Translation of Ravshan Yormohammad, Chashma, 1995, from Tajiki. Original translation by Karimova Zarofat, edited by netlangs.
Once upon a
time there was a spring. It lived on the peak of a mountain, in the open air, in
the embrace of the white, white snow. Once, when the sun was going down, the
weather became warm. Then, on the same day, Spring set off on a journey. After
three days and three nights, it left the mountain peak and reached the
crossroad. In the middle of the crossroad was written: if you go to the left you
won’t come back, if you go straight you will turn to ice, if you go to the right
you will reach a beautiful valley. Spring thought and thought and then took the
right turn. The way was long and winding and dark and passed between the rocks.
Spring went forward and didn’t look back until there was no strength in its feet
and no movement left in its body. At this moment, it reached the edge of an
abyss. There it stopped to get back its breath. Then it stood up and looked into
the abyss and saw that it was bottomless.
A voice came
out of the abyss: ‘Who is there?’
‘Me’, said
Spring.
‘Are you
human or spirit?’
‘I’m
neither; I’m a spring.’
‘Oh, Spring,
come here! I’ve been waiting for you for ages! I’ve dried up from thirst; my
body and spirit have become weak.’
‘Who are
you?’ asked Spring, ‘And who has thrown you into this
abyss?’
‘I’m a
valley,’ said the abyss, to trick Spring, ‘And I’ve been waiting for you for a
long time.’
‘Oh, but
I’ve been told that a valley is wide and has a blue sky, but you are dark and
narrow. Don’t try to trick me and lead me astray!’
‘How simple
of you! From the top, looking down, here seems narrow. First come down and look;
it’s so wide and the sky is very very blue. I’m not telling a lie. There’s
nobody in the world more truthful than me. Come on, if you don’t like it here
you can go back.’
‘How?’
‘How stupid
you are! Put signs along the way and then when you go back you’ll see the same
signs.’
Spring
agreed and jumped down to the bottom. In the abyss it was dark and stuffy. A
star palely sparkled in the sky.
Spring gave
a cry, ‘Here is so narrow and like night. My eyes see
nothing!’
The abyss
laughed. The air was cold and Spring shivered. It was so cold that it almost
turned Spring to ice.
‘No, I’m not
going to stay here. I’m leaving!’ said Spring.
The abyss
gave another laugh. Spring struggled to leave but couldn’t.
The abyss
said, laughing, ‘Until now, no-one has ever made it back outside, so don’t waste
your time trying!’
‘Oh, you
liar!’ cried Spring, hitting the sides of the abyss. This attack was nothing to
the abyss. Spring hit the sides of the abyss again with all its might, but the
abyss only said happily, ‘Oh, how lovely your water is. I have been waiting for
ages. Now my body is happy and my spirit has come back to
life.’
Spring cried
from sadness and misery for three nights and three days, and was stricken with
weakness.
The abyss
said to Spring, ‘Crying won’t help. Surrender to me and live quietly in the
night.’
‘No,’ said
Spring, ‘I’ll never surrender to you!’
The abyss
said, ‘It’s your choice. If you don’t surrender, I will press your body until it
suffers with pain.’
The abyss
attacked Spring with pressure from four sides.
‘Do you
surrender?’
‘No!’
‘Do you
surrender?’
‘Never!’
Many years
passed from that time and the battle between the abyss and Spring continued.
Everyone who crossed the abyss heard their arguments.
‘Do you
surrender?’
‘Never!’
One day
there was a great earthquake. The abyss could not stand the earthquake and it
collapsed. Spring came up and saw the sun again, and the white white snow, and
the high mountain peaks.
Spring
thought and thought, and then took the same route as in the beginning. It went
on and on, and after seven nights and days it reached the valley. There the
grass and flowers were dry and wilting from lack of water. Spring immediately
watered them and the grass stood up straight and the flowers
bloomed.
And so, in
this way, after several years, Spring and Valley achieved their aim and we hope
that you will all achieve your aims too!
Note: This translation matches the original
manuscript, but the published story in Russian and Tajiki does not have the
detail of the earthquake at the end, rather the abyss fills up with water after
a long period of time and overflows; then the spring goes on its way again and
finally reaches the valley.