Chapter VIII

The thirty three bators
And three thousand warriors
Rode
To the dark yellow sea

To water
Their herds and flocks.
They rode and saw:
Growing there was an aspen
Golden and silver.

The head
Of the thirty three bators -
The mighty bator Agsagaldai.
Pulled out with the roots and threw away
That big aspen.

As soon as he pulled it out,
From under [the ground] there came out
A yellow biting
One-hundred-eight-headed monster:
“Where are you from? Why have you come?

Whose son are you? What have you come with?
You that have opened
My door that is not to be opened,
You that have closed my door
That is not to be closed?

I’ll catch you all,
I’ll swallow you all!”
“You might swallow us all,
But you won’t be left  [alive]
By our Abai Geser the Mighty!”

Agsagaldai gave a prompt answer.
“Has your Abai Geser the Mighty got
Any weapon
To fight against  me?”
“He’s got a black iron sword

To cut in two
The one who comes
With  black thoughts.
If there comes anything white
There is a light silver sword which cuts

So that it’ll get broken to pieces with white splashes”.
“And besides that weapon
Which other weapons does he possess?” [asked he].
“There’s the Khangai mighty arrow
That can hit the soul,

There’s a strong hero’s bow
With seventy five notches.
Geser is endowed with the magic
To charm the notch [of the arrow]
So that red flame might appear.

He is endowed with the magic
When shooting
To hit all that is far off”.
[The monster said]: “Damage all that weapon
And give to me!

If you damage that weapon
I’ll treat you
As  the  people equal to me.
If you become my people
You’ll follow me [everywhere].

Abai Geser the Mighty
Makes you tend herds
As if you were the worst of slaves!
If you become my people
In any place

We’ll stay together,
And if there happens any battle
I’ll be together with you”.
While he was thus talking,
On the surface of pure water

Foam appeared,
On the surface of flat stone
Grass grew.
He kept on thus persuading them
And convinced them finally.

They agreed to damage that night
All the weapon [belonging to Geser].
When persuading [he said]:
“This very night
Damage and scatter around

All his weapons!
Break up his arrows,
Cut off their tips!
And after that
Cut the bow-string

Of the hero’s strong bow
With seventy five notches.
The black and iron saber
That cuts all that is black
You take and hide

Under the wall.
Blunt the blade
Of the light-silver saber
Which cuts all that is white!
I myself

At midnight
Will get under
The palace
And will be just on watch,
As soon as that daring lad

Goes out
I’ll try to do away with him!
But if I fail,
Agsagaldai, the head bator,
Lend me a helping hand!