Birtalan Ágnes: Kalmyk Folklore and Folk Culture in the Mid-19th Century: Philological Studies on the Basis of Gábor Bálint of Szentkatolna’s Kalmyk Texts.
FOLKLORE GENRES
gave two horses to his two elder brothers and mounted himself the third horse and they three married the three daughters of the king. While they were thus living, it came to pass that, a yellow giant with a single eye on his vertex and riding a six legged yellow horse appeared (arrived) and begged of the eldest brother to allow him to pass the night at him, but he refused the request of the giant/' 4 2 Then went the giant to the elder brother, but this has also refused to allow the giant to pass the night at him/'' 4 3 After that the yellow giant went to the younger brother and said: — I will pass the night at you. — Well. - Replied the younger brother. — Do (if you are pleased). — At midnight the yellow giant took the wife of the young man and ran off and although (the young man) pursued him ; he went away without being overtaken. On the following day the young man prosecuted and took his wife from the house of the yellow giant, but while running off (with her) the yellow giant perceived and overtaking them he beat down the young man self together with his horse to the ground, [Grammar 219] took his wife and went away. Then went the young man to the two yellow giants, who had married his two elder sisters and complained to them of being his wife [...] by a yellow giant with a single eye on his vertex. [72] — That (giant thou speakst [sic!] of) - replied the two giants — is a thing able to kill us too. Thereupon went the young man once more to his wife and when arrived, behold! His wife was brought to bed of a child. The young man - we speak of— said to her [sic!] 4' 4 4 wife: — Find and tell me where from this yellow giant is taking his riding horse? - After that the wife - if the yellow giant was coming - made the little child weep by beating him. The yellow giant asked: — What for does this child weep? — He weeps - replied the wife - anxious for as what he could do without horse (to save himself if in the present situation (prop, thus being), somebody would have killed his father. - Thereupon told the yellow giant that he has hundred horses who are eight footed or six footed, kept by the hundred sons of an old man and wife who live in such and such a place (prop, here); [Grammar 220] and if somebody will go to take horse, must go by taking with himself three kinds of things, which cast among the herd. The horse hit there by must be taken. On the following day the wife has told the young man of all this. He took the three kinds of thing[s] [73] and went away; when arrived at the old man and wife told them that he would take a horse. These told him to go farther to their sons and take horse from them. Then went the young man to the horse-herd (and saw) the hundred horses were kept by hundred boys. After greeting one another the young man told them of having come to take a horse. The young man after being by them allowed to take a (horse) cast out the three kind[s] of thing[s] among the horse herd and hit a six legged black horse. He mounted that horse and went away. Arrived at his wife he took her and went away. While he was going the yellow giant perceived and crying out: — Behold. He carries away his wife whom he cannot part with. - Went to pursue (them). [Grammar 221 ] The young man ran off but was near to be overtaken, then spoke his horse while going to the yellow giant's horse: — Though we two are not issued from one mother, yet are we not of the same herd, thou are carrying one man while 1 carry two, is it not? Why doest [sic!] thou overtake me? [74] May throw off thy master by prancing make his single eye blind and killing him come (with us) - Thus speaking he, disappeared. Hereupon the yellow giant's horse threw off by prancing his master. Blinded his single eye and killed by crushing him. Then ran (the horse) after the young man and overtook him. The young man laid hold of that horse carried his wife home and lived quiet and joyfully. 69 2 There is an abbreviation in the translation. The missing text is similar as indicated below: - I will spend the night at you. - Said. - No, 1 do not let you to spend a night. - Said [the eldest brother] 69 3 The same text as above is missing from the translation. 69 4 Read "his". 104
