Asan Kaiğı Fairy Tale

Asan Qaygy rides on his mythical horse, Zhelmaya, traveling the world in search of a land he calls "Zheruyik," a lush forested area with greenery and water, a place where sheep can thrive and where the lark can lay its eggs. "If only I could settle my people there!" he dreams. Throughout his journey, he evaluates both good and bad lands. Upon seeing the ancient fortress city of Sauran near Turkestan, he lamented, "Alas, they have built the fortress on the barren plain and the path through the Sholystan. There is no flowing water, no lush greenery - it cannot be a permanent settlement." Asan Qaygy visited Mangystau three times and returned three times. When his two sons asked, "Can Mangystau be a suitable place for livestock?" Asan replied, "There is no better land than Mangystau for a herdsman." When he saw Zhetysu, he remarked, "Look at the trees of Zhetysu, they bear fruit at every branch; it is indeed a good place for farming." Upon seeing the Bayanaul mountains, he said, "Without grazing in Bayanaul, the sheep will not fatten," and he chose present-day Bayanaul as his summer pasture.

When he beheld the area around the Kаратал river, he exclaimed, "Oh, flowing Kаратал, your back is wide, but your front is narrow!" This is because the river tends to soak into the sand.

Upon seeing the present-day Aspara in the Merke district, he said, "Oh, Aspara, be friendly with your neighbors, your grass will have enough water!" He expressed his thoughts when he came across the Shu region, saying, "Oh, Shu, your name is wrongly placed! Unless you stir up a commotion, your dense reeds will not swallow your people." At the end of Shu, the Sarysu people do not harvest hay, instead, they winter in the reeds of Shu and summer in the Arka region. When he saw the Talas river flowing from the east of Aulie-Ata (present-day Taraz) and the Keles river from the west, recognizing their suitability for livestock, he said, "Oh, two Talas rivers, one Keles, you won’t prosper without livestock. The land is also not a disaster for grazing!" When he viewed the Auan area in Juwalı, a region of fertile black soil used for farming, he remarked, "Your grass is rich, your belly is full, your soil is fat; the people who plant crops will know your worth."

When he looked at the Sыр region near Akmeshit (present-day Kyzylorda), he commented, "Oh, Akmeshit, your land is dusty, your water is scarce, under every bush there’s a piece of meat! Your people will not starve; be cautious with your livestock!" Upon seeing the Karsakbay area, he said, "Your surroundings are desolate, under your mountain is copper; your two mountains will invite all nations, wealth will settle upon you, and your people will not go hungry!" He moved on from there. When he reached the Naryn-Samар region, he remarked, "Oh, Naryn, your foal is like a stallion, your young one like a bull! Your winters are long; be careful with your farming!" Upon seeing the Shyngyrlau river, he dismounted, letting his Zhelmaya rest, and said, "The horses did not grow themselves; Shyngyrlau, you raised them!" However, Asan was unable to find a fertile land or a lush area during his time. He eventually came to the Ulytau region and passed away there.