Mongolian Literature Anthology by Bawden;

Author:Bawden;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Routledge

They took down carefully what the girl had said, and following the ruts and hollows came to the khan’s, and showed him what they had written. When the khan saw it, he said: ‘Where is the girl who said all this?’ They said: ‘She has set up a hut on the bank of the southern river, and is staying there.’

The khan had his horse caught, and had them watch out to see when the girl went about her affairs. When they told him that the girl had gone to gather dried dung for fuel, the khan mounted his horse, and in the girl’s absence went to the old man. He said: ‘Well, old man, when I come tomorrow you are to have milked your motley bull and prepared some fresh yoghourt with the milk you have milked. If you have not fermented it, I shall kill you.’ And he went home. The old man was frantic and was weeping because death was inevitable, when his daughter came home and said: ‘Father, why are you weeping? Whatever has happened?’ Her father said: ‘The khan has told me to milk our bull and prepare fresh yoghourt for him from the milk. If I have not prepared it, he says he will kill me. I cannot milk a bull and prepare fresh yoghourt for the khan, so the time has come for me to die. One cannot help dying, but do I have to die guilty before the law?’ The girl said: ‘Don’t worry, Father. It is not so easy as that to kill someone. One does not die for such a trifle.’ And she ignored the matter. The old man worried and worried about it till morning came. The girl got up early and made tea, and gave it to her father. Then she fetched some dung and spread it at the western side of the hut, laid down a quilt and bedded her father on it, and drove in two nails and stretched a string across as a taboo against entry. The khan came to drink the kumis, and dismounted, and the girl came out and said: ‘No-one may go in. My father has given birth and is lying in. The khan said: ‘Whoever heard of a man giving birth?’ She said,

‘My Lord Khan,

When did you ever see

Anyone prepare fresh yoghourt

From bull’s milk, and drink it?

Is there any difference?’

And the khan went away without a word.

The girl went off for her dried dung. Meanwhile, the khan came to the old man and said: ‘Old man, twist me up a hobble of ashes. I shall come tomorrow to hobble my horse. If you have not twisted up the hobble of ashes, I shall kill you.’

The old man was weeping again when the girl came back with her dried dung, and when she said: ‘Father, what are you weeping for now?’ the old man said: ‘The khan has been here. He told me to twist him a hobble of ashes. If I have not done it, he says he will kill me tomorrow.

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