The Tale of the Old Man and Bek-Khan

Bek-khan had six viziers — boastful and arrogant. They all boasted of their intellect. One day, Bek-khan was riding through the steppe with all his six viziers when they came across a poor yurt.

Near it stood an old man.

— Assalamu alaikum, old man! — greeted Bek-khan.

— Three times assalamu alaikum, Khan! — replied the old man.

Bek-khan looked at the old man carefully and asked:
— Will you sell three for nine?

The old man replied:

— I would gladly sell, but I can't; if I could, I would, but there is no merchandise.

— Tomorrow I will send you six lions, — said Bek-khan to the old man, — make sure you don't sell them cheap, sell them for a good price!

Having said this, Bek-khan rode on with his viziers.

On the way, the viziers asked the Khan:
— Bek-khan, you spoke with the old man in riddles, and we did not understand what you were talking about. Reveal to us the meaning of your words!

To this, the Khan replied:
— You are not just anyone; you are the Khan's viziers, you should be wise and understand everything with half a word. I give you until tomorrow. If by tomorrow you still do not guess the meaning of my words, I will expel you from my palace.

No matter how much the six Khan's viziers thought, they could come up with nothing. Then they decided to go to the old man. They mounted their swift horses — argamaks, took a lot of money with them, and set off. They galloped to the poor yurt and began to plead with the old man:

— Oh, old man, tell us what you talked about with the Khan yesterday! We understood nothing. The Khan threatened us that if we do not decipher the meaning of your conversation today, he will expel us from his palace. Take whatever you want, just explain the riddles to us!

And the viziers gave the old man all their money. The old man pretended to be surprised and said:
— There was nothing unclear in our conversation!

Seeing that it was difficult to persuade the old man, the viziers dismounted from their swift horses — argamaks, and gave them to the old man.

Then the old man said to them:
— Well, it seems I will have to tell you. The Khan's greeting — “assalamu alaikum” — means “peace be upon you.” My reply “three times assalamu alaikum” means “what is one time for me, let it be three times for you.” The Khan asked me: “Will you sell three for nine?” And this means: “Do you want to work for three months and rest for nine?” I replied to him: “I would gladly sell, but I can't; if I could, I would, but there is no merchandise.” And this means that “I would do so, but I can't; I would gladly rest, but I am poor — I must work to feed myself.” That is the whole of our conversation!

Then the viziers asked him:
— And what about the lions that Bek-khan spoke to you about?

The old man then smiled and replied:
— Are you not the lions that Bek-khan sent to me? Bek-khan warned me not to sell cheap and to sell the riddles for a good price.

So I sold you these riddles.

The six Khan's viziers said nothing more to the old man. They returned to the palace and told Bek-khan:
— Oh our Khan! We have deciphered the meaning of your conversation with the poor old man!

Bek-khan did not believe them.

— You did not decipher these riddles yourselves! — he said to the viziers. — Better tell the whole truth, otherwise I will order the execution of all six of you!

The viziers were frightened and immediately confessed everything to Bek-khan.

— Well, — said the Khan, — what kind of viziers are you if you six have less wit than one poor old man?

So the Khan said and expelled the viziers from his palace, expelled them from his khanate.

KYRGYZ TALES