A42 The Adventures of Two Brothers
Manya Givoyev of Guylasar, Armenia in Guylasar, Armenia
I shall tell you a story. I shall tell you a story. I know many. I shall tell you a story. There was, there was not, there was nothing greater than God, (there was) a king and a queen. This king and queen did not have children. They did not have children. Well, the husband and wife sat thinking to themselves. The husband said to the wife ‘Wife, to whom shall we leave this wealth of ours? Well, what should we do?,’ he says, ‘(We have) this wealth of ours but we have no child.’ Having risen in the early morning, they eat breakfast. Having risen in the early morning, they eat breakfast, bread. Then they looked, a door opened and a very tall youth came and entered through it. He said ‘Do you know what there is?’ He took out of his pocket a red apple. He cut it down the middle in this way. He gave a half of it to the king and a half of it to the queen. He said ‘You will have two sons. Name one of them ⁺Almas and one of them ⁺Bahar. ⁺Almas is for you and ⁺Bahar is for me. When the boy becomes eighteen years old, I shall come to take him.’ The husband and wife stood looking at one another. They said ‘What should we do? We do not have (any option). At least one child will remain for us, one son.’ He went away. As for the children—well he was a king and she a queen—they gave them a good education. They were so beautiful, from a single apple, handsome (youths like this) would not come through this door (here), youths who were a picture of handsomeness. They became fifteen years old and the husband and wife thought. He (the husband) said ‘Let us inform him that he will come and take ⁺Bahar, this man will come and take him. Let us inform him.’ He said ‘Come and sit down. Such misfortune has come upon us.’ He said. ⁺Bahar said ‘Not a problem, I shall go.’ He eventually turned eighteen. They saw that the door opened. In the morning when it was still early the door opened and the man came in. How tall he is! He said ‘⁺Bahar, you are mine.’ He said ‘As you please. I shall come. I am standing ready.’ ‘Brother’ ⁺Almas said, he said ‘No, wait. I shall just go to the market and come back.’ He went and bought a bouquet of flowers like this. He brought them and put them down. ⁺Bahar went. ⁺Bahar went and brought them and put them in the window. He said to Almas ‘As soon as you have seen these flowers wither, come after me and find me.’ He said ‘Good.’’ He took the boy away. The young man went first and the boy behind him, going away from his brother, from his father, his mother. They said goodbye and went away. They went and went, they went a lot, they went little, they arrived at a stream. They observed an old man sitting by the side of the stream, with a white beard. ⁺Bahar said ‘Greetings to you, my uncle.’ He said ‘You are very welcome, ⁺Bahar, my son.’ ‘Oh’ he said Uncle, how do you know that my name is ⁺Bahar?’ He said ‘It is written in the Torah that you will go on this journey. Well’ he (the old man) said ‘That person is not a lad, he is a Jew. He is a demon, a demon. He is taking you to eat you.’ He says ‘I say to you, he will take you away, he will take you away. Take heed! In a place beyond seven mountains there is a huge thing, a forest. There is a huge building there in which there are forty rooms. He will hand you thirty-nine keys. You should open them. At the fortieth say “I am tired.” Give the key to him. Give the key to him. As soon as you have given him the key, when the door opens, when he opens the door, give him a kick on his back, so that he goes and falls into a huge pan of boiling water. He would throw you there and eat you. He is a demon. Do this. Throw him into boiling water.’ ‘Oh, uncle, thank you for this advice that you have given me.’ So, they went, they went, they went, they went, they went a lot, they went a little, beyond seven mountains they arrived at a forest, in the middle of which was a huge, a large building, like a big house. The Jew took out the keys and handed them to the boy, to ⁺Bahar. He said ‘Open these doors.’ He opened them, he opened them, he reached thirty-nine, at the fortieth he said ‘Well I am tired.’ When that healthy, tall and handsome youth opened the door, he (the boy) gave him a kick on his back and he fell into boiling water, bubble-bubble. He cooked. He (the boy) stood and stared, he stared like this. He looked. He said ‘I’ll go into these rooms a little and to see what there is in the rooms.’ He entered one room. It was full of gold. In another room is a pool, but it was all plated with gold. He went into it and swam, he swam, he had a good swim and became more handsome than he was before. He went and took something like a carpet bag and filled it with gold. He went over to the other side, he opened the room and there were some horses, each more beautiful than the other. One horse, a beautiful horse, flies in the air. He took it and he mounted the horse. He put these (pieces of gold) in his bag on his back. He ascends and he comes directly to a house. He went a lot, he went a little, he went a lot, the way was very long. He came to something like a house. A lantern is burning. He went inside. They call this a ‘tea-house.’ All those who travel on the roads gather there and drink tea. He entered and stayed there. In the morning he got up and went off. He came, he came, he came a lot, he came a little, he came and reached a town. He came and reached a town. He looked (and saw) that it is getting dark. He sees that there is a small house. He said ‘Let me enter. Tonight I shall stay here as a guest. In the morning I shall get up and go.’ He went and an old woman came in. He said ‘Oh auntie, let me stay with you tonight. In the morning I shall get up and go.’ She said ‘My son, I come in and my cat goes out. My cat comes in and I go out, because I have no room.’ He stood and looked at this old woman. He put down his bag. He filled two hands with gold and gave them to her. Oh, she was so pleased, she was so pleased. She said ‘Come—may I be your substitute, may I be your vowed offering. Come, all my place is free for you.’ He stayed the night at her home. Now, the boy used to get up early in the morning and do physical exercise. He looked and opposite (he saw) that there was a big building. Three girls are standing on the balcony. He said ‘Hey auntie, hey grannie, come here. Who are those (girls) there?’ She said ‘They are the daughters of the king.’ He stood and thought. The boy fell in love with the youngest girl. He fell in love with her. He said ‘Can I go and swim in that pool outside the house?’ She said ‘What can I say?’ He went and swam of his own accord, he went in and swam. Those girls laughed at him out loud. He came back. He said ‘Hey mother, hey grannie, hey auntie, please go to that king and see whether he wants a servant, so I can go and do service for them.’ Now, this boy is a picture (of beauty). She goes and tells the king’s wife. The king’s wife says ‘Let him come. We have geese. Let him go and take them to feed.’ With a struggle he puts the geese out in front of him in the morning and goes and lets them feed. In the evening he twists the neck of five geese like this, he puts them on his shoulders, five by five, and comes back. He brings them. He said ‘Hey grannie, do these, cook them nicely, like this with a little water, so that we can eat.’ ‘May the house of your father not be destroyed, what have you done?’ She says ‘What will the king do to us?’ He says ‘Don’t say anything.’ Yes, on the next day, he went and again he brought back (geese). ‘No’ she said ‘That will not do.’ He said ‘Auntie, I shall not remain here long. Go and tell the king in the capacity of a matchmaker and see whether he will give that young daughter of his to me.’ She went and said this. He said ‘No, would I give a daughter to a servant? I will not give (a daughter) to him.’ He made an agreement with the girl and spoke with her. The name of the girl is Šacar Nūš ⁺Xanəm. Šacar ⁺Nūš ⁺Xanəm. He said ‘I love you. If you love me, come. We shall live with that old woman. If you do not want, it is up to you.’ He was an intelligent and educated boy. She said ‘I shall come to the home of the old woman.’ With a bowed head she came to the home of the old woman. Her father (said) ‘Where have you taken her? Where have you put her?’ He became ill. He became bedridden. He became bedridden out of his grief. As for her mother, she does not know what to do. She beats her head. He is ill. However many doctors they brought for the king and whatever they did, the king does not get better. They said ‘Then what does your heart desire?’ His wife said ‘What does your heart desire?’ He said ‘I do not want anything. (But) I want the milk of a lion, in a churn-bag of a lion, for a sick king.’ His (other) daughters are married. He has two sons-in-law, and this (boy made) three. He said ‘Do you know whether these exist?.’ He calls his sons-in-law and says ‘Go and bring for me the milk of a lion, in a churn-bag of a lion for a sick king. If you do not bring them, I shall cut off your heads May God destroy your disciples. The sons-in-law are perplexed as to what to do. They mount horses and go. Šacar ⁺Nūš ⁺Xanəm, his youngest daughter, the wife of ⁺Bahar, goes and says ‘Mother, tell Jaju (Dad)—formerly they called a father Jaju—tell Jaju “Let ⁺Bahar go also.”’ She says ‘Will he agree?’ She says ‘Go and tell him.’ She goes and tells him. He says ‘We have a female mule there, but it is a little lower than a horse. Give it to him, to that filthy man, and let him go.’ The mule comes. He holds its head like this and she throws him. They give the mule to him. ‘Hm’ he says ‘That father of yours! Is it appropriate for me to sit on that mule?’ He enters the stable. He sits on the horse that he brought with him, the one that I say flies in the air. He puts on some clothes. He puts on some clothes when the horse flies in the air. He goes and goes. He goes a lot and goes a little. He looks (and sees) again an old man sitting, the same old man before the stream. The boy says ‘May God bless this (meeting), greetings to you, uncle.’ He says ‘And greetings to you, ⁺Bahar, my son.’ He says ‘But where are you going on these roads? Do you know where you are going?’ He says ‘What should I do? My father-in-law is the king. He has said thus: I must go and bring the milk of a lion, in a churn-bag of a lion, for a sick king.’ He says ‘Wait a minute, I’ll tell you. You must go, go, you must go a lot, you must go a little, you must go so far and there is forest. In it a lioness is reclining, the chest of which is swollen. It is roaring. It cannot walk. You should go and cut a long cane. Then make its end fine like this. Do not show yourself. She will pull you apart. You should stand at a distance like this. Slowly extend it and burst her chest. It is blocked with pus. When you pierce it, it will all come out cleanly there. She will say “Oh, I am relieved”. Do not make a noise. She will say “Who are you? Whether you are bad or good, make a sound.” Do not make a sound. She will cry out three times. Do not make a sound. She will say “By the oaths of old, by the oaths of old, I shall not lay a hand on you.”’ She does this three times. In the end she says ‘By the oaths of old, I shall not lay a hand on you,’ and he says ‘What should I say to you. This is the report of the situation. I have come looking for the milk of a lion, for a churn-bag of a lion, for a sick king.’ ‘Alas’ she said ‘May God not seal your father’s home, all I have is one son. There he is asleep in the den. You must take it beyond seven mountains and flay off his skin in such a way that I do not hear his cry. If I hear it, if I hear it, I shall put you under one of my teeth. He will roar. You should take him far enough away that I do not hear his cry, otherwise I shall put you under one of my teeth.’ He takes him and puts him on his bosom and went off on his horse. He went and went, beyond seven, seven mountains. He flays off his skin in that way. He brings it to her. She gives milk, the good milk into the churn-bag. He ties up the legs, and the dirt and so forth with the legs. He says ‘Thank you.’ He comes to the lion. He sits on his horse and comes. He comes, and comes and comes, he looks (and sees) again the same tea-house, where they drink tea, and he stays the night there. He looks (and sees) the husbands of his wife’s sisters, his wife’s sisters, no? They have come there and drink tea, but they do are not able to find, they do not find milk for their father-in-law. One says ‘Why have you come?’ The other says ‘Why have you come? Why have you come?’ He is dressed in such a way that they do not recognize him. They say ‘We have come looking for the milk of a lion for a sick king, but we do not find it. He (the boy) stands up and says ‘I have it. I am selling it.’ They say ‘for what are you selling it?’ He says ‘A large silver coin.’ They (such coins) used to exist in the old days. ‘For this shall I give you milk.’ They look at each other in the face and say ‘This is much better than that the king beheads us.’ They agree. He takes out the feet and the bad milk. He gives them to them. He mounts, he mounts on his horse. He comes back and says ‘Let them now feed him and let’s see what will happen to the king.’ They come and feed him. The king becomes worse because it is not good milk. He says to his wife ‘Go and see (how) your father (is)’—what they have cooked with grains, grains of the village. They call it pudding. They have cooked it with grains and fed him, but he has become worse. He says ‘Go and see how your father is. She goes and looks. Her father has become worse. She comes and says ‘⁺Bahar, my father has got worse.’ He says ‘Put on a cooking pot with this good milk. Put on a pot to cook.’ She puts it on and cooks. He says ‘Fill the old lady’s plate first. She is an old woman.’ She fills her plate for her and says ‘Eat!’ In the old days they used to call such earthenware vessels bowls, bowls. There were vessels like that. ‘Fill it and take it to that father of yours.’ She fills it and takes it. As soon as she enters the door, she takes it, her father smells it and he sits up. Its smell is so good. He eats. He says ‘Do you know what?,’ he says. ‘Well, from today he is my son-in-law. Bring him to the house.’ He says to his wife. They fetch him and bring him to the house. They bring him to the house in order for them to prepare to hold a wedding. Well, this lad is an educated lad, a smart lad, a handsome lad. He gets up early and does physical exercises in the courtyard in a vest like this. He looks and sees that again a gazelle has come. It knocked him on his armpit and moved away. It said ‘I am going, come after me.’ The gazelle said ‘I am going, come after me.’ He went (after it). The man said ‘Let me see what gazelle that is.’ Well, he has not told his wife. He went after it. He went, he went, much, a little. It went a long way and entered into something small like a house, which they call a hut. It entered. It put out a carafe of arak and a table. It became a girl. The gazelle became a girl. She put the carafe on the table. She laid two glasses. She said ‘Let’s drink arak.’ He drank. He drinks its. She puts it in front of him and pours it. She got the lad drunk. She took out a whip. She struck the lad across his back and made him into stone and threw him aside. The lad became stone.
Let us now talk about ⁺Almas. He comes and looks in the window. He saw that the flowers had withered. ‘Oh’ he says to his father and mother, he says ‘What has happened to my brother? I am mounting a horse, I am going.’ He puts a large sword like this on his side. He comes a lot, he comes a little. He comes a lot, he comes a little. ‘By God’ he says ‘Wherever my horse stops I (shall stop) there, I (shall stop) there.’ He looked and and all was well. It became night. He came and reached a town. He asked, he asked. They said ‘Here you are, this is the house of the king.’ Who is he? Who is he not? He just then realized that his brother had lived there. These brothers could not be distinguished from one another. When you see ⁺Bahar or ⁺Amas, you do not know whether it is ⁺Bahar or ⁺Almas. He comes there. He enters with a bowed head. He understands that his brother is not there. He does not, however, say ‘He is my brother’ or who he (himself) is. She comes and serves food. She thinks he is her husband. Šacar Nūš ⁺Xanəm serves food. He does not say a word. He does not utter a sound. He takes out his sword. She lays the bed. They sleep in the same place, since she thinks he is her husband. He puts it (the sword) in between, he puts it in between. He turns his back on her and goes to sleep. He sleeps and gets up in the morning. He goes into the yard and does physical exercises. The gazelle came. The gazelle came and said ‘I am going, follow me.’ He followed after her. He said ‘No matter what, this (gazelle) has brought my brother to light.’ He followed her. When she had brought him into the small house, she served arak. He says ‘Drink.’ She does not drink. She pours it and throws it away. ‘I say to you drink.’ ‘You have poured the poison.’ He took the whip. He took the whip and said ‘Revive my brother. If not, then I shall make you into stone right now.’ She has already become a girl. He already knew.—Oh, I am telling it very quickly, I am not telling it well.—He said ‘I shall make you into stone.’ He struck the whip and his brother rose up. He brother rose up. His brother rose up and he said ‘My brother.’ He said ‘Yes, my dear.’ He said ‘My brother.’ He said ‘Why have you woken me up?’ It was such a sweet and pleasant sleep.’ He said ‘Yes, it was a very sweet and good sleep.’ They took the gazelle with them. It is such a beautiful girl, beyond any description, this girl. The two horses go along on the road. They went, they went. ⁺Almas tells how he has come to the house and slept. The other says ‘My wife did not know.’ But he is a human being and thinks to himself ‘He has come to our house and slept, oh.’ The horses stop, they are thirsty. It is a huge well. They say ‘Which of us should go down?’ ⁺Almas says ‘I shall go down. There are stairs. I shall fetch water and you make the horses drink.’ He goes down and he gives the water to them. ⁺Bahar cuts the rope, the lad ⁺Almas was left in the well. He comes home with the horses. He takes the gazelle and comes home. He comes home. His wife thinks he is her husband. She does not know. Well, he is her husband. She cannot distinguish her brother-in-law and her husband. He comes and says ‘What has happened here?’ She says ‘Nothing.’ ‘What has happened? Have not people come and slept?’ She says ‘You were here, but why did you put your sword in between? Why did you turn your back on me?’ She tells him how her brother-in-law had slept there. He bites his finger. He says ‘I am inhuman. My brother is innocent.’ He immediately runs. He immediately runs to the well. He says ‘⁺Almas!’ He says ‘Yes, my dear.’ ‘I have thrown down a rope, come out!’ He came out. He brought him back and they came back. They sent for his father and mother from there, they came. They held a wedding for seven days. They held it for seven days also at their father’s house. They took him to his father’s house. They held it for seven days at the girl’s home. Then they held it for seven days at the lad’s home. He also took his wife, Šacar Nūš ⁺Xanəm, also Šacar Nūš ⁺Xanəm for ⁺Bahar. They took also the gazelle for so-and-so—she was a girl. They took her for ⁺Almas. They held a wedding there for seven days. They tell it like this, from the time of our forefathers: seven apples have fallen, one of them, the first, for you, one of them for ⁺Maryana, one of them for Eddy, one of them for me. They say this to them.