SandukTales

Bar ele, joke ele, ilgeri ilgeri…

Long long time ago........... had it ever happened or not, no one remembers, there lived an orphan girl. She went through many hardships, spent many days and nights with no food in her stomach.  One of those desperate days she remembers about her distant relative living in another village. She starts asking questions and finds out that he is a well-known wealthy man, so she decides to seek help from him.

But bai[1] and his wife instead of feeling sorry decide to use her as their slave. Poor girl works at their house day and night. But even then her aunt wouldn’t be satisfied and finds a way to punish her. Poor girl could find comfort only in her tears. Once when it is freezing cold girl’s aunt sends her out to bring water. The girls goes to the well, breaks the ice appeared on the surface of the water, and with a great effort fills two buckets, hangs yoke over her shoulders and goes back towards home. It is so cold outside that her legs wouldn’t listen to her, and her hands feel numb. Has she been tired or something else has happened, she gets distracted and trips over something and spills the water. “If I go home like this my aunt will beat me up again”, she thinks and starts to cry. Her tears fall on the ground and turn into ice beads. She dreams about mother’s care and wants to cry on someone’s shoulders. But no one is around to listen to her. Only the Moon in the sky as alone as she is keeps watching her.

Looking at the moon she pours all the burden she kept out:

"Can at least you feel for me? Since my parents passed away I heard no kind words. My aunt knows only how to insult and hurt me. No one loves me, feels for me! As for my uncle he wouldn’t care less. Instead he uses me as his slave."

The Moon hears her and gets down closer to a girl.

From distance the Sun sees it, and it goes down as well. The girls was one of the most beautiful girls in the world. The Sun starts gazing at her and falls in love. Both the Sun and the Moon are captivated by the girl’s beauty. The Sun doesn’t want to give up neither does the moon. So they decide to fight, upon which winner should have the girl. One way or another the Sun is stronger than the Moon so it wins. The Moon gets very upset it lost the battle and says:

“Dear Sun you are the one who gives lives to all creatures. I am the one who is weak and powerless. All living creatures love you and they are all in your embraces. I am the poor sole floating all alone during the cold nights. The girl is alone too. If you don’t mind let me take care after the girl. At least she will keep me a company".

The Sun thinks over and over. Then feels sorry for the Moon and agrees with what the Moon has said and lets the Moon be with the girl. The Moon overjoyed and grateful becomes a very good friend of the Sun.

So the Moon embraces the girl and goes up up towards the sky. Finally it reaches its place with the girl by its side.

If you look carefully at the Moon on cold winter nights you will see a shadow of a girl with yoke. Since then people say, the orphan girl has become attached to the Moon and the moon is deep in love with her. Only some days when the Moon looses the girl it becomes sad and everything around turns black. Kyrgyz people  call it - ai tutuldu[2]. But the Moon finds his love and shines even brighter than before.

 

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