Bedtime Stories: Blonde Hair

This happened in ancient times. At that time, we Russians didn’t even have a shadow in this area. As for the Bashkirs, they don't live close to here either. For them, you see, there had to be open areas where livestock could graze: clearings in the woods or grasslands. Of course it is possible in Niaziyi① and Ulayim②, but in our area, where can we graze? The forest now has gaps where you can see the sky, but it was impossible to ride a horse or walk through it at that time. Only hunters go to such woods.

① Niaziyi is a forest and grassland area next to the Niazi River Valley.

②Ulayim originally meant "pot" in Bashkir language, and was later extended to mean depression, which is a depression beside the Niaz River.

It is said that at that time there was a hunter named Ayrep among the Bashkirs. There is no braver man. He could kill a bear with one arrow, and if he encountered an elk, he could hold its horns and throw it over his shoulder, and the beast would be finished immediately. Not to mention wolves and other small beasts. As long as Ayilep sees it, not a single one of them can escape.

Once, Ayilep rode his horse to an open area and saw a fox running in front of him. For such a hunter, hunting a fox is simply not cost-effective. But he thought in his heart: "Let me have fun and whip it to death with a horse whip." Ayilep chased the fox on horseback, but could not catch up with the fox. Just as he drew his bow and pointed it at it, the fox suddenly disappeared. what to do? Just run away, it's that beast's luck. Just when he thought about it, the fox actually sat behind a tree stump in front of him and screamed, as if laughing: "How can you shoot me!"

Ai Lepu drew his bow and pointed the arrow at Check it out - the fox is gone again. Putting down the bow and arrow - the fox appeared in front of him again and screamed: "How can you shoot me!"

Ayilep got angry: "Just wait and see, you red-haired Guy!"

After running through the clearing in the woods, there was an extremely dense forest in front of him, but the forest could not stop Ayirep. He dismounted and pursued the fox on foot, but to no avail. Seeing it in front, I couldn't hit it with an arrow. I'm not willing to let it go. What the hell, such a brave hunter can't even shoot a fox to death! In this way, Ayilep chased him to a completely unfamiliar place. The fox is also gone. I searched and searched, but still couldn't find it.

He thought: "Let me look around and see where I am."

He climbed up a tall larch and climbed to the top of the tree. At first glance, there was a stream running down from the top of the mountain not far from the larch tree. The stream is not big, but it is very happy. The stream is always talking to the stones. There was a shimmering golden light in one place that made it difficult to even open one's eyes. "What's going on?" he thought. Looking again, I saw a girl sitting on a white rock behind the bushes. Her beautiful appearance was something I had never heard of or seen before. Her braids fell past her shoulders and into the stream. Her braid is golden and is ten feet long. It was because of her blond hair that the stream shone so dazzlingly.

Ayilep stared at it for a long time, but the girl raised her head and said:

"Hello, Aylep! I have heard a lot from my fox nanny. There are many things about you. It seems that you are taller, more handsome, braver and luckier than anyone else. Will you marry me? "

"But for you," Ayilep asked: "I How much do we need to pay as a bride price?" "What kind of bride price is needed," the girl replied: "My father is the owner of all the gold, but we must escape. That depends on whether you have enough resourcefulness and courage."

Ai Lepu was very happy. He jumped down from the larch tree, ran to where the girl was sitting and said to her: "If you are willing to do this, what else can I say. I will definitely carry you out of the woods, no Let no one take you from you.

"

At this time, the fox suddenly appeared next to Bai Shi and screamed. When its nose touched the ground, it stood up and turned into a shriveled old woman.

"Oh, ah Yirepu, Yirepu, you are talking nonsense! He also boasts about his courage and good luck. Why couldn't you cum in me just now? "

"You are right," Ayilep replied: "This is the first time I have failed in my life. ”

“So that’s it! But things are more difficult now. This girl is the daughter of the serpent Poloz, named Golden Hair. Her hair is pure gold. She was trapped here by these golden hairs.

She sat and washed her hair, but the weight of her blond hair still wouldn't lighten. Now please try to lift her braids and you will know whether you can take her out. "

After all, Ayilep was a unique person. He pulled up his golden braid and wrapped it around himself. After twisting it several times, he said to the girl:

"I Dear fiancée with golden hair, now we are both tightly tied together with your golden braid. No one can tear us apart! "

After Ayilep said this, he picked up the girl and walked out.

The old woman thrust a pair of scissors into his hand.

"Smart man, take this. "

"What's the use of this to me? Don’t I have a knife myself? "

Ayilep originally wanted not to take the scissors, but his fiancée Golden Hair said: "Take it--it's not for you, it's for me. of. ”

Ayilep was walking in the woods. He could see clearly the general direction of walking on the top of the larch tree. At first he walked very fast, but he always felt a little strenuous, despite his strength. He was so big that ordinary people couldn't compare with him. When the golden-haired man saw that Ayilepu was tired, he said: "Let me go by myself, and you can hold the braid for me." That would be much easier. We should go farther away, or Dad will remember me and suck me back quickly. "

"How to suck it back? "Ai Lepu asked.

"He," replied the golden-haired man, "is born with the ability to suck all the gold he needs to his side and to the ground. If he wants to suck my hair, no one can stop him. "

"Let us take a look! "Ayilep replied; but his fiancée, Golden Hair, just smiled.

After saying this, they continued to move forward. Golden Hair kept urging him:

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"We must go further. Maybe my father’s strength won’t be able to reach him if he goes too far. "

Walking, walking, too tired to walk any more.

"Let us rest for a while," Ayilep said. Just when they sat on the grass , their bodies immediately sank to the ground. The golden hair quickly picked up the scissors and cut off the golden braid around Ayilep's body. This saved his life. The golden braid was finally sucked down. It was left on the ground. However, he was still dragged down quite deep by the braid. His fiancée was gone. It was as if he had never climbed out of the mud pit. , thinking: “What’s going on? My fiancée was snatched away, but I couldn’t see who snatched her away! This is a great shame for me. Never allow such a thing! I will find her even if I die! ”

So he dug down where the girl had been sitting. He dug for a day and another day, but nothing came of it. You have to understand that Ayilep’s strength is huge. But the tools are just a waist knife and a hat.

How can I get anything out of this?

"I have to make a mark here," Ayilep thought to himself: "Let me." Go home and get the shovel and other guys. "

Just when he thought this, the fox that led him here suddenly appeared. It touched its nose to the ground, stood up and turned into a shriveled old woman.

She said:

"Oh, you smart guy, smart guy! Do you want to dig for gold here or something?"

"No," Ayirep replied : "I'm looking for my fiancée."

"Your fiancée," said the old woman, "is already sitting in the same place, weeping, and soaking her braids in the stream. Her braids are now It’s twenty feet long, and you can’t even lift it now.”

“What should I do, Auntie?” Ayilep asked.

"It should have been like this a long time ago," said the old woman: "You should ask things clearly before you do it. You do this. Now go home and live the same life as before coming here. If you haven't forgotten your golden hair in three years, I will come to you again. If you must run to find her by yourself, you will never see her again."

Not used to waiting like this, he found her immediately, but there was no other way - it had to be this way. He was worried for a while and had to go home.

Alas, three years is such a long time! He is not happy that spring has come - he only hopes that spring will pass as soon as possible. Others noticed his changes: "Our Ayilep seems to have something on his mind.

He is not like the Aylep before." His relatives asked him directly:

"Are you in bad health?"

Ayilep suddenly grabbed five strong men and lifted them to his head, spinning them while shouting:

"If you ask me if I am in good health again - I will throw them all over that hill!"

He misses his fiancée's golden hair all day long. It was as if she was sitting right in front of him. He really wanted to run to the creek and take a look at her from a distance, but he remembered the old lady fox's advice and did not dare to do so.

But in the third year, Ayilep met a girl. The girl was very young, dark-skinned, and cheerful, like a tit. Everyone wants to be close to her and court her. This girl immediately changed Ayilep's mind. He thought:

"All the people around my age have already married. I found my fiancée, but she was snatched away by others. Fortunately, everyone didn't know, otherwise, they would laugh at me! I Can't you marry this black girl? I don't know if the one over there can succeed, but this one can be married as long as she pays the bride price. Her parents will be happy to betroth her to me. As for her, she will be married from now on. From all appearances, he would never cry."

But he thought of the golden hair again, but not as much as before. She is no longer as sad and angry as she was when she was taken away. He thought: I can't think too much about her!

Just after the third year, Ayilep saw the fox again. He did not shoot at it, but followed it. However, Aylep made many marks along the way: Cut off a small branch in some places, make a mark on the stone in some places, and make other marks in some places. They came to the creek. Sure enough, the girl was sitting there again, but her braids were twice as long. Ayilep walked up to her and said hello:

"Hello, my dear fiancée with golden hair!"

"Hello, Aylep!" she replied , "Don't be sad because my braids are longer. It used to be a lot lighter. It seems that you have missed me hard. I feel that my hair is getting lighter every day.

But in the end Something went wrong. Have you forgotten me? Or someone else harmed me?" The blonde asked, but she smiled, as if she knew everything. Ayilep was shy at first and did not dare to speak. Then he made up his mind and told everything frankly. He said that he had liked a black girl and wanted to marry her.

The golden-haired man continued:

"It's good if you can tell it honestly. I believe you. Let's leave quickly. Maybe we can escape this time , fled to a place where dad's strength could not reach.

”

Ayilep dragged his braid from the stream, wrapped it around himself, and got scissors from the fox nanny, and then walked home through the woods. Along the way, there was Aylep. Rep's mark. They walked very fast until it was completely dark, and Ayilep said: "Let's climb up the tree. Your father's strength may not be able to reach us in the tree. "

"That's right," said the golden hair.

However, the two of them were tied up tightly like ropes by the golden braids, so how could they climb the tree? .Blonde said:

"Got to cut it off. There's no point in lugging something so heavy around. It's enough to leave it as long as the heel. "

But Ayilep felt it was a pity.

"No," he said, "I still keep it like this. Look, how soft and thin these hairs are! It feels cute even when you caress it with your hands. "

As he said that, Ayilep untied his golden braid and let the golden hair climb up the tree first. However, the girl was not used to climbing trees and felt it was not possible. Aylep did this and that. He helped her to get her to the branch. Then Ayilep quickly climbed up the tree and pulled the blond braid up from the ground. They climbed up from the branch to the thickest leaves. place and rested there.

"Let's wait here for dawn," Ayilep said, while twisting his fiancée's braid up the branch - if she was braided. It won't fall down anymore. He wrapped it tightly and boasted: "Ha, how tight it is!" Now you can sleep for a while and I'll watch it for you. I'll wake you up at dawn. "

The blond fell asleep really quickly, and even Ayilep himself dozed off. When the Sandman comes, just listen, it can't be driven away. He Rubbing his eyes, shaking his head, and turning around impatiently - he still couldn't defeat the Sandman. At this moment, an owl suddenly flew over from the tree and called uneasily: “Hobo! Boo! ” - as if to warn him: “Be careful, be careful.” "But Ayilep would not pay attention to it. He just slept by himself; and he snored loudly and dreamed. It was as if he was riding a horse in front of his felt curtain, and his wife with golden hair was coming out of the felt curtain to greet him. Him. She was more beautiful and lovely than anyone else, and her braids were swimming like golden snakes, as if they were alive.

In the middle of the night, the branches suddenly started to sway and burned. Yirepu threw him to the ground. At this time, he saw a ring of fire emerging from the ground, and his fiancée's golden hair turned into a cloud made of countless small sparks. The fire cloud flew straight towards the ring of fire and was extinguished. Ayilep ran there - there was nothing, it was dark again, and it was useless to dig out his eyes with his hands. Touching...it was all grass, stones, fallen leaves and mud in the forest. In one place, he finally touched the end of a braid, which was two feet long or more. Ayilep felt a little happier:

“She left me a souvenir and a piece of evidence: maybe we can find out why her father couldn’t take away her braids. "

Just when he thought this, the fox was already screaming at his feet. It touched its nose to the ground, stood up and turned into a shriveled old woman, saying:

"Oh, Ayilep, you smart man! What do you want: gold braids or a fiancée? ”

Ayilep replied: “What I want is a fiancée with a golden braid twenty feet long.” "

"It's too late," said the fox nanny: "The braid is now thirty feet long. "

Ayilep replied: "It doesn't matter. All I need is to get my lovely fiancée. "

"You could have said that a long time ago. This is my final advice. Now you go home and wait another three years.

But I will no longer come to you. You have to find the path by yourself. You have to come on time, not too early or too late.

You also have to bow to Grandpa Owl and ask him if he can make you smarter. "

After saying this, the nanny fox disappeared immediately. As soon as it dawned, Ayilep walked home, but he thought in his heart:

"What the nanny fox said Which one is Grandpa Owl? There are many owls in the woods. Which one should I ask for advice? "

After thinking about it again and again, I finally remembered: when he was sitting in the tree, there was an owl flying almost in front of his nose, always shouting, "Hoo Bo!" Boo! "As if to warn him: "Pay attention, pay attention! "

"It must be what the nanny fox is talking about! After thinking about it, Ayilep turned around and returned to his old place. After sitting there until dark, he shouted:

"Grandpa Owl!" Please give me some advice! Tell me a way. ”

Shouted again and again—no reply. But Ayilep became very patient this time. After waiting another day, he shouted again. Still no reply, Ayilep shouted again. After waiting for the third day, at night, he just shouted: "Grandpa Owl!" "The tree immediately agreed and said:

"Haha! I'm here. Who is calling me? "

Ayilep told it about his failure and asked it to try its best to help him. But the old owl said:

"Haha! It’s so rare, kid, it’s so rare! "

"It doesn't matter if it's difficult," Ayilep replied: "As long as I have the strength and patience to do it, I can do it, as long as I can get my fiancée. ”

“Hehe!” Let me guide you! Listen! "

So Grandpa Owl told him in detail:

"The big snake Poloz is very powerful in this area. He was the master of all the gold in the area: he could suck it away from anyone. Poloz could also encircle entire gold-producing areas into his ring of fire. Even if you ride a horse for three days, you won't be able to get out of his ring of fire. But there is still a place in our area that Poloz's power cannot reach. If you're a bit more flexible, it's possible to escape Poloz with the gold. However, the price is not small - there is no turning back. ”

Ayilep begged him:

“Please do a good deed and show me this place.” "

"That won't work if you ask me to point it out to you," Grandpa Owl replied: "Because my eyes are different from yours: I can't see during the day, and you can't see where I'm going at night. fly. "

"What can we do? "Ai Lepu asked.

Grandpa Owl said:

"Let me tell you the reliable characteristics of that place. You go to those lakes and take a look: there is a big rock protruding from the middle of the lake, like a hill. There are many pine trees growing on one side of the hill, and the other three sides are bare, like three walls. That's where I'm talking. Whoever can bring the gold to the rock will find a path to the bottom of the lake. Once there, Poloz's power was out of reach. "

Ayilep thought about it all over and over again, and finally realized: it must be Lake Itkuri①. He was very happy and shouted:

"I Know that place! "

But Grandpa Owl still said his own:

"No matter what, you have to go and see for yourself, don't make a mistake. "

"Okay," Ayilep said, "I will go and see it. "Grandpa Owl finally said:

"Haha! Don’t forget: although you have escaped Poloz, there is no turning back. "

Ayilep thanked Grandpa Owl and went home. He quickly found the lake with a big rock in the middle, but immediately thought: "I must not run to that place in one day. , we must open a road that can be raced. ”

So Ayilep started to drive.

In a dense forest, it is not an easy task for one person to open a road more than a hundred miles long! Sometimes when he was exhausted, he would take out the braid that he touched - looking at it, admiring it, and stroking it with his hands, so that he seemed to regain his strength and could go to work again. Three years passed quickly and unknowingly, and he just finished the entire project.

Ayilep came to his fiancée on time. He pulled the braid out of the stream, wrapped it around himself, and they started running through the woods. He ran as far as the main road, where he had six horses ready. Ayilep got on the horse, put his fiancée on another horse, held the reins of the other four horses, and whipped the horses to gallop forward as hard as they could. When the pair of horses got tired, they replaced them with the other two and continued galloping. The fox ran ahead of them. He kept running like this, whipping the horse hard - lest he wouldn't get there. In the evening, we finally arrived at the lake. Ayilep immediately got on the boat and ferried his fiancée and the fox nanny to the rocks in the middle of the lake. As soon as the boat got close to it, a passage opened on the rock, and they quickly got in. The sun was just setting.

Oh hey, something happened at this time!

As soon as the sun went down, the serpent Poloz surrounded the lake three times with a ring of fire. Countless golden sparks shot out from the rock in all directions. But no matter what, Poloz couldn't suck out his daughter. It turned out that it was Grandpa Owl who hindered him. Grandpa Owl flew to perch on the rock and kept calling:

"Hoo Bo! Ho Bo! Ho Bo!"

It called like this three times, and the Ring of Fire The light became dimmer—it seemed to be cooling down. When the ring of fire burned again and golden sparks erupted from the rocks, Grandpa Owl hooted again.

Poloz sucked the golden hair desperately by the lake for more than one night. The result still didn't work. Its power is out of reach.

Since then, gold has been found on the beaches along the lake shore. There was no trace of a stream at all, but there was gold. All gold, listen, is in the form of fish scales and threads; there are no natural nuggets or large nuggets. Where did all that gold come from? It is said that the golden hair was sucked from the braid of Poloz's daughter. That's a lot of gold. Later, I still remember that there was a dispute between the Bashkirs and the owners of the Kasli factory over those beaches.

As for Ayilepu, he and his wife Golden Hair were left at the bottom of the lake. It is said that there are pastures there, as well as horses and sheep. In a word, it is a vast grassland.

It is said that blond hair sometimes walks up to the rocks. She has been seen. It seemed that at dawn, she came out and sat on the rock. Her hair swam on the rocks like golden snakes. What a beauty!

Oh hey, so beautiful!

However, I have not seen it. Such a thing has never happened before. I don't want to lie.

① Lake Itkuri is a lake on the right bank of the Chusovaya River, south of the Suiselchi Factory. The lake is also called Meat Lake. For another legend, see "The Red Robe of Demidov".