail, and prepared for battle, riding out to meet the steeds.

Seeing that Akkula was leading, Konurbay decided to bring him down and rode towards him, but Manas saw this and with a furious shout: "What are you plotting against my horse?!" - struck Konurbay hard on the back of the head. Konurbay lost consciousness and nearly fell from his horse.

Then the hero Joloy rode after Akkula, also wanting to bring him down, but Almambet blocked his path and knocked him off his horse. Joloy jumped to his feet and wanted to shoot at Almambet, but this was noticed by Chubak, who struck Joloy on the head with an aybalt. Frightened by the forty choro, Joloy galloped away and disappeared into the crowd of Kalmyks.

Akkula arrived first. Manas and Koshoy took turns handing out prizes to the owners of the winners - tulpars.

By evening, having divided all the prizes, Manas returned home to rest. Taking advantage of this, armed Chinese and Kalmyks attacked the Kyrgyz shepherds, seized the cattle received as prizes, and drove them to their ails. Learning of this, Tyoshtyuk with a forty-thousand army and Bokmurun with a hundred-thousand army moved after them. Manas was enraged:

- What news is this? How can we give the prize to Konurbay and Joloy? If my death has come, then I will die, but I will not yield the prizes to the audacious enemies.

He took with him a four-hundred-thousand army and also set out in pursuit.

The Chinese and Kalmyks at that time were fleeing and had already reached the outskirts of Kul-ji. There they calmed down, thinking that the Kyrgyz would not catch up with them here. To the meeting peoples, they boasted:

- We took the Kyrgyz prizes at the baiga, we severely battered them, and now we return home with spoils and glory.

They sent messengers to their ails and ordered that they be awaited, to brew arak, and to slaughter as many piglets as possible. Joloy also moved forward.

Leisurely, constantly stopping for rest and fun, the Chinese-Kalmyk camp moved, not fearing the enemy. And suddenly, upon them, having lost their caution, fell like a storm the army of Manas. The horsemen began to smash, trample, and cut down the enemy army. Many, fearing the death galloping behind them, which the blades of Kyrgyz horsemen carried, threw themselves into the murky waves of the river and perished there. Alooke managed to escape with fifteen thousand. Konurbay, Muradyl, and Orongu with a hundred and fifty thousand army set out to meet Manas and proposed to finish the fight with a duel.

Konurbay stepped forward for the fight. Bokmurun did not leave Koshoy, asking for permission to fight Konurbay. Koshoy was angry, replying to him that he was young, but yielding to his insistence, he eventually gave him permission.

And Manas at that time thought to himself:

- Who besides me can step forward against Konurbay? - and hastily donned his battle clothes. Suddenly he saw that the young Bokmurun had stepped into the arena. Manas was greatly angered at Bokmurun for such childishness.

- The little one is doomed! - he lamented.

The fighters met. Agile and nimble Bokmurun, sitting on his playful tulpar, skillfully dodged the blows of the heavy Kalcha, and even managed to stab Konurbay several times with his lance. Severely wounded, Konurbay was forced to gallop away from the arena to his troops.

Bokmurun decided to kill him and galloped after him, but the balban Neskara rode out to meet him and with a strong blow broke Bokmurun's lance. Seeing this, Manas called for a general fight, and the Kyrgyz horsemen rushed at the enemy with a fearsome shout.

They cut down the Chinese without mercy. Konurbay fled, and Neskara fell into their hands alive. Joloy was beaten to unconsciousness in his own dwelling. Eighty thousand Kalmyk yurts were captured. With a huge booty, Manas returned home with his army.

The Tale of Manas. Mourning for Kököktöy. Part - 4