An excerpt from the dastan “Rustamxon”

“Rustamxon” is a folk dastan; the excerpt in the textbook was written down in 1937 by Hodi Zarif from the bard Fozil Yo‘ldosh o‘g‘li. The events begin in the Oqtosh region: the ageing King Sultonxon, afraid that the joy of the birth news would be too much for him, sets off for the land of Qurudum and hands the throne to his pregnant wife Huroyim. Huroyim bears a son and names him Rustam. Her two co-wives join forces with an old maston woman called Momogul and have a false complaint about Huroyim written; an order to punish Huroyim follows, but Rustam rescues his mother and leaves with her for Hukumu mountain. There Rustam sees a girl, Oftoboy, tied up at a tent, frees her from a dragon’s tyranny, and the land of Bujul makes him king for three days. At the end the repentant Sultonxon finds his son in the guise of a qalandar, Huroyim stops Rustam from striking him, father and son are reconciled, the wicked co-wives are punished, and Rustam refuses the crown.