The Tale of the White Goat Aldar. Part - 2

On the appointed day, Aldar placed the "goat" in a bag and came with it to the arena. A huge crowd had gathered here; everyone wanted to see how the horned fighters would battle. They fought so fiercely that sparks flew from their horns.

The Khan, seeing Aldar, called him over and said with a smirk:

— What do you have in the bag — a goat or a grasshopper? — And he burst out laughing, pleased with his joke. — If your white goat is in there, let him into the ring. Or has he fainted from fear?

In response to the Khan's mockery, Aldar decided to laugh at him in return.

— Oh, great Khan! — he said, bowing deeply. — My goat will not fight for a small prize — he loves gold coins, and in addition, something else!

The people gasped at the bold and audacious words of the beardless man.

— Well, if that's the case, then you choose the prize yourself, — the good-natured Khan suggested. — You will lose it anyway!

He burst into laughter, which somewhat resembled the bleating of a goat.

They debated for a long time about what prize to set. Finally, they agreed that if the black goat wins, Aldar will give up his white goat, and if the white goat wins, the Khan will give up his black goat and also five sheep. As if to say, know this, poor man: the Khan is a generous person... with promises.

The eyes of the gathered crowd turned to the ring, where the Khan's black goat and Aldar's white goat were to fight.

Two tall, strong horsemen brought the resisting black goat into the ring.

Aldar stepped into the ring as well. Lowering the bag to the ground, he untied the rawhide cord, secretly adjusted the goat's beard, horns, and hooves, and set it free. The goat, seeing so many people, got scared and bolted away. In its path was the black goat. The predator's eyes lit up with a greedy, hungry fire. No one even noticed how it snapped its sharp fangs. Sensing the wolf's scent, the black goat was so frightened that it jumped up about two meters and ran away.

The crowd erupted in laughter at the disgraceful flight of the black goat, while the Khan turned pale with anger at having lost. But there was nothing to be done; he had to give up not only the black goat but also the five promised sheep.

From that moment on, the Khan harbored resentment against Aldar and began to think of ways to take the white goat from him. He thought and thought and could come up with nothing better than to call Aldar and offer him a large ransom for the white goat.

— I will give you a hundred sheep for the goat, — the Khan persuaded. — A hundred sheep will bring a hundred lambs in a year. Soon you will be rich yourself.

— Oh, lord with a star on your forehead! — exclaimed Aldar, pretending to cry. — Not for a hundred sheep, I wouldn’t part with my goat for two hundred sheep either. But for you... I am ready for anything. Not just the goat — I would give my life.

The Khan was delighted that he had achieved his goal so easily and generously offered more:

— In that case, I will give you ten more lambs as a bonus.

That was how the deal was made. Aldar went home for the "goat," brought it back in a bag, and let it into the Khan's sheepfold. He also warned the Khan's workers:

— Until the goat gets used to the sheep, do not open the gates. It might escape at any moment.

Having said this, he drove home the sheep with the lambs — the Khan's ransom for the white "goat."

In the morning, the horsemen opened the gates of the sheepfold and recoiled in shock: the entire flock of sheep had been slaughtered by a wolf, and he had dashed through the open gates — that was the last they saw of him. In the corner of the sheepfold were left the goat's beard, horns, and hooves.

They reported what had happened to the Khan. He became very angry and sent his horsemen after Aldar, but they soon returned empty-handed: Aldar did not wait for them to start searching for him and set off into the steppe — far away from the Khan's domain.

The Tale of the White Goat of Aldar. Part - 1