Bamsi Beyrek and Banu Chichek
Bamsi Beyrek waits for years to return to his promised bride Banu Chichek, and comes home with his kopuz.
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For many years the Oghuz lord Kam Bure had no child. At last a son was born to him. When the boy grew up, he went hunting one day and on the way saved some merchants from robbers. Dede Korkut came, saw the boy's courage and gave him his name: "Let him be called Bamsi Beyrek."
On the day Bamsi Beyrek was born, a daughter had also been born to Lord Bay Bijan; her name was Banu Chichek. The two families promised the children to each other when they grew up. One day Beyrek went hunting and saw a red tent in the forest. In front of the tent a girl was shooting arrows. "Whose tent is this?" asked Beyrek. The girl smiled: "Banu Chichek's."
The girl wanted to see whether Beyrek was truly brave. "Come, let's race our horses," she said. The horses ran like the wind; Beyrek came first. "Come, let's shoot arrows," she said; Beyrek's arrow landed farther. "Come, let's wrestle," she said; Beyrek gently lowered the girl to the ground without hurting her. Banu Chichek said, "You are the hero I was looking for," and gave him a golden ring.
While the wedding was being prepared, enemies raided the camp one night and carried Beyrek and his forty friends off to a faraway castle. Years passed. Everyone gave up hope that Beyrek would return; but Banu Chichek waited. "He will come back," she said, "my ring is on his finger."
Sixteen years later Beyrek managed to escape from the castle. He found his horse and set off for home. On the way he took a minstrel's kopuz, disguised himself and came to the camp. On that very day they wanted to marry Banu Chichek to someone else. Beyrek played his kopuz and sang a song; in the song he told of their horses, their arrows and their wrestling.
When Banu Chichek heard the song she said, "Nobody but him could know these things." She went up to the minstrel and saw the golden ring on his finger. Bamsi Beyrek had come back! The whole camp shouted with joy. Beyrek rescued his forty friends too, and the wedding lasted forty days and forty nights.
Dede Korkut came and played his kopuz: "Keeping your word is courage, and waiting is courage too."
The tale ends here. Sleep well.
Bamsi Beyrek and Banu Chichek is a children's tale from Dede Korkut, suitable for ages 6-11 and about 2 minutes long. Read it free on Masal Merkezi, play a lullaby or nature sound in the background, tap any word to see its Turkish meaning and save it to your favorites. For similar tales browse the Turkish Folk Tales category.
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