The Orphan. Part - 1
In ancient times, there were many orphans on the earth. One of them served as a shepherd for a wealthy man. One day, the orphan boy was herding sheep on the slope of a mountain. At noon, he dozed off next to the sheep, and when he woke up, the flock was gone; it had been stolen by thieves.
The boy ran for a long time in search of the flock through the gorges and ravines, but all in vain. Suddenly, he saw three men resting on a hill. He ran up to them and plaintively asked if they had seen his flock anywhere, because if he did not find the sheep, the wealthy man would kill him...
The men who were resting were actually the very thieves who had stolen the boy's flock. They were frightened that the boy might lead to their discovery, and they began to beat him cruelly. When the boy fell unconscious, the thieves thought he was dead and left.
At that moment, a huge eagle was flying by. Noticing the boy's sprawled body, it picked him up and carried him to its nest, which was located on a high and inaccessible cliff. But just as it was about to have dinner, the boy opened his eyes. Seeing that the boy was alive, the eagle flew off in search of new prey.
Looking around, the boy realized that he would hardly be able to escape from there. In the enormous nest, he saw many bones—both animal and human. On the other side of the nest, he discovered a huge pile of gold and precious stones belonging to those people whose ashes had found their resting place in the eagle's nest. The boy bitterly wept from the despair that engulfed him.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of hooves. Peering out of the nest, the boy saw a caravan of merchants passing below. The merchants noticed the small figure on the cliff. One of them, having heard about the immense riches in this eagle's nest, shouted:
— Hey, if you throw down enough gold and silver for forty pack camels, we will help you escape from your confinement!
The boy was overjoyed and began to throw gold, silver, and precious stones out of the nest by the handfuls. When all forty camels were loaded, one of the merchants mockingly shouted:
— Well done, young man! Now sit and wait; we will definitely return someday and then we will surely help you escape from the eagle's nest!
The merchants laughed, and the boy realized that they had cruelly deceived him and had no intention of helping. Out of anger, he walked around the nest again in search of some path and saw a narrow ledge, barely wide enough for his hand.
He decided that there was no difference—whether to die in the nest from the eagle's beak or to break his neck falling from the cliff.
With great difficulty, the boy climbed down and went wherever his eyes could see. He passed mountains, then a steppe. The hardest part was walking through the desert, where it felt like his whole body was burning from the heat. Suddenly, he saw three kids frolicking near a small stream. When he reached the water, the boy drank his fill, washed his hands and face, feeling his strength return.
The kids, having played by the water, hopped away along a barely noticeable path. The orphan boy followed them, thinking they would surely lead him to some human dwelling. But days passed, and the kids continued their cheerful and carefree run. Finally, when the boy could barely stand, he saw a large and beautiful house. Upon entering, he found seven locked rooms. Curling up at one of the doors, the boy fell asleep.
In the evening, the owner of the house—a white-bearded old man—arrived. Looking at the sleeping boy, the old man was surprised: "No human foot has ever stepped here; where did this boy come from?" When the boy woke up, the old man asked him this question, and he told him about his adventures.
After listening to the boy, the old man said:
— You have managed to cross the boundary that separates the human land from the realm of the peri. I have served here for many years, counting birds, and I know how difficult it is to get here, but it will be even harder to get out of here,
— If everything is as you say, — said the boy, — then allow me to stay here and be your son.
The old man agreed.
Kyrgyz Tales