Legends

One picturesque Kyrgyz story tells of a herder who had sold his cattle in the Andijan region (now in Uzbekistan) and on his return, exhausted, he settled down for the night at a place called Jailoo (“pasture”) and turned his horse free. The horse wandered and fed at a place called Arpa (“barley”). When the…

Once upon a time, a long time – so long ago that the people have forgotten exactly when it was – under a high mountain there was a city. Above the city towered the fortress of powerful khan. The khan was famous for his riches, but more than that – for his cruelty. Each day,…

A id and a lamb became orphans. One day they went for a walk and met a calf. He was an orphan, too. The three of them decided never to part. One day, they came across a tiger skin lying in the road. They picked it up and put it on the calf and went…

In the west it is commonly said that if you look at the moon you can see the face of the «Man in the Moon». The Kyrgyz know, however, that this is a mistake – it is really the face of the «Girl in the Moon». Once upon a time there was a little orphan girl….

Once upon a time, so long ago that people have forgotten when, there was a city by Lake Issyk-Kul. A fortress of a powerful khan dominated the city. The terrible governor learned that one poor nomad had a daughter of incomparable beauty. The khan sent his jigits to bring the girl to him. However, the…