from doing so once again. “Let me catch the swan,” Kulchoro said. However,
Kulchoro set the falcon free even before taking off its eyepatches. Naturally,
the falcon did not catch the swan while hovering over the lake for some
time. When the falcon flew back to the young khan, Semetei could not help
complaining about what he met on that day.
“What you did today is off-putting and has really roiled you,” he
reprimanded Kulchoro.
Thereafter, Semetei took off the eyepatches for the falcon by himself. In
addition, he beat the gold drum with his whip to boost the morale of the
bird. As the fairy maiden heard the sound of drum, she knew for sure that her
sweetheart had arrived.
The falcon released by Semetei chased the white swan. And an intense
fight broke out in the sky. After a short while, both fell down into the bank
Legend of Manas
of the lake. Semetei worried about the security of both birds. Thus, he asked Kulchoro to keep them from being hurt and bring them back as soon as possible.
Kulchoro made it to the bank of the lake quickly, finding out the exhausted falcon which was pinned under the white swan. The exhausted falcon lost the fighting to the swan which was complacent about its victory. The swan flew into the floating white clouds finally, leaving behind crisp warbles.
Semetei could not help reproaching Kulchoro by the roadside. “What’s going on with you? It seems that you have been possessed with devils today. I failed in picking up the gauze kerchief from the ground, catching gold fish and obtaining the lovely swan. I got so angry,” he complained.
“What on earth have you done? You should tell me the fact,” added Semetei, who was at a loss what to do next. Kulchoro wept the tears of regret, confessing himself to do all these things at the request of Chiachikei. But he denied knowing the reason why she asked him to do so at the same time.
As Semetei heard what Kulchoro had said with unusual candor, doubts began to fret the mind of the young khan. “Let’s go back to the imperial palace as soon as possible. We had to arrest and interrogate Chiachikei so as to know the truth,” Semetei cried in a loud voice.
The temporary tribunal was established at the square before the imperial palace. Kulchoro took the responsibility of interrogating the predatory vixen. With an anxious look, Semetei waited right there for the result of the interrogation. All of a sudden, Princess Kanikei, Bakai and others came to the square. Kanikei stretched out her hand and wiped out the tears on the face of Chiachikei, saying:
“How can you do evil
as a daughter-in-law of mine?
Narrow-mindedness will stoke up your jealousy
And lead to a tragedy eventually.
Don’t put your husband and guard in an awkward situation.
I know whatever other people don’t know.
Just let me say whatever you have done.
The wicked Chinkojow directed his aggressor troops
To besiege the city owned by Akhun Khan.
Semetei and Aichurek
109
He wanted to marry Aichurek by force.
As a fairy maiden with a clear sense of morality,
She could not put up with such a humiliation.
Even before the birth of Semetei,
And even in Aichurek’ s infancy,
Akhun Khan and Manas Khan
already decided to help them tie the knot in the future.
In the face of the intimidation by the formidable foe,
It suddenly struck her that she ought to ask for her fiance’s help.
She hoped to bare her true intentions to Semetei.
She hoped to pour out her worries and troubles to Semetei.
That’s the reason why she turned into a white swan
and came to the imposing palace of Semetei.
She was unable to see her sweetheart.
However, Chiachikei hurled insults at the fairy maiden.
The fairy maiden could not endure the insults.
So she flew to the blue sky in a rage of humiliation.
The fairy maiden was about to perform spells.
But she should not disclose it to Chiachikei.
The narrow-minded Chiachikei
Put an end to the dream of fairy maiden once again.
The fairy maiden had no choice but to snatch the falcon of my son.
She is now living in the area surrounded by deep mountains
In the suburbs of Akhun Khan’s castle.
She is anxiously waiting for her fiance
in the forest by a stream.”
Bakai also came to the young khan after Kanikei finished her words. “My child, just go there to escort your fiancee back to the wedding. In order to go ahead with your plan of wiping out the wicked and their atrocities, you should marry your good-natured and smart fiancee as soon as possible,” the old man said.
Semetei and Aichurek
111
In wee hours, Aichurek had a queer dream. A horse, a yellow warbler, a
white serpent and a black serpent turned out in the insubstantial dreamland of
hers. As the day broke, she woke up. A total of four maids surrounded Princess
Aichurek to help her make up.