After pushing all other people out of the delivery room, Balta told Jakip by stealth that he was God’s favor and was the child wrapped up in the leather pocket. “You’d better go outside with the pocket at once. You will hear a couple of small dogs barking outside the village. Just bring back the two small dogs which are identical with each other please. And don’t let anyone find out your trace,” said Balta.
In accordance with what Balta said, he caught two white small dogs finally. As soon as Jakip came back, Balta cut the green leather pocket open right
Legend of Manas
away. An infant came out from the leather pocket, looking like a nine-year-old child. Balta lowered his head, trying to make a close scrutiny of the infant from top to toe. The infant’s left hand held a blood clot while his right hand a piece of butter. As the red book of augury had shown, the infant’s look was the manifestation of superb vigor and graceful bearing with which he was about to conquer the whole world.
Bakdowlet was about to embrace the infant in arms with a bed sheet. However, what surprised her was the heavy infant’s unimaginable weight which could snap her waist in two easily. She had several tries at holding the heavy infant high with both of her arms. “What’s the matter? The infant almost breaks my waist with a snap whenever he stretches out his legs,” she murmured to herself. On hearing these words, Chiyirdi smiled and said in a weak voice: “Just let me breast-feed him right now.”
Balta put the two dogs into the leather pocket and then sewed up the hole in the pocket. At that moment, the two Qalmaq tribe chiefs heard of what had took place and made it to the village at once. Balta cut open the newly-mended leather pocket in the face of the two chiefs. The two baby dogs came out of the broken leather pocket, rushing towards Qalmaq chiefs at full speed. One Qalmaq chief fainted with the shock of the sight and the other was dumbfounded. “This is not an infant. They are two baby dogs. Alas, this is showing the bad luck! The two baby dogs will take away the good luck from us. Fancy meeting the monster borne by Jakip’s wife! If only we could turn down the job of checking this out,” said the Qalmaq chief who was struck dumb with fear just now.
According to the folk customs abided by for a long time, the dog rushing towards the Qalmaq chief who fell down in a faint due to sudden fear should be killed for the purpose of holding a special ceremony. (1) After the chief who were scared out of his wits came to, he ran away with his colleague from the yurt owned by Jakip. On the way back home, he said to himself that he could not stay at the village any longer. He ran away with his belongings carried by two horses as if he tried to flee away from a terrible epidemic disease.
With all the emergencies settled finally, Balta, Jakip and Adelbek unfolded the infant’s fisted hand and took a careful look. On the palm of the infant’s
1. A traditional ceremony held by Kyrgyz people with a view to driving out evil spirits.
Legend of Manas
right hand lied the name of Manas. The clear word can be easily discerned.
Out of excitement, Balta said:
“This is Allah’s favor.
The name of Manas should be concealed furthermore.
For the time being, we shall call him Chon-Jindi.(1)
The name of Manas should be kept secret in order to keep the infant from the enemies’ knives and swords.”
To their dismay, the word on the right palm of the infant vanished all of a sudden after the baby got the alias. Afterwards, Jakip moved to the nearby gentle mountain slopes to graze his livestock.
1. A Kyrgyz word which means “Crazy Guy.”
Invasion of Kyrgyz Nationality’s Territories by Alooke and Manas’
21
Birth at a Time of Danger and Adversity .
