Once upon a time, there lived two famous hunters in the Kyrgyz mountains. One was named Adyl-mergen, and the other — Edil-mergen. They had heard good things about each other, but they had never met.
One day, Adyl-mergen went hunting with his friends. They shot an argali and a chamois, built a large fire, and began to prepare dinner from the game.
Suddenly, they saw unknown riders appear on the ridge of a distant mountain. It was Edil-mergen with his friends. However, the famous hunters could not recognize each other, as they had never met before.
— Be on guard, and I will find out who these people are, — said Adyl-mergen to his friends, took his rifle, and, hiding behind stones and bushes, moved towards the unknown riders.
— I see someone sneaking up on us. Be on guard, and I will find out who this brave one is, — said Edil-mergen to his friends and, like a snow leopard, rushed towards danger.
The hunters crept towards each other and unexpectedly met nose to nose.
— Who are you? — asked Edil-mergen, aiming his rifle at Adyl-mergen's chest.
— I am hunter Adyl! And who are you? — asked Adyl-mergen, in turn aiming his rifle at Edil-mergen's chest.
— I am hunter Edil! Greetings to you, Adyl-mergen! — exclaimed Edil.
— Greetings to you, hunter Edil! — rejoiced Adyl. — Where are you headed?
— I came to scout and capture you, — replied Edil-mergen. — And where were you headed?
— I was coming to scout and capture you, — replied Adyl-mergen.
The hunters laughed and embraced each other tightly.
And now they, along with their friends, sit by the large fire, roasting fragrant liver on the coals, grilling fatty meat on a spit, and everyone around shares hunting tales, jokes — rejoicing in their meeting and successful hunt.
— My friend Edil, tell us something amusing, but choose the most interesting case, — asked Adyl-mergen.
— Alright, my friend, I will tell you, but I must confess that I have not yet performed any feats and have not encountered anything extraordinary in my hunting life. However, once something happened that I still cannot come to terms with, — Edil-mergen began his story.
— It was like this... One day I went hunting alone. I spent the whole day wandering through the mountains, encountered nothing worthwhile, and became very upset: this had never happened to me before. To avoid returning to the aiyl empty-handed, I ventured deep into the forest, hoping to shoot at least a roe deer. But even here, misfortune awaited me. Boredom overcame me, and I began to doze off while sitting on my horse. Suddenly, I woke up to the sound of loud laughter: in front of me stood a beautiful young woman and a cunning girl. They were preparing to milk the mares. I was very surprised: there had never been an aiyl in this place, and no one had ever grazed a herd here.
— Well, hunter, where is your shiralg? — smiled the girl.
— There will be a catch — there will be a gift, — I replied.
— A jigit like you should catch it anyway, — raised an eyebrow the young woman, — Come into the yurt, taste some kumys, — she invited.
The yurt was white and neat, like a chicken egg. The furnishings and decorations inside the dwelling were so splendid that I could not take my eyes off them.
I found myself the only guest of the beautiful hosts, and since they welcomed me warmly and attentively, time flew by quickly, and I did not notice how twilight set in. It was time to set off. Thanking the women for their hospitality, I took my whip and exited the yurt. The young woman and the girl accompanied me.
— Why should a hunter spend the night in a clean yurt, where he is pampered by a young woman and a slender girl? Apparently, he would much prefer to sleep under the open sky, laying a hard saddle under his head and covering himself with his own chapan, — the young woman smirked ironically.
— No, my dear, not at all. For a jigit who wanders through steep cliffs and passes, mountain flowers are more precious than a beautiful girl, and a hard saddle is more pleasant than a cozy yurt, — the girl laughed mockingly.
I felt embarrassed. I unsaddled my horse and stayed to spend the night in the hospitable yurt. The beautiful hosts treated me to delicious dishes. We started talking, and I, probably a little tipsy from the strong kumys, soon proposed to the girl for her hand in marriage.
— Oh great hunter, I agree to marry you, — the girl replied. — I have heard much about your feats and have long been in love with you. And finally, fate has brought us together on one path. But I have one condition: here is a torch for you, I will marry you only if you do not extinguish it, sit by my head, and do not close your eyes until dawn, — she said.
I agreed and spent the whole night sitting by the girl's head with the burning torch. Yes, I must have been too tired, as just as dawn began to break, my eyes started to close, and for a moment I fell into a doze. I jolted awake. The girl, who had just been sleeping peacefully, had vanished like a spirit, and there was no yurt above me. I sat alone among bare stones. My horse was calmly grazing. Not only had the herd disappeared, but also the trace of the former yurt and hearth.
Such a strange story once happened to me, my friend Adyl! Later, I realized that they were fairy peri. To this day, I regret that I could not overcome my sleep just before dawn, — sighed Edil-mergen.
— Yes, you told a mysterious story, my friend. I think our friends will appreciate your deed. Now allow me to tell you a case that happened to me, — began Adyl-mergen, settling more comfortably by the fire. — I often go hunting with friends, but I am more often alone. You all know that our brother, in search of game, sometimes goes very far without even noticing it. This is exactly what happened to me once. The hunting trail led me into a dense forest. The day was unsuccessful. Only by evening did I manage to shoot a single goat. Soon night fell, and I decided to spend the night in the forest. I unsaddled my horse, built a fire in a small clearing, and threw a piece of meat into the fire. I was so hungry that, not waiting for it to cook, I cut off a piece of half-raw goat meat and began to chew it. Suddenly, strange sounds came from the forest. My horse, tied to a pine tree, began to panic, trying to break free from its lead. Just in case, I loaded my rifle, placed it to my right, and became alert. The forest crackled with branches so loudly, as if a deadly battle was taking place there. Frightened animals rushed past me, and alarmed birds flew overhead. Silence fell as suddenly as the noise had begun. However, my horse became even more agitated. It neighed, reared up in fear, stared wide-eyed, and stomped the ground with its hooves.
Suddenly, I saw a young woman appear. She walked towards me with a confident, determined stride. My horse reared up in fear. I raised my rifle and aimed at the woman. She boldly approached me and, smiling, sat down by the fire.
— Who are you? — I asked.
She did not answer, rolled up the sleeves of her dress so that I could not see her fingers, and covered her mouth with her right hand.
I put down my rifle, took out my dagger, and began to sharpen its steel blade against a bone.
— Oh! Oh! What a wonder! Can one sharpen steel against steel? — she exclaimed.
— Who are you? Where are you from? — I asked.
My question went unanswered again. I took the meat out of the fire, cleaned off the soot, tasted it, cut off a piece, and offered it to the woman. She took the meat without showing her fingers, pretended to eat, hid it in her sleeve, stood up, and went back into the forest.
I tied my horse tighter, dragged a log to the fire, placed it on the saddle, covered it with my chapan, put my boots under the "legs," and settled down on the pine tree.
At midnight, my horse became restless. I looked and saw that the same woman was coming, carrying a large stone. She approached the lying figure and at the very moment when she raised the stone to drop it on the "sleeping," I fired. She screamed so loudly that I almost went deaf and fell by the fire without a sign of life.
I climbed down from the pine tree, approached her, and realized that it was a jez-tumshuk. My horse was dead: it had died of fear.
I threw the saddle on the pine tree and went back to my aiyl. But there, misfortune awaited me. As soon as they learned that I had killed the copper-nosed witch, all the villagers gathered and said:
— The man who killed the witch will face a terrible punishment! It will not only catch up with his loved ones and relatives but also with the neighbors. Leave us for a place where no one will hear or see you.
There was nothing to be done. I gathered my belongings and decided to leave the aiyl. By that time, my only daughter was married. I crafted a sharp bulat knife and handed it to her with the words: "Be on guard, my child. If indeed the copper-nosed witches will pursue our family, they will surely come to you. Know that the arrival of evil spirits is always accompanied by special signs. If at night the dogs suddenly bark, the cows low mournfully, the sheep and goats bleat, and the camels cry, the horses stomp and neigh — then know! — she is nearby. The main thing is not to sleep on such a night. Close the doors from the inside, light a lamp, take a bone, start sharpening this dagger against it, and do not be afraid."
I wished my daughter and son-in-law well and left. Many days later, I learned that terrible events had occurred in the aiyl after my departure.
One night, all at once the dogs barked, the cows lowed, the sheep and goats bleated, the camels cried, and the horses stomped and neighed. Panic began in the aiyl. My daughter lit the lamp, closed the chimney of the yurt tightly, securely locked the door, laid her frightened husband in bed, strapped on a battle belt, took a bare camel bone, and began to sharpen the blade of the bulat dagger. Soon footsteps were heard. Someone began to circle around the yurt.
— Ah, you cursed daughter of the cursed hunter! Look at her, sitting there, sharpening bulat against bulat and not afraid of anything, — an old woman's voice creaked.
— Wait, I will destroy your entire family! — threatened the old man's voice.
— I will avenge my sister's death. I will drink your blood and eat your liver, — the young one ground his teeth.
It seemed that a whole pack of copper-nosed creatures had gathered around the yurt. But my daughter did not flinch; she remembered my advice and continued to sharpen the knife. The poor girl sat there until dawn, until the noise and threats subsided. When the sun rose, she came out of the yurt and saw a terrible sight. Dead dogs lay everywhere, slaughtered sheep, goats, horses, and camels lay in the yards.
People looked on in horror at what had happened.
"Let Adyl-mergen come here immediately, let him see what trouble his reckless deed has brought. We have lost our livestock. Let him think about the fate of the villagers. He must sacrifice himself or destroy the copper-nosed monsters to the last creature. Otherwise, none of us will keep our heads," — they said to my daughter.
My son-in-law found me in the distant mountains and told me what had happened. I had to return to the aiyl. Everyone knew what I had decided. At my request, people gathered from the surrounding area: they held my funeral while I was still alive, equipped a caravan of twelve horses, loaded it with provisions and ammunition, and sent me on my way. The lives of hundreds of people depended on me, so I firmly decided to destroy all the copper-nosed or die — there was no other way out. I needed a companion who would not flinch in the face of terrible danger and, if necessary, would sacrifice his life for the salvation of the villagers. But no one dared to take the risk. And at the moment when I was about to set off alone, a young man stepped out of the crowd and said:
— I will go with you!
And we set off to the place where I had met the copper-nosed creature, waited there for several months, but no one appeared. Despairing completely, we headed to a gloomy rocky gorge. We waited several days, decided to return, came out onto a slope, and suddenly saw a huge flock of rams without a shepherd and realized that this flock was not ordinary. We hid behind the rocks and began to observe. The entire flock consisted of black rams, and ahead, a gray-haired goat strode importantly. As it approached us, the flock slowed down and scattered across the meadow. Only the gray-haired goat did not graze, but looked around cautiously, as if sensing our presence. After a while, a man appeared on the mountainside. We waited, holding our breath. He approached the flock.
— Well, old goat, what have you seen around? Has the hunter Adyl finally appeared? — he asked the old goat.
The gray-haired goat continued to stand as if rooted to the spot.
— Well, wait, hunter Adyl! If I catch you in my hands, I will get you! Ugh! — he exclaimed and squeezed a huge boulder in his hand, which immediately crumbled like dry sand. I pulled the trigger. A wild scream shook the sky and mountains — the copper-nosed bloodsucker fell to the ground. I was glad for my luck and wanted to rush to the victim, but then I saw that another monster was rushing towards me. I hid behind a rock.
— Oh Creator! Let my dream finally come true! Something very loudly called me, my son. Apparently, hunter Adyl is somewhere nearby. If he falls into my hands — I will eat his liver alive, drink his blood, and turn his bones into flour! — the old man growled in terrible anger and walked towards me, crushing the stones that came under his hand. — Hey, old goat, where is my son? Why was he shouting? Did he catch hunter Adyl? — he asked the goat.
The gray-haired goat did not answer anything and continued to stand as if rooted to the spot.
— A-ha, you don’t want to answer? Traitor! — the old man got angry, grabbed the goat by the beard, and poked it in the side so hard that the poor thing screamed in pain.
I shot. The old man screamed terribly and breathed his last. I cut off the steel fingers of the monster and handed them to my young friend.
— Now it’s time for the old woman. She must not be left alive. You stay here and watch our horses and wait for me for ten days. If I do not return, tell the relatives that Adyl-mergen has perished, — I said, took the provisions, and moved after the flock.
The gray-haired goat led its flock high into the mountains and stopped at a sheer cliff. A black stone the size of a tent shifted to the side, revealing an entrance. The flock rushed into the cave. I placed my rifle at the entrance, and as soon as I entered, the black stone closed the entrance. The way back was cut off. I crept into the far corner and hid.
— Oh Creator, will my dream come true?.. Something very loudly called my son and my old man! Maybe they caught hunter Adyl? I will roast him on a spit! — the old woman muttered, kindling a fire from black stones, then took out an iron rod as thick as a man's wrist and began to heat it in the fire.
I had no rifle. I could not exit the cave. "If I can hold out until morning, I can go out with the flock, take the rifle, and settle accounts with the old woman. But if the witch discovers me, she will deal with me cruelly, destroy my only daughter, son-in-law, all my kin, and all my neighbors," — I thought and trembled with fear.
— My dear ones are taking too long! I wish they would bring the hunter here and quench my thirst! — the old woman muttered and glanced at the heated rod with her one eye.
Not waiting for her husband and son, the old woman dozed off. Her huge eye burned like a torch, illuminating the cave. I cautiously approached the fire, grabbed the hot iron, and plunged it into the old woman's eye.
She screamed wildly, jumped up, began to feel every ledge of the cave, breaking off pieces of granite and crushing them in her rage.
— Oh villain! You wanted to kill me — you killed! You wanted to destroy me — you destroyed! You got your way, cursed hunter! You killed my daughter! You killed my son! My husband! And now you have reached me! No, you will not leave here alive! — the old woman screamed in terrible anger and dashed around the cave.
I trembled with fear and barely dodged her steel claws.
For five days, the old woman did not let the flock out of the cave. The hungry sheep began to eat each other's wool. On the sixth day, the gray-haired goat approached the old woman and butted her in the stomach. She grabbed him by the beard and struck his horns with the iron stick:
— Where is hunter Adyl? Speak, cursed one! — the old woman screamed and beat the goat. Not getting an answer, she moved the black stone, released the gray-haired goat, and began to let the flock pass, carefully feeling each sheep. After letting them all through, she tightly closed the cave and listened. I huddled in the far corner and stopped breathing. Not hearing any extra sound, the old woman began to feel every stone, every ledge, and every crack in the cave. Sometimes her terrible claws appeared right in front of my nose. Suddenly I stumbled, a piece of stone the size of a wooden bowl fell down. The old woman, in a frenzy, caught it in mid-air, the granite crumbled in her terrible hands and spilled between her fingers. I was scared to death, but then I began to mock her, throwing stones in different directions. The witch pounced after them like a cat, grabbing and crushing them in her rage.
— Ugh, cursed hunter! You found yourself a good amusement! — the copper-nosed one shrieked. — You deprived me of my only eye, and now you mock me? Come on! Mock the old woman! Better let’s make peace; just say something. I will never see you again, let me hear your voice, — she finally pleaded.
But I did not succumb to her trickery. As soon as I made a sound, she would immediately pounce on the voice and tear me apart. Every morning, the old woman led the sheep out, and in the evening, just as she did, she drove them back into her gloomy dwelling. Ten days passed. I ran out of provisions. I was suffering not only from the struggle and fear but also from hunger.
When I began to lose hope for salvation, the gray-haired goat cautiously approached me and said in a human voice:
— Adyl-mergen! I admire your bravery. The old woman rode on me like a donkey, beating me with an iron rod for the slightest offense. I decided to sacrifice myself for you. You take off my skin, put it on yourself, hang my golden bell around your neck, early in the morning butt her in the side, the old woman will wake up, open the cave, and you will be saved. There is no other way. You must live, Adyl-mergen, and free the people from the villains.
There was no other way. Shedding bitter tears, I fulfilled the command of the gray goat. I put on its skin and began to butt the old woman.
— Oh cursed goat! May wolves eat you alive! Where is hunter Adyl? You’re silent?! Cursed goat! You survived two masters! Now you desire my death! — The old woman struck me on the head, ordered me to herd the sheep, and moved the stone aside.
As soon as I managed to get out, the witch let out a wild scream.
— Oh my holey eye! How could I be deceived? Oh, woe is me! — she screamed and began to move the stone. But I managed to grab my rifle and shoot.
The villainess shrieked and fell dead. I released the flock and went to my young friend, who, having waited for ten days, was about to go to the aiyl to announce my death. I sent him with the joyful news of victory, and I lay down under the pine tree and slept for three days. When the people arrived, I led them to the cave of the copper-nosed creatures. The people spent a whole year carrying away the riches plundered by the bloodsuckers. Such a terrible story happened to me, my friend Edil, — concluded Adyl-mergen.
— You did not sleep for ten days and nights, while I, as you see, could not withstand even one night, — admitted Edil-mergen.
— Try to sleep when the life and fate of hundreds of people depend on you. It is no wonder they say: "Vigilance is a faithful horse," — replied Adyl-mergen.
— And I got off that horse and slept through my happiness, — Edil-mergen laughed.
The hunters supported his heartfelt confession with hearty laughter...