Egrek and Segrek

Ushun Koja had two sons: the elder was Egrek and the younger was Segrek. Egrek was brave but a little hasty. One day, without asking anyone, he went off on a faraway raid and fell into enemy hands. He was locked up in a castle.

Segrek was small at the time. As he grew up, he saw his mother weeping quietly on some nights. One day he asked: "Mother, why are you crying?" At first his mother did not want to tell him, then she did: "You have an older brother, Egrek. He has been a captive for years."

Segrek leapt to his feet. "I will find my brother," he said. His mother was frightened: "I don't want to lose you too." But Segrek was determined. In the end his father agreed. His mother tied a kopuz to Segrek's belt: "Your brother loved to play the kopuz. Take this to him."

Segrek travelled for days. When he reached the castle, all the guards were asleep. He sat down at the foot of the castle, on the bank of a river, and to rest he began to play his kopuz. He sang an old song his mother had taught him.

At that moment a man was looking out of the castle window. When he heard the song, he jumped up: "Only my mother used to sing this song!" This man was Egrek. He found a way to climb down from the castle and ran to the riverbank. The two brothers met face to face for the first time. Segrek said, "I am your brother." Weeping, Egrek embraced him.

The two brothers escaped together and returned to the camp. When their mother saw her two sons together, she did not know what to do with joy. Ushun Koja gave a great feast.

Egrek thanked his brother: "I was hasty, but you came with patience." Segrek smiled: "A brother never leaves his brother."

Dede Korkut played his kopuz: "Brotherhood is like a song; even when the years go by, it is never forgotten."