Winged horse Akbuzat

"Suddenly, like a wave ran through the audience - all of them turned their eyes to the palace, from which a procession solemnly appeared, at the head of which was Humay. An exclamation of surprise rang out from all lips - the princess was beautiful in her wedding dress. So she approached the small hitching post, smoothly raised her hand, as if flapping a wing, and shouted as best she could, summoning Akbuzat. The sky answered her with thunder, the sun itself swayed, the earth began to shake. As if a star fell from the sky and flew like a fireball to the ground - it was Akbuzat, plunging into horror the winged horse The lightning did not have time to go out, as he was already here, hit his hoof on the ground, and the earth shook again. Akbuzat galloped to Humay, bowed his head, froze. A sigh of surprise escaped from the chest of the audience. So beautiful was the unprecedented horse! He pricked up his ears as if awl, his teeth are like cloves of garlic, his chest is high, like a gyrfalcon, his legs are thin, light, his move is high. He snores, sparkles with a wet eye and chews the bit in rage. He is ready to accept a rider, as if for war, and a sword is hung from the bow of the saddle - a sharp sword, a shining sword. Here he is, Akbuzat! Humay caressed him, patted him on the withers, hugged him by the neck. Her sonorous voice resounded across the Maidan, like a brass bell. - My Akbuzat, my winged horse! You lived in heaven like a star, waiting for the one who would take you by the bridle. How many batyrs have you thrown off, in whose veins inhuman blood flowed, the blood of demons! How many batyrs from the human race, from those whom I chose, you threw from the sky. You found no one, no one worthy of yourself, no one, no one you chose for me. Today I again called you to the test. Batyrs are waiting for you, they are waiting for your decision. Whom will you choose, how will you choose? Will you choose by beauty, or by heroism? Choose a worthy one for yourself, make him your companion. He will be your friend, he will be my beloved. Akbuzat raised his head, his low whinnying thundered through the neighborhood. - When the wind catches up with the clouds, when a storm with rain comes, the tumbleweed will hide in a ravine, the handsome man will seek shelter for himself in order to preserve his beauty. But when I jump, the wind rises, from which the stones are thrown from their place like fluffs, the waters rears up and destroy all living things, so that the fish cannot swim on the waves, as if it were not water, but a wall of stone. If I hit with my hoof, even Kaf Gora will shudder like dough and crumble into flour. All living things are dying around, no one will be saved ... "