The Tale of the Wise Akylzhan. Part - 1

AKYLJAN

In ancient times, there lived a khan. This khan had a wise vizier. Both the khan and the vizier had been childless for a long time. Finally, the khan had a son, and the vizier had a daughter. The khan's son, Mzëntbek, grew up mischievous and somewhat foolish, while the vizier's daughter, Akyljan, was a serious and intelligent girl.

When the children grew older, their parents decided to marry them.

One day, Mzëntbek called Akyljan to him and said:
— I do not want you to be my wife. I am the son of a khan and must marry only the daughter of a khan!

Akyljan replied:
— If you have made your decision, do not go back on it. But I will give you one piece of advice. In the city of Uzur lives a khan's daughter, a smart and beautiful girl named Zhannat. She always remains silent. Whoever makes her speak three times in a row will be able to marry her. So you should go there and try your luck.

Akyljan thought that the journey would teach the foolish Mzëntbek something. She believed that Mzëntbek would become wiser by marrying the intelligent and beautiful khan's daughter — Zhannat.

A few days later, Mzëntbek mounted his horse and set off to find Zhannat. Days passed, nights went by, and when exactly ninety days and nights had passed, Mzëntbek arrived at the city where Zhannat lived. He approached Zhannat's palace and read the following words at the gates: "Whoever makes Zhannat speak three times in a row will marry her. Whoever fails will die."

The guards took Mzëntbek's horse, fed the rider, and when he had rested a bit, they led him to Zhannat.

Mzëntbek greeted Zhannat and sat opposite her. He began to tell her everything he had seen and heard since his birth. He spoke all night. But Zhannat did not utter a sound.

When dawn broke and the lark sang, the khan's bell rang.

— The young man who arrived yesterday could not make Zhannat speak, and now the khan will punish him! — announced the heralds to the people.

And by the khan's order, Mzëntbek was thrown into a dungeon. The khan's cook took pity on Mzëntbek. She begged the khan for him, brought him home, fed him, gave him drink, and then ordered him to tend the calves. Thus, more than a year passed.

...There was no news of Mzëntbek. His parents began to worry about him. Akyljan felt sorry for them and decided to go in search of the khan's son herself. She dressed in men's clothing, took weapons, and set off on her journey.

Days passed, nights went by, and when exactly ninety days and nights had passed, Akyljan arrived in the city of Uzur. The khan's guards took Akyljan's horse, fed her, and when she had rested a bit, they led her to Zhannat. Akyljan, folding her arms across her chest, greeted Zhannat and, sitting opposite her, began to tell:
— Girl Zhannat, listen to everything I will tell you, and make a fair decision. Once, a carpenter, a blacksmith, a tailor, and I, a literate man who knew spells, set off on a long journey. They stopped to spend the night in a dense forest. There were many wild beasts in the forest, and the travelers decided to take turns watching over the horses. The first turn fell to the carpenter — the youngest among the travelers. The carpenter grew bored. He found a piece of wood, whittled it, and carved a girl out of the wood. The second turn to watch the horses fell to the tailor. He saw the girl carved from wood and decided to dress her up. The tailor sewed a beautiful dress and put it on the girl. It was now the blacksmith's turn to watch the horses. As soon as he saw the craftsmanship of his companions, he thought, "Am I worse than them?" And the blacksmith made for the girl a hat, bracelet, long earrings, and buttons for the dress out of gold and silver!

Finally, it was the literate man's turn to watch the horses. Seeing the girl made of wood, he said: "I will show my skill too." He read some spell and brought the girl to life. In the morning, the travelers began to argue. "This girl should become my wife," each of them said.

To resolve the dispute, they had to turn to the elders, and they decided: "The girl should belong to the one who first thought of creating her."

— And what do you say? — the wise Akyljan addressed the silent Zhannat.

And the always silent Zhannat could not hold back any longer:
— No, she should belong to the literate man who gave her life! — she exclaimed.

And immediately the khan's bell rang, and the heralds announced that Zhannat had spoken for the first time.

Kyrgyz Tales