The Tale of the Foolish Dzhigit and the Beautiful Wife

THE FOOLISH JIGIT AND THE BEAUTIFUL WIFE

There was a wealthy man who had a son. After marrying a beautiful girl, he thought he could live happily ever after, as he had plenty of money, livestock, and a beautiful wife...

Time passed. The father died. Soon the wealth left to him by his father was gone. Then the wife said:
— The money from your father is finished; you will have to earn a living yourself.

— No,— replied the husband,— I am afraid to leave you alone; it’s better for me to stay as your guard forever.

— I will never look at anyone else,— reassured his wife. — Just in case, I will give you a flower; attach it to your collar. If the flower withers, it means something bad has happened to me.

The husband agreed. He attached the flower to his collar and went to work for three wealthy brothers—Adyl, Madyil, and Zhalyn.

One day, Adyl asked his new worker:
— Hey, jigit, what is that flower on your collar, and why does it never wither?

— It’s a gift from my wife,— he replied. — If it withers, it means someone has stolen her. As long as the flower is fresh, my beautiful wife is in good health and waiting for me at home.

— So, the famous beautiful girl is your wife?

— Yes,— the jigit replied proudly.

Adyl decided to take advantage of the fact that the beautiful man's husband was at work and went to her to boast about his wealth and either by trickery or force take her for himself.

The beautiful wife welcomed Adyl warmly, set the table, and when it was time to sleep, she called her husband, who was working in the yard, and said:
— Take care of the guest's horse.

— How should I take care of it?

— Hang the horse up so that all four of its hooves cannot get dirty; otherwise, the guest will be upset.

What she meant was: clean the horse, slaughter it, hang the meat, clean the legs, spread out the skin, and salt it.

Then she told her husband:
— And let the falcon make no sound.

This meant that when he did everything quietly and silently, he should not wake the guest but inform her of what he had done.

The husband did everything as his wife instructed. Before dawn, she woke the guest:
— Hurry up, my wicked mother-in-law is coming; hide in the cellar!

Adyl hid, and the woman closed the cellar with a wooden lid and went to sleep. In the morning, throwing a piece of bread to the guest, she said:
— It’s good that I managed to hide you; you will have to stay here until my mother-in-law leaves...

Whether a lot or a little time passed, the middle brother Madyil learned about the beautiful woman and wanted to possess her. However, he met the same fate as his older brother. The same happened with the younger brother Zhalyn.

Thus, the clever woman rid herself of three treacherous brothers, realizing that they wanted to take her by force.

When her husband returned, having earned a lot of money, she asked him if he wanted to see the three captured baies—alive or dead?

— Better to see them alive,— replied the husband.

Then the woman brought out Adyl, Madyil, and Zhalyn from the cellar.

— Where are our horses?— they asked her.

— Ask the striped broom,— was the reply, and she pointed to the hung carcasses of their horses. The brothers thought that this woman possessed not only rare beauty but also sharp wit, so it was better not to have any dealings with her.

And the husband and wife lived a happy and hardworking life.

Kyrgyz Tales