The Magic Pipe

A Grandfather tells his grandson a bedtime story about an ancient Nart named Saynag-Aldar who lives in a castle on a hill. In this legend, Saynag-Aldar decides to find a husband for his daughter Agunda and announces a contest to prove who among the Narts is the strongest, with the gods in heaven set to judge the winner. The tale centers on the boastful bogatyr Soslan, who declares that no one in the world could outmatch him. Agunda asks her father to make Soslan prove his claim, and Saynag-Aldar agrees, sending Soslan away to travel the world. He is accompanied by Atsamaz, a shepherd who secretly loves Agunda.

Before they depart, Agunda hears the music of Atsamaz’s pipe and follows the sound, discovering that the music is meant for her. When she asks Atsamaz to give her the pipe as a token of his love, he refuses, explaining that the pipe is a gift from the gods. She reads this as a sign that he does not truly love her, and in anger Atsamaz breaks the pipe and storms away. Regret fills Agunda as she gathers the broken pieces and returns to the castle with the fragments in hand.

Together, Saynag-Aldar and his two travelers travel through the proud tribes that encircle the lands of the Narts, defeating all they encounter along the way. Their journey leads them to a burial site where fallen Narts rest and where the gods are said to grant wishes. Atsamaz suggests making an offering, but Soslan declines, declaring that he will offer 100 deer if they can find a worthy adversary. Unbeknownst to Soslan, the gods hear his wish.

The trio is whisked to a distant land inhabited by gigantic, man-eating cyclopes. Soslan steps forward to challenge Uaig, who greets him with a mocking laugh and dares Soslan to pull a single hair from Uaig’s leg. When Soslan cannot accomplish this feat, Uaig directs them to a cave in search of a more worthy foe. Inside the cave, Uaig’s mother seizes them, but Atsamaz intercedes with a line that pleases her: “let this day bring you fortune, part of my mother.” Hearing this, Uaig’s mother hides Soslan and Atsamaz in her dress, then feeds Uaig a broth and puts him to sleep, enabling her to transport the two men back to their homeland. Uaig follows, and soon he arrives in the valley of the Narts, where he unleashes destruction that no one can stop.

A god comes to Agunda, reuniting the broken pipe and instructs her to entrust it to Atsamaz. Obediently, Agunda hands the pipe back to Atsamaz, who then plays a melody that disorients Uaig. In that moment Soslan takes aim and shoots an arrow straight through Uaig’s single eye, and the fearsome monster crumbles. The valley falls silent, with the living and the dying left in the wake of the battle.

After the Narts are rebuilt, Agunda marries Atsamaz. Soslan concedes that the power of love can overcome even the greatest boast, affirming that loyalty and affection have a strength that surpasses brute strength.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:47