The Legend of our Motherland. Cavalerкa

It was a long time ago... Hundreds of years ago, or maybe even more... Nomadic herdsmen would graze their horses in the boundless steppes. There have been different tribes galore in the Great Steppe: Scythians, Sarmatians, Khazars, Cumans, Mongols, and Tatars. It’s difficult to list all of them. They overlapped one another like big sea waves, driving away or exterminating their adversaries. In one of these tribes there was a very brave warrior, he rode his fast horse and shot a bow better than anyone else. More than once he came out as a victor of the battlefield fights with numerous enemies inasmuch as he skillfully wielded his vorpal sword. His name was Lerкa. He once saw a beautiful girl and fell in love with her. Lerкa’s friends told him that she was the youngest and most beloved daughter of their formidable chief. Her name was Cava. Cava also liked Lerкa for his bold valor, as she often heard her brothers tell about it after difficult fights. As time went on the young people began dating in secret from their parents, as the chief wanted to marry Cava off to a neighboring tribe chief’s son. Cava's father wanted to expand his influence in the Steppe through the marriage, but Cava and Lerкa loved each other, and after having learned about the chief’s intentions, one dark night, when hadn’t the moon come on the horizon, they decided to escape. When the chief noticed the daughter escape he got very angry and ordered five of his sons to find the escapees and bring them back home. Although Lerкa was agile and quick enough, he could not break away from the pursuers, as the chief possessed the secrets of sorcery thus helping his sons in the Steppe. When the brothers had almost overtaken Cava and Lerкa, the young couple embraced and jumped into the crystal clear steppe river waters. No one has ever seen them again. After the sister’s death the grieving brothers immediately turned into high mounds. Since then the river has gotten the name Cavalerкa – it has been named after the two young loving hearts. The river still bears its waters as it did hundreds of years ago. And the river is still called Cavalerкa. And the mounds stand in the same place as it was hundreds of years ago. If you look around the horizon you will surely see them. People have named them as “Five Brothers”, marking the hills north the river on the maps. The father could no longer be in the Steppe, where everything reminded him of the children. He and his tribe left for the east. His further destiny is unknown. And the Great Steppe became the Wild Field. But this is just a legend...Translated By Victor Roude.Virginia Beach. USA.