The Tale of the Seven Brothers

THE SEVEN SONS OF THE OLD WOMAN

Once upon a time, there lived a poor old woman who had seven sons. Each of her sons learned a special, wondrous skill. One day, the old woman said to her children:
— My children, your father left behind a single bow as inheritance, and I will give it to the one of you whose skill is the best and most needed!

One by one, the sons began to tell what they could do. 

The eldest son said:
— I can shoot a mighty black bird when it flies so high that it looks like a lark.

— And I can find the trail of an ant that it made seven years ago,— said the second.

The third said:
— I can look at my palm and see everything that happens in this world and the next.

— Before a person can blink, I can swim across the sea,— quickly said the fourth son.

— I can instantly provide food and satisfy all who are hungry,— added the fifth son.

The sixth son said:
— I can run on water as if it were dry land, and dust will rise beneath my feet.

Finally, the seventh son boasted of his skill:
— If an enemy suddenly attacks, all I have to say is: “Black earth, open up,” and the earth will open and swallow everyone I command!

The old woman listened to them all but could not decide whose skill was the best and most needed. The sons argued for a long time, each wanting to prove that his skill was the best and most necessary. Finally, their mother advised them to go to Khan Bolbos and test their skills.

The seven brothers arrived at Khan Bolbos's place. They saw that frightened, anxious people were running around.

The brothers were surprised.

“Could it be that an enemy has attacked Khan Bolbos's realm?” — they thought.

Just then, an old man stopped in front of them. The brothers greeted him and asked what was troubling the people of this city.

— My children,— the old man replied,— at night, while the people were sleeping, the only daughter of Khan Bolbos — the beautiful Aktamak — disappeared. The Khan ordered that his daughter be found, and if she is not found, he threatened to take off our heads. That is why our city is in such turmoil. Can you find the Khan's daughter?

The seven brothers began to think about how to find the Khan Bolbos's daughter — the beautiful Aktamak. Finally, the eldest brother said to the second brother:
— Weren't you boasting to our mother that you could find the trail of an ant made seven years ago? Then tell us where the Khan's daughter could have gone!

He looked down, looked up, and said:
— There are no traces on the ground; she flew through the sky!

Then the eldest brother turned to the third brother:
— When our mother asked us about our skills, you said that you could see on your palm what happens in this world and the next. Now, look at your palm!

He began to clench and unclench his palm, looked closely at it, and said:
— Aktamak is currently flying on the back of the mighty black bird of Khan Toybos, but that is far from here.

As soon as the brothers heard these words, they immediately set off. Soon they came to a large river. They were very hungry. The brother who could provide food whispered something, and in an instant, bags of bread, flasks of oil, and boiled lamb carcasses appeared before them. They all ate their fill, and before they could blink, the fourth brother crafted a boat. The brothers got into the boat and set off for the city of Khan Toybos.

...When the seven brothers reached the city of Toybos Khan, the beautiful Aktamak was walking to the river accompanied by forty girls. Then the sixth brother jumped out of the boat and, raising dust to the sky, ran across the river. Before the brothers could blink, he reached the shore, grabbed the daughter of Khan Bolbos, brought her back to the boat, and they continued on their way.

Khan Toybos learned of Aktamak's abduction and sent his mighty black bird after the brothers. When the mighty black bird flew so high that it looked like a lark, the eldest brother — the skilled archer — squinted, aimed, and shot. The mighty black bird fell dead — right in front of Khan Toybos's palace. The brothers landed on the shore and continued on with the girl.

When Khan Toybos saw that his mighty black bird was killed, he sent a large army after the brothers. When the army approached the brothers, the youngest brother shouted:
— Black earth, open up and swallow us! The earth split open, and the brothers went underground. Khan Toybos's army returned empty-handed.

When Khan Toybos heard that the brothers had fallen through the earth, he was frightened and swore never to abduct any girls again.

Meanwhile, the brothers began to emerge from underground right in front of Khan Bolbos's yurt. When the earth trembled and began to crack, the people of the Khanate were frightened and all ran to the mountains. Khan Bolbos himself fled to the mountains.

And when the seven brothers came out, they found not a single person in the Khanate. The brothers seated Aktamak in her father's yurt, slaughtered a ram, placed the meat in a cauldron, and lit a fire in the hearth. Khan Bolbos saw the smoke coming from his yurt and asked his attendants: — Who will dare to go down from the mountains and see what is happening in the yurt?

No one dared. Then the Khan forced an orphan boy to go.

The orphan thought: “If I die, there is no one to ask for payment for my head, no one to weep for me.” And he went. He quietly approached the Khan's yurt and saw: the seven brothers were cooking meat in the cauldron. In the honored place, on soft silk cushions, sat the daughter of Khan Bolbos, the beautiful Aktamak. The orphan rejoiced and ran to tell the Khan the joyful news.

Khan Bolbos generously rewarded the orphan boy and returned to his city with the people. Aktamak told her father how the mighty black bird of Khan Toybos had carried her away, how she was brought to the Khan's palace, and how the seven brothers saved her. When the Khan learned of each brother's wondrous skill, he asked them to stay in his Khanate and serve him. The brothers replied:
— If you tell us whose skill is the best and most needed, we will serve you; if you cannot say this, we will not serve you!

It is said that to this day, no one can say which of the brothers' skills is the best and most needed.

Kyrgyz Tales