Once upon a time, an old man and an old woman lived on the shore of a large sea. Their only household consisted of a single milking goat and a fishing net. The old man's name was Shiyaz. He fished in the sea, his wife tended the goat, and they ate almost exclusively goat's milk and whatever else they could catch.
But the old couple had a problem: a fox constantly bullied Shiyaz. As soon as he pulled the net of fish out of the sea, the fox would immediately appear on the shore, snatch the catch, and eat it. She was stronger than the old man, and he could do nothing against her.
However, the fox was not their most fearsome enemy.
Nearby, in a cave near Shiyaz's house, lived an evil cannibal giant named Botakoz. He fed on human flesh. When his supplies ran low, the giant would wander the surrounding area, carrying off children, old men, and old women. Shiyaz decided to get rid of him by trickery.
"Wife," he said one day, "are we really going to be afraid of Botakoz all our lives? I want to teach him a lesson. Let's invite the giant over. Help me slaughter a goat."
The old woman felt very sorry for their only goat, but she agreed.
With great difficulty, they slaughtered the animal. Shiyaz hid the goat's intestines and brains in soft clay and covered it with dry earth.
After this, he invited Botakoz.
They treated the giant to goat meat. When he was satisfied, Shiyaz said:
"Well, hero, let's test our strength. First, we'll try to pull her intestines out of the ground, and then we'll get the brains."
Botakoz grew angry, swung his arm, and stamped his foot with all his might. His foot sank into the ground almost to the knee, but he couldn't get any "guts." "Now it's my turn," said Shiyaz.
He approached a previously prepared spot, stamped on the soft clay, and immediately pulled out the hidden goat intestines.
The giant was astonished.
"Now let's get the brain of the earth," Shiyaz suggested.
Botakoz grew even more furious. He kicked so hard that he sank almost waist-deep into the earth, but this time, too, he found nothing.
Then the old man approached another prepared spot, stamped, and pulled the goat brain out of the clay.
"Here it is, the brain of the earth. Well, Botakoz, are you convinced of my strength?"
"You are indeed strong," the giant admitted. "Now let's uproot the trees."
Botakoz ran to a huge oak tree, tore it up by the roots, and threw it over the seven mountains.
Shiyaz approached another large oak tree, grabbed the trunk tightly, and loudly declared:
"Now I will show you all my strength!" Hey, Moon, be careful you don't get your mouth torn apart! Sun, be careful you don't get your eye gouged out!
Botakoz heard these words and was terrified. He thought the old man was about to hurl the oak tree straight into the sky.
The giant threw himself at Shiyaz's feet:
"Don't throw the tree! You'll hurt the Moon and the Sun!"
"Very well," the old man replied. "Then let's be friends until death. And come visit me again soon."
When Botakoz left, Shiyaz, pleased with his deception, said to his wife:
"I've invited the giant again. Now we'll play another trick. When he arrives, I'll pretend to be asleep. And you'll start waking me up."
After a while, Botakoz did indeed return. He barely fit into the old couple's small dwelling, and his head was sticking out almost to the shanyrak.
The old woman began to shake her husband:
"Old man, wake up! A friend has come to see you." What shall we treat him to?
Shiyaz, as if he'd just woken up, answered:
"We only have the head left from the first giant, and the brisket from the last one. Gather it all and throw it in the cauldron. And if that's not enough, cook the giant himself, who's sitting here now."
Botakoz froze with terror. He jumped up and ran away so fast that he destroyed the old couple's house.
On the way, the giant met the same fox.
"Where are you running from, Botakoz? Where are you rushing to?" she asked, surprised. "Are you afraid of someone too? Tell me what happened, and maybe I can help."
"Ah, little fox, it turns out there are people much stronger than me!" the giant complained. "Tell me how I can escape from old Shiyaz. He'll kill me!"
The fox laughed:
"But Shiyaz has no strength! I always take all the fish he catches from him. Don't be afraid." If you want, I'll help you deal with him myself.
"No, fox, you simply don't understand who you're dealing with. You can't handle him," Botakoz replied.
But the fox continued to insist:
"If you don't believe me, hold on tight to my tail. If I deceive you, do with me as you wish."
Botakoz agreed, took hold of the fox's tail, and together they headed for Shiyaz's house.
Meanwhile, the old man and woman were collecting the remains of their ruined home.
Seeing the fox and the giant approaching, Shiyaz cried out joyfully:
"May Tengri reward you, little fox! You tricked Botakoz into coming to me after all! Hold him tight, or I'll throw him in the fire!"
The giant's heart sank with fear.
"So that's it!" he thought. "The fox is deliberately leading me to the old man!"
Botakoz grabbed her by the tail and slammed her into the ground with such force that the fox died instantly.
After this, the giant ran away and disappeared so far that, as the tale goes, even with replacement horses, seven years would be too long to reach it.
Thus, through cunning, old Shiyaz and his wife rid themselves of both the terrible giant Botakoz and the fox who was stealing their fish.