THE KAZAKH LEGEND OF THE LAME ONAGER (KOULAN)

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 757.

PART XV: LEGENDS

Once the son of the Great Golden Horde khan Zhoshy (Dzhoushie) was hunting the wild onagers. Zhoshy was so much interested in the process of hunting and arrow shooting that he didn't notice when he had left his suite behind him. The prince hit the aims just to the point and there was no mercy towards the poor animals. The leader of the wild onager herd was very brave and strong. The lame onager was his name. He wasn't afraid of the wolves. He got his name because of his battle with the beasts. The beasts had injured the onager's leg. So, the onager suddenly turned back and attacked the prince. The attack of the lame leader was so impudent and fierce that Zhoshy fell off the horse, broke his neck and died. The herd of the onagers became free from the chase and ran away into the steppe. The onagers' leader was at the head as before.

Nobody of the suite dared to tell the Great Golden Horde khan about his son's death as there was an awful custom to execute the one who used to bring bad news. There lived an aged man Ketbouk who was very wise. People called him Ouly Zhirshy because he was the famous singer's son. So, Ouly Zhorshy is the native name for “the famous singer's son”. Thus, that aged man Ketbouk by name carved a dombra (Kazakh stringed folk instrument) out of a birch tree and drew the strings. Then he came to the Great Khan's palace and kneeled in front of the throne. The master felt that the guest came to his palace because of the bad reason. So, the khan asked him gloomily what the great singer wanted. Without saying a word the singer began to play his birch dombra. The melody was very sad. It was called (and is still called) kyui. That kyui was telling about the young prince's hunt and his meeting the onager herd grazing in the spring steppe. The onagers' leader had been lucky and had managed to lead the herd away the chase a lot of times. But not that very time. The danger was very serious. The prince's arrows caught up the mares and the issue. Soon the killing bow arrows stroke the herd and the horsemen were nearly to seize the animals. To escape the danger the lame onager at the cost of his life turned back and attacked the chasing prince. The prince was thrown down to the ground. That was the death of the young khan's son. The singer stopped playing the dombra. Although he pronounced no word the Great Khan as well as all the rest understood everything. So sad did the dombra play! The instrument sang about the clatter of the onagers' hoofs, about onagers' anxiety for their foals, about the strength and wisdom of the lame onager that tried to save his herd. The dombra was particularly sorrowful while singing about the lame onager's attack against the prince. The khan kept silent for a long time. His suite didn't dare to utter a word. At last the Great Khan said “You told me the bad news without pronouncing a word. Then let the dombra be punished but not you. Fill it up with lead!”

Thus, owing to the wise man Ketbouk the Great Golden Khan was informed about his son's death despite the terrible custom. Since then the flat side of the dombra has had an opening (a hole) as the sign of its guilt for the bad news about the prince's death.

Ø Read the story. Order these sentences and retell the story:

a. Thus, the Great Golden Khan was informed about his son's death despite the terrible custom.

b. Without saying a word the singer began to play his birch dombra.

c. The onager suddenly turned back and attacked the prince.

d. The herd of the onagers became free from the chase and ran away into the steppe.

e. Although he pronounced no word the Great Khan as well as all the rest understood everything.

f. Zhoshy fell off the horse, broke his neck and died.

g. He didn't notice when he had left his suite behind him.

h. Nobody of the suite dared to tell the Great Golden Horde khan about his son's death.

i. There lived an aged man Ketbouk who was very wise.

j. Then he came to the Great Khan's palace and kneeled in front of the throne.

k. Once the son of the Great Golden Horde khan Zhoshy was hunting the wild onagers.

(Keys: 1k, 2g, 3c, 4f, 5d, 6h, 7i, 8j, 9b,10,e, 11a)

Ø Give the English equivalents to the following words and word combination:

Свита

Стрельба из лука

Стадо

Повредить ногу

Хромой

Погоня

Казнить

Старец

Пастись

Ценою своей жизни

Ø Make up your own sentences with them.

Ø Try to explain the following words by means of English:

an onager

a horseman

a dombra

the issue

Ouly Zhirshy

Ø Answer the question:

Why did people call the aged man Ouly Zhirshy?