CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

"In ancient times, a skilled craftsman named Kalmambet lived next door to the renowned bey of the Great Zhuz, Tole bi. It was said that he could breathe life into any wood: just pick up a tool, and ordinary wood would transform into a delicate, graceful object. One day, Kalmambet cut down a crooked birch tree growing near Tole bi's house and carved a beautiful saddle from it. Seeing the craftsman's work, Tole bi said: "This saddle should belong to me. After all, the tree grew near my house. And I'm willing to pay for your work." But Kalmambet disagreed: "There's more than one birch tree in the world. Find yourself another tree and commission a saddle. I made this one with my own hands, and I won't give it away." So a dispute arose between them. Not wanting to prolong the dispute, they decided to set out and find someone who would judge them fairly. Along the way, Tole bi suggested: "Let's not go far. Let the first person we meet render our decision." Kalmambet agreed. Soon they saw a teenager tending horses. The boy politely greeted the elders and listened attentively to their argument. At first, he seemed embarrassed: "Perhaps you should turn to older, more experienced people?" But Tole bi noticed his keen intelligence and asked him to speak. Then the boy ordered the disputants' slap and whip to be brought to him, placed the saddle between them, and said: "Your sides are of birch, your bow of willow, Kalmambet made you a saddle of skillful hand. And you, Tole, sage of the Uysyn clan, Have you really come to argue over a dry tree?" After these words, Tole bi felt uneasy. He realized the justice of the decision and was amazed at the boy's resourcefulness. Then he asked his name. "My name is Aiteke. I am from the Alshyn clan," the young man replied. Thus, even as a child, Aiteke demonstrated prudence, courage, and a sense of justice. Later, he became one of the three great biys of the Kazakh people and went down in history as a wise judge whose word was respected throughout the steppe."

Zhoshy Khan's only son was a passionate kulan hunter. The Khan wouldn't let him go alone, repeating, "Kulan hunting isn't like chasing hares; it's full of danger." But one day, the prince, unbeknownst to his father, went hunting alone. In the steppe, he spotted a herd of kulans grazing peacefully. His eyes lit up with joy, he snatched a gray arrow from his quiver, and began mercilessly striking down the innocent animals. Carried away by the bloody sport, he didn't even notice how his arrows ran out. The herd leader, sensing the prince's helplessness, struck him hard in the chest with both hind legs and killed him, leaving him lying in the middle of the bare steppe.

Once upon a time, an old woman with a huge body lived in one of the Tarbagatai mountains. She had a large flock of sheep grazing. Every day, the old woman would take her sheep out to a wide plain, and she would sit on the top of the mountain and spin. One day, as she was humming a song and deep in thought, her grazing sheep became agitated. She looked and saw hungry wolves coming out of the mountain gorge, circling the flock.

In ancient times, they say, there lived a connoisseur who could unerringly recognize a frisky steed, a true Atbegi. He had a horse named Kariboz, who grew old along with his master. From his youth to his old age, Kariboz was known as an unrivaled racehorse: no race, large or small, among the surrounding clans, was his equal. Whenever the hosts of a festival saw Kariboz, many of them would hand over the prize, not even letting their horses compete.

There's a Kazakh proverb: "All wise words come from one source, and their progenitor is Mayky bi." It's not without reason that people say this. In stories preserved in oral tradition, Mayky bi is portrayed as a man of extraordinary wisdom and foresight.

"During difficult times for the people, an era of endless raids and wars, the Kazakh steppe endured many trials. During one of these harsh periods, the chief bey of the Elder Zhuz, the wise orator Tole bi, sought a way to protect his people, relying on patience and reason. "

"In ancient times, Korkyt-ata, mounted on his Zhelmai and holding a black kobyz, traveled from land to land. He showed the way to those lost, offered kind words of encouragement to those in trouble, and was known as a man of rare insight, able to peer into the future. Everything he saw, everything he felt in his heart, he distilled into the deep, mournful sound of the kobyz and revealed it to people through the kuy. "

"In ancient times, the dombra had only one string, and the taukudiret bird had only one wing. The male taukudiret's single wing grew on the right side, while the female's wing grew on the left. Even with one string, the dombra could produce sound, but deep down, it felt as if something was missing. And the taukudiret complained day and night to Tengri, begging for two wings so it could soar freely in the heavenly heights, and tirelessly cried out, ""Kudiret-au, kudiret."

"Korkyt, unwilling to submit to death, sought a way to escape destruction, and so he wandered to all four corners of the earth. But wherever he arrived, he saw a dug grave before him. "

Once upon a time, a famous hunter named Sarzhan Tomanyshuly lived on the banks of a large river. His wife's name was Aisulu. And then one day, Aisulu gave birth to a son. The parents' joy knew no bounds: gathering the crowd, they held a great feast and named the baby Tolagai.

"Once upon a time, there lived an old man who had seen much in his life. He had seven sons. All seven were mighty horsemen, a pillar of support for the people and a protector of their native land. But those were apparently turbulent times, full of wars and raids. "

In ancient times, a sage named Zhirenshe-sheshen lived among the Kazakh people. One day, one of the khans of that era summoned him, wishing to hear him speak.