Kenenim Rids People of an Evil
Kenenim was a paralytic until he was nine years old. At the age of nine, he
jumped off the bed all of a sudden on one day. After pulling up a towering tree, the
nine-year-old hero dashed to the battlefield and succeeded in saving his grandfather
from the tight encirclements. Afterwards, Kenenim killed Joerandole, a satan with
a snake head and stone body who lived in the world for eight thousand years.
Kenenim cut off the satan’s tongue and ate it. So he got a good mastery of all the
languages of both humans and animals throughout the world. He succeeded to
the throne at the age of 12, becoming the fourth khan in the family of Manas.
After defeating Chineshi Khan, he fell in love with Chineshi’s daughter called
Chinikei. The newlyweds with conjugal felicity had a son called Seyit.
On one day, Kenenim hung around by the riverside seeing an old fisherman
with grey hair casting his net. He helped the fisherman to do the hard job until
the sunset.
The hero received the warm welcome from the fisherman and his wife.
Furthermore, he decided to stay at the old couple’s place for the night. Since
then, he had taken the responsibilty of looking after the old couple.
With the lapse of time, Kenenim found that the couple led a poor life although
they pinched and scraped throughout the year. The old couple’s pinched look began
to fret his mind.
Legend of Manas
One day, he asked the couple about the reason why they were so poor. Contrary to his expectation, such a question grieved the old fisherman severely. The old fisherman grunted with pain first and then began to elaborate on the misfortunes he and other poverty-stricken people met with. According to the old man, a greedy khan called Kirsleighty should be blamed. Under his reign, the problem of graft and corruption was extremely serious. The greedy khan imposed miscellaneous exorbitant taxes on ordinary people. The poor people who could not afford to pay the taxes were always whipped violently without an exception. Furthermore, their provisions were often plundered by the khan’s lackeys as a severe punishment. In order to satisfy his carnal appetite, the greedy khan raped a large number of young women. Influenced by the greedy khan, the lackeys at different levels also took delight in bleeding ordinary people for money.
Before the old fisherman could finish his words, a guard broke into the fisherman’s house. He glared at the old man, ordering him to hand in the fish he caught as soon as possible.
In order to entertain Kenenim on that day, the old man did not go fishing on the river. So the old man begged for mercy repeatedly. However, the hard-hearted guard raised his whip and struck him violently, giving the poor fisherman no chance to argue. The old man was streaked with blood all at once.
Kenenim came over to the guard, asking him to stop doing so.
Although Kenenim constrained his anger, the hero still daunted the guard with his strong build. “Well, the deadline of paying the fishing tax can be extended to tomorrow. But you still need to give me a present to repay me for my kindness,” the timid guard said. Then he rode away.
Kenenim urged the old couple not to pay the so-called fishing tax on the following day. “I am meant to punish Kirsleighty at that time. You mustn’t disclose such a secret beforehand,” he said.
However, the old couple still had misgivings about believing the words of Kenenim. “The disgusting fellow is a guy of unusual strength. He killed a warrior clad in coat armor by thrusting his spear into the chest of the warrior three years ago after the seven days and nights of intense fighting. Young man, you should be cautious if you want to defeat him,” the old fisherman said.
“You don’t have to worry. My ancestors are best known for fighting battles
Kenenim Rids People of an Evil
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throughout the length and breadth of the country. I will not bring disgrace on
them,” Kenenim consoled the old couple in a soft voice.
Then Kenenim followed up what he said with a detailed description about
the glory of his illustrious family starting from Manas.
After knowing that Kenenim was a descendant of Manas, the old fisherman
hugged the young fellow out of excitement. “I am so glad to hear that. And I
will have no more worries about that. My father lost his life in the battlefield,
leaving behind my mother and me. It was kind of your father to present us a
number of treasures to help us make ends meet. Contrary to our expectation,
Kirsleighty was so greedy and cruel that he robbed us all of the treasures,” said
the old fisherman, who ranted and raved about the atrocities committed by
Kirsleighty all night long.
At the dawn of the next day, the guard broke in and prompted the fisherman
to pay the fishing tax once again.
