SULTAN SALIH

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SULTAN SALIH

(THE LEGEND FROM DZHANKOY)

 

The ruins of Sultan Salih, stood now as was built a hundred years ago. Storms and lightning didn’t destroy them. The good masters built Sultan Salih mosque, and a keen eye watching them.

Salih was previously a simple shepherd with the poorest house in Dzhankoy. What a honor to the poor man! He did not dare to cross the threshold of the rich man. But again, driving cows grazing, Salih went to Khan's yard and saw the Bey’s daughter. There were flowers with surprising beauty, other fruits make you forget about every bitterness. But flowers and fruits do not have black eyes that light up love; no smile that drives mount, and the move is not affection, reflecting paradise of the prophet.

Salih realized that, when he saw Resamkhan climbing the stairs. Since then, he stopped eating and drinking. The poor shepherd and his old mother lost her mind.

- What was that?, she asked her son. But Salih was silent for that.  

Suddenly Resamkhan died from fish bone. Salih, who learned about this, became bloodless in face. Then that entire story opened to his mother. She understood why her distraught son, poor Salih, brought that night the girl's body, dug out of the grave.

Pearls can be different. Pearls are the tears that were born in love, the purest of all. Salih cried, hugging the body that became warm, probably of breath or love and hot tears. Salih rushed to his mother. The mother, with the simple heart, said that Resamkhan did not die and removing the bone, revived the girl.

But as soon as Resamkhan opened her eyes, Salih hurried to escape from her gaze. The smallest pebble can confuse the crystal waters’ purity of the stream.

This love touched the girl’s heart. The great Allah has given her more than one beauty. The people from Dzhankoy have remembered Resamkhan’s wisdom for a long time.

And she realized what has the shepherd and what must attain.

- Let him go to Kefe’s quay, she said to the old woman; there Ahmed Akhay sits. He’ll give Salih a penny of the wisdom, on the other penny.

Ahmed Akhay’s view step deeply into the soul of the shepherd. Salih came to the quay and he gave him advice.

One: - Remember, the beautiful isn’t that shows the beauty, the beautiful that it sweet to the heart.

And another: - Appreciate the time, do not ask what does not concern you.

Resamkhan smiled when the shepherd’s mother told her about Ahmet Akhay’s advice.

- Let him do that. And I tell you. Kefe city has an embankment, there ships stand. It would be good, if they take Salih on a big ship. He would learn more in foreign lands than we know, and then the First Bey did not hesitate to take him to the house.

Salih sighed, asked his mother to hide Resamkhan until it returns, and hired the ship. He went to distant lands and never returned back until he discovered the sea, as he knew already the steppe. The steppes are breadth and the sea is expanse, but it does not know the stormy waves of the steppe, steppe and silence does not frighten the wanderer. When Salih’s ship was off the coast at Trebizond, hung on it sails, and it remained in place for many days.

Then Salih and others were sent to the shore to find water.

There was a well at the black rock, and the ship crew rushed to pull in their buckets, but didn’t remove them because someone cut the rope.

- We need to look inside of it, - Salih said. However, for fear, no one wanted to climb in it.

If we don’t climb, will still be gone – thought Salih and went down to the water.

He saw an old man in cave at the water, who was three times smaller than his beard. The beautiful Arab woman was standing before him and feeding the dog.  The thirty-three stakes was around Salih. The all of them except one was with the human head sticking out.

- Sabalar hayir olsun!, welcomed Salih. He answered old man’s question. Salih, squatting, told him how he’s got here. 

The old man grinned.

- If you have eyes, you have to see where the hit. How you could not surprised, and asked what all this meant.

- There is wise counsel, Salih replied, not questioning that does not concern you. Six times a magician hiccupped, and his beard stood erected.

- I see you're a great sage. Tell me then – What is beautiful? Is this Arab girl or a dog?

Salih didn’t ponder.

- The beautiful, isn’t that shows beauty, the beautiful that it is sweet to the heart.

The old man spat in his hands, swung a scimitar and demolished the heads of the Arab and the dog.

- Once I came at night to my wife and I found someone else with her. Due to my word, the woman became a dog and a man - the woman. You've seen them. Then several people came and they did not respond as you. Their ram heads stood at stakes, but yours will be on your shoulders.

And the old man awarded Salih. In addition to water, Salih issued out of the ground the bucket of different stones.

He didn’t toss them back into the well. The ship crew advised Salih to send stones, at the first case, to his the mother in Dzhankoy.

Mother regretted that the stones were not the money. She thought that Salih lost his mind. However, Resamkhan, said the old woman, to call out wealthy Karaite. The Karaite gave a lot of gold for the stones. There were as much gold as the old woman hasn’t seen in the world.

A year later Salih returned home and on his way to Dzhankoy, met herds of horses, and flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and when asked - whose they were, he was replied:

- They are all belonging to Salih Aga.

- That's right the new wealthy person in Dzhankoy, Salih thought. He didn’t think about himself.

Salih wasn’t in Dzhankoy for the many years and didn’t recognize his village. He fell in his heart when he didn’t see his poor house.  There was a big house standing on the hill, not far from the former house place. It should be Salih Aga’s too, he thought.

When the cock is drinking water, it thanks Allah for every breath. 

So Salih was, then Resamkhan became alive. Now he bowed his head in sorrow and sat down at the fence of a new home.

When you are waiting for someone – the sharp eye can see, and Resamkhan saw Salih at the fence and told to the old mother to call Salih in his new home.

If you fall in spirit, think about the Salih and smile his happiness. Maybe it will come to you too.

Salih became the first rich man in the village, first beau who walked down the street, and when he sat down on a gray horse, people came out of the houses to see the handsome horseman.

His Old Bey saw him from the tower of the Khan’s palace, and sent a guest call. He called Salih for three times before he came. And when he came, Salih called Bey to his guests.

Salih treated the old man and he didn’t know what to think. Nobody except his Resamkhan, could flounder fish and roast khaurma.

- If Resamkhan was alive, I would have given her to you.

Then Salih opened his secret to Bey and they beg her secret. The forty days and nights people feasted at the Salih Aga’s wedding.

A year later, the Bey’s grandson was born. He was called Sultan Salih.

Sultan Salih became old and his father wasn’t alive. He built a mosque in father’s memory, located in the place of their old house. One couldn’t find such beautiful mosque in the local area. 

Much water has flown under the bridge since that time; not only people - changed the stones. There are no more Tatars and Greeks have been living in Dzhankoy, but the walls of Sultan Salih mosque stood as they were standing, proud of its arches and belts.

It means that the good masters were built them, and a keen eye was watching them.