FAIRY TALES (text) - 68. THE YOUNG HALIL AND THE GIANT

THE YOUNG HALIL AND THE GIANT

Once upon a time there was a big and strange man who had heard about the valiants of Gladusha. One day he wore some clothes so that nobody would notice him and he went to see them. The valiants had a place where they went to talk with each-other and the giant went behind them secretly and saw what was going on. Looking and listening, he decided to challenge all the others at the field except Muji. One day the giant told Muji to set an agreement and said:

– Give me your word that neither you nor one of your family will challenge me at the field. 

That was what Muji was waiting for because he was mad at his friends, they had begun to see him like an old man and bragged and said to him:

– You are old and you can do nothing, we are stronger now.

So Muji answered the giant and said:

– I promise you that I won’t come to the field, but you should tell me the day when you’ll come and show up at the field.

The giant asked the valiants to come to the field because he had decided to challenge them and sent someone to let Muji know about the day he would have the challenge. That day Muji got up early in the morning. After eating ten bowls full of dish, he took the gun in his arm and went to the mountain’s top for hunting. But what had Muji done! He hadn’t told anything to the young Halil, his brother’s son, about his pact with the giant.

The giant went to the arena and he had taken three hundred horses with himself. He had tied a hundred bells on each horse’s neck and when the first valiant showed up at the arena, the giant rang all the bells at once. So the valiant passed out of fear. Then the giant ran towards him and cut his head. When the valiants saw what happened, none of them dared to go to the field and face the giant. The valiant called Ali who had to heads knew what happened and he went to the arena to challenge the giant. The king loved Ali more than anyone because he was really brave. But the giant rang his bells only once and Ali passed out too. So the giant went and cut both his heads at once. When they saw that even Ali couldn’t defeat the giant, the gathered and after a long talk they decided to go and ask for Muji.

But Muji had promised to the giant that he would stay three days and nights at the mountain. Valiants went to his house to ask for help, and the young and skillful boy, Halil, showed up and said:

– Gentlemen, what brought you here?

– It has nothing to do with you boy, – answered valiants.

But Halil was a boy who didn’t gave up so easy and told them:

– You won’t get out of my house without telling me what is going on.

Then valiants turned to him and said:

– A giant showed up at the arena and he killed two of the bravest men we had. That’s why we need Muji’s help. 

Young Halil told them:

– Uncle Muji is not here, but I will come in his place. I won’t let down my family.

He hadn’t still turned twelve, so they didn’t listen to him because they were afraid the giant would kill him and they wouldn’t have the courage to face Muji then. But young Halil didn’t stop, he rode the mule, took the rifle, the sword and the gold and rode like the wind to the arena to challenge the giant.

When the giant saw him he said: ‘‘I won’t get tired at all with him.’’ And at that time he rang the bells and the mule sank of fear in the ground to the knees. Young Halil called the mule and said: 

– Come on mule, don’t get scared, don’t scare, they are just bells, because they won’t do you anything to you.

Then the giant turned to him and told:

– Giant, you strike first!

The Glladusha valiants never stroke first in a duel. The giant fired the gun and young Halil took his sword out in front of him. The bullet struck the blade of the word and it did nothing to Halil. Then it was his turn to shoot, so he fired the gun and it caught the giant at the big toe. Then Halil lost his patience, got off his mule and went to fight with the giant. Halil was stronger so he killed the giant, but when the giant fell down on the ground, Halil was stuck under the giant and he couldn’t breathe. None of the valiants dared to approach because of fear. Then they went to tell Muji about what happened, and he came running to the field and said to Halil:

– Put your hand in my pocket and take the blade, dissect his belly and tear his heart so he’ll become lighter and you can get out of there. Because I can’t touch him, I have promised him.

But even though Halil did what his uncle told him, he couldn’t get out of there because he was exhausted. Then Muji withdrew him from the arms and took him out safe and sound. From that day on, none of the valiants didn’t boast in front of Muji about bravery.