Oral Tales of Mongol Bards

Pages 590-591:After subduing the monsters and finding his wife, Bodi-ɣalab returns home. En route for his land, he stops at Sara-duɣulɣa (Sar-duulgha) Khan’s palace and they arrange the betrothal between Sara-duɣulɣa’s daughter, Saran-gerel, and his son Altan-ɣalab. Bodi-ɣalab gives the betrothal presents to Sara-duγulγa and returns home.

Pages 592-675:Previously, the wicked monk of the monsters was frightened away by the celestial šigšigür. Now he harbours resentment against the God Qormusta, who is regarded as the Father of all creatures. Yet he showed hostility towards his land. Then the monk goes to a mountain gorge and builds his temple there. On the side facing north stand guard a deity with the hems of his robe tucked up, to whom offerings of sheep’s testicles are made. On the side facing right stands guard a deity with a cudgel attached to the belt of his robe, to whom offerings of a bull’s testicles are made. On the side facing east are the protective deities such as a bee and a bird with demonic appearance. When he has finished building the temple, the monk unearths the vessel he had tied to his side when he was scared away by the celestial Šigšigür. He lets the souls previously of Aǰar Mangas and his daughter come out of the vessel. After the souls have come out of the vessel, the monk recites foolish incantations and the monster Včir-temür (Ochir-tömör) with twenty-four heads comes into being. The monk also creates a monster with twelve heads named Temür-mečin (Tömör-mechin), a monster with nine heads named Aru-quurai (Ar-khuurai), and three female monsters named Gilbang.

Včir-temür becomes the ruler of the land of the monsters, and in contrast to with the ruler of the Southern Continent who has a jade seal, Včir-temür has a seal made of iron. When the monk tells Včir-temür that he should build his palace, he goes to inspect the land on which to build his palace. He looks into the opening of Seventy Gorges, likes it, and builds a palace made of brass inside it. If the ground opened up a person would reach the Wčir Hell. There is no peace in the land of the monsters. The local deities quarrel with each other over food offerings. When he has finished building his palace, the monster Včir-temür also raises a wall of steel and iron. Over each gate of the palace demons stand guard. Since Včir-temür has become the ruler of his land, he now wishes to find a wife.

He calls his two officials Aru-quurai and Temür-mečin, and when he asks them if it is appropriate for a ruler to remain without a wife, Aru-quurai with nine heads suggests that he ask for the hand of the beautiful daughter of Sara-duγulγa Khan in the Southern Continent. On hearing this, Včir-temür is very pleased and orders Aru-quurai to collect the betrothal presents, including nine long snakes, and nine gigantic snakes. Aru-quurai collects the presents, climbs to a high mountain and calls his donkey. He burns animal and human excrements, and calls his well-fed dappled donkey which eats wild animals and drinks the blood of their chests. The donkey arrives and Aru-quurai puts a halter made of the skin of a spotted snake around its head, throwing a brass saddle onto it. Then he prepares himself for the journey.

Aru-quurai enters his palace and dons armour of brass and iron next to his skin. Over it he wears armour of steel and iron. He wears a brocade robe and ties it with a belt made of the skin of a gigantic snake. On his head he wears a long thin helmet. After this, he loads the betrothal presents onto the donkey, sits on the donkey, and then sets out. The donkey rises up to the clouds and a brightly coloured rainbow appears in the sky. When Aru-quurai reaches the Southern Continent, suddenly fog spreads. On seeing this, Sara-duγulγa Khan shouts at his ministers and subjects that while everything was well, fog obscured the sun by day, and wonders if the danger of a monster has befallen him. People bolt the gates and peer far from above the gates, preparing to shoot arrows as soon as they see the monster approach.

When the monster Aru-quurai arrives at the northern gate and asks for gate to be opened, people ask him where he comes from and if he has something important to discuss with the Khan. Aru-quurai answers that he has come on the orders of his lord, Wčir-temür, from the land of the monsters to arrange a marriage between Sara-duγulγa Khan’s daughter and Wčir-temür. All the ministers and subjects of Sara-duγulγa tell him that their Khan is not in the palace, and that he went to the faraway Potala Mountain in the Southern Sea with his wife and daughter and they have not yet returned. On hearing this, Aru-quurai tells them that he would leave the presents he has brought with them. ministers and subjects confer with each other about what to do, and then decide to let down hooks. They tell the monster to hang the presents on the hooks. Aru-quurai does as he is told and goes back to his land.

When ministers inform Sara-duγulγa about what has happened, the Khan’s heart is tormented, and orders the presents be to burnt at once. While the Khan is in this state of anxiety, the ministers and subjects advise him to send word to Altan-ɣalab, urging him to come to see him and to subdue the monsters. Listening to their words, Sara-duγulγa walks to a huge sandal tree in which a parrot has made its nest and calls the parrot to come down. He orders the parrot to fly to the palace of Bodi-ɣalab Khan in the Southern Continent and to let him know that the monsters are posing a threat to him.

The parrot flies off, and on reaching the country of Bodi-ɣalab Khan it alights on a huge sandal tree standing in front of the Khan’s palace. Then the parrot says to the subjects of Bodi-ɣalab Khan that he has come on the orders of Sara-duγulγa Khan and wants to meet Bodi-ɣalab Khan to let him know that a monster has come to his palace. ministers and subjects rush in and inform Bodi-ɣalab Khan what the parrot has said. Bodi-ɣalab Khan walks to the sandal tree and asks the parrot to come down. The parrot tells the Khan how Sara-duγulγa is facing the danger of the monsters, and how Včir-temür wants to take his daughter as his wife. When Bodi-ɣalab Khan talks to his wife about sending their son Altan-ɣalab to help Sara-duγulγa and to go to the land of the monsters, his wife does not agree to let their son go. While they are disputing about this matter, Altan-ɣalab feels agitated, comes to the door and hears what his parents are saying. He comes inside, kneels before his parents and reminds his father of the agreement he made with Sara-duγulγa Khan to marry Saran-gerel to him. He tells them that now that Saran-gerel is in danger he is not going to abandon her.

Altan-ɣalab climbs to a mountain with an arrow and halter in his hands. He burns incense and calls his horse, waving arrow and halter. While the horse is going about among the horse herd of the Father God Qormusta, he hears his owner’s call. The horse wonders if any conflicts have happened in the Khan’s palace. The horse arrives playing, and his tail envelops the northern side of the mountain, and he scatters flames of magic power in every direction. Altan-ɣalab lets the horse rest. He ties his forefeet to a huge sandal tree and leaves him there for ten days and nights. Afterwards, he fetches a saddle worth ten thousand silver ounces and throws it onto the horse. Under the saddle he lays a Tibetan rug. He fixes the stirrups of raw brass on each side of the saddle. To the back of the saddle he buckles eight rawhide straps and multi-coloured streamers which flutter in the wind. The saddle pommel shows the images of the sun and the moon emitting a light in the front and the back.

After harnessing the horse, Altan-ɣalab enters his palace and dresses himself for battle. Next to his skin he dons armour of precious brocade. Over it he wears armour with sharp points. Over it he puts on steel chain armour. Over that he dons silver-white armour. He fastens a dragon sash around his waist. On his head he puts a helmet with a golden visor. He puts a flint into a kindling pouch and ties it to his back. He fills his pipe with red tobacco and suspends it from his left side. He hangs a quiver with twenty-one arrows on his right side. He puts a jade sword into a sheath and wears it on his hip. He gathers up and holds a whip with a handle of tamarisk wood, which is an eye in the darkness of night and a weapon when conflicts break out. Then Altan-ɣalab enters his parents’ palace, bows to them and offers them a cup of milk brandy. His father and mother say words of good wishes for their son, who is about to leave. They wish him to vanquish the monsters, to find his bride, and to come back safe and in peace. All the subjects lead the horse by the bridle and offer him to Altan-ɣalab. Altan-ɣalab mounts his horse and sets off, amid crowds wishing him well. After ambling along, Altan-ɣalab wonders how long it would take to reach the land of the monster Včir-temür if he goes at this slow pace. He pulls the reins of his horse, spurs the horse and whips him, and the horse grips the bit with his teeth. When the horse begins to gallop at full speed, it is as if the earth is wobbling and collapsing. When birds see him they fly hither and thither in confusion, the God of Fire is astonished, and the spirit masters of the earth run away: but enough of Altan-ɣalab going on his way.

Pages 675-729:The narrative returns to Aru-quurai, who went back to his land. Aru-quurai goes to meet his lord Wčir-temür, who asks him about the betrothal presents. Aru-qurrai reveals to him how he was told by the ministers and subjects of Sara-duɣulɣa Khan that their Khan with his wife and daughter went to Potala Mountain in the Southern Sea and did not know when they would come back, and how he left the presents with the subjects of the Khan. As soon as Včir-temür hears these words, he becomes furious and asks him if it is correct that people who make a marriage agreement do not meet and speak to each other. A furious Včir-temür hits Aru-quurai in the buttock with his cudgel, and he orders him to go back and to abduct Sara-duɣulɣa Khan his wife and daughter. With his body aching and feeling angry, Aru-quurai threatens to throw the palace of the Sara-duɣulɣa Khan into turmoil.

Aru-quurai mounts his donkey, the donkey rises into the air, and a brightly coloured rainbow appears in the sky. He comes to the northern gate of the palace of Sara-duγulγa Khan, and when a dense fog obscures everything Sara-duγulγa realises that the monster has arrived. He tells his ministers and subjects that they are facing chaos and disaster and that they should seek safety in the mountains and hide in the forests. Sara-duγulγa and his wife leave behind their daughter Saran-gerel in the palace, and together with all the others escape to the mountains. Now the monster Aru-quurai is at the gate and shouts for the gate to be opened, but no one is there. Aru-quurai is furious, whips his donkey and flies over the wall of the palace and comes inside. He gets down from the donkey and looks around him. While he is looking around him, Altan-ɣalab reaches the gate and shouts for the gate to be opened. Since nobody is there, Altan-ɣalab’s horse spreads his Garuda bird’s wings and flies over the top of the wall, taking Altan-ɣalab inside. At this moment, Aru-quurai’s donkey brays, and Altan-ɣalab runs into the monster Aru-quurai.

Altan-ɣalab rushes at the monster to hack him with his sword, and the monster fends off the blade with his cudgel. Afterwards, the monster becomes confused and hurries for his donkey, panting for breath, but Altan-ɣalab grabs hold of him. He asks the monster who ordered him to come and where he is from. When Aru-quurai says that he was sent by his lord Včir-temür to ask the daughter of Sara-duγulγa for her hand in marriage on behalf of Wčir-temür, Altan-ɣalab feels disgusted and furious and hacks the monster into pieces. Then he pulls out the pipe from his belt and the takes out the flint and kindling steel from his side. He strikes the flint against the steel which produces a flash of lightning, and a fire breaks out. While smoking red tobacco, Altan-ɣalab collects grass and firewood and burns Aru-quurai’s body in the fire. When the monster’s donkey is about to escape, Altan-ɣalab’s horse seizes it by the neck and the chest. Altan-ɣalab throws the donkey into the fire.

Saran-gerel, who been watching Altan-ɣalab kill the monster from her palace, now feels relieved. She comes out of the palace and greets Altan Galab respectfully, inviting him to enter the palace. When she tells Altan-ɣalab that her parents and all the others have fled to the mountains and have not come back, Altan-ɣalab refuses to enter the palace and sets out, heading for the land of the monsters. When everybody has returned to the palace, Saran-gerel tells her parents that Altan-ɣalab came, killed the monster and his donkey, and went straight to the land of the monsters. On hearing this, Sara-duγulγa worries about Altan-ɣalab going alone on a dangerous mission. The ministers, at this point, respectfully advice the Khan to think of a hero in a faraway land, who would come at full speed without resting on the way and would join Altan-ɣalab in his battle against the monsters. Sara-duγulγa remembers the old hero Qayičing (Khaichin), whose palace lies on the south of the Southern Sea and on the slopes of Brown Mountain. He is so old that ten people are needed to help him mount on his horse. Therefore, he is difficult for him to help Altan-ɣalab to reach the land of the monsters.

While Sara-duγulγa is thinking of the old hero Qayičing, the latter calls his nine-year old son, Qadan-quurai Teneg, and tells him that during the past ten days, fog has spread and all has turned dark, and he wonders if a disturbance has broken out on the part of Sara-duγulγa Khan, or if a monster has acted brutally and become a danger to him. Then he tells his son to go and see for himself. The old hero Qayičing takes loop-pole, halter and arrow and climbs to the Brown Mountain and calls the horse for his son. He burns incense, waving the arrow, and the smoke of the incense reaches up to the sky: the wind provoked by the waving of the arrow reaches the horse. While the black horse is going around the North Qangɣai Mountains with twelve horses eating grass, he hears the old hero Qayičing’s call, and wonders if a disturbance has occurred in his owner’s palace. The horse arrives and the old hero Qayičing gives the horse to his son Qadan-quurai Teneg.

Qadan-quurai Teneg throws a saddle which is worth ten thousand silver ounces onto the horse, and lays a Tibetan rug under the saddle. When he has harnessed the horse, the hero enters his palace and prepares for battle. He puts on armour, wears a sword, and hangs twelve arrows on his back. Then the hero mounts his black horse and rides off. On the way, he puts the horse to the test. He spurs the horse, whips him to make him gallop at full speed. He reaches the palace of Sara-duγulγa Khan, comes into the presence of the Khan and salutes him respectfully. Sara-duγulγa recounts to him what has happened during the past days, and he also tells him that Altan-ɣalab went alone to the land of the monsters. On hearing this, the hero Qadan-quurai Teneg says that he will go in search of Altan-ɣalab.

The hero Qadan-quurai Teneg sets off, and on reaching the southern slopes of a mountain he lets his horse graze there. No sooner has he thought about Altan-ɣalab than he sees Altan-ɣalab in the distance. Altan-ɣalab, who has put his horse out to pasture on a wide plain in the south, sees that someone riding on a black horse is approaching from the north. Qadan-quurai Teneg and Altan-ɣalab meet and greet each other, after which they rest on the mountain. Let us leave the two resting on the mountain.

Pages 729-785:The story returns to the evil Wčir-temür, who is looking for Aru-quurai he had sent to the land of Sara-duγulγa Khan. Since he has not come back, Včir-temür summons Temür-mečin and tells him that he has sent off Aru-quurai and that he has vanished. Temür-mečin says to Včir-temür that without doubt Altan-ɣalab went to the palace of Sara-duγulγa, fought a battle with Aru-quurai and killed him. Being sure that things went exactly as Temür-mečin said, Včir-temür tells Temür-mečin about his plan to abduct Altan-ɣalab’s mother and to take her as his wife. Temür-mečin offers to accomplish his plan personally.

Temür-mečin burns human and animal excrements, and calls his donkey from a high mountain. The short-tailed donkey arrives wondering if any conflicts have happened in his Khan’s palace, or if a disturbance has arisen from the Southern Continent. After harnessing the donkey, Temür-mečin enters his palace and prepares for his mission. When he is about to leave his daughter Temür-gilbang offers to accompany him. Temür-mečin agrees to this, and Temür-gilbang also prepares for the journey. She puts on a short robe and fastens it with a short rope. She suspends a leather sack from her back, wearing a gourd on her chest. Temür-gilbang has a single eye in the middle of her forehead, which twitches when she is in battle, and a sharp-pointed horn on top of her head. Temür-mečin mounts his donkey, and his daughter sits on her tail. She recites foolish incantations and soars into the air.

On their way, Temür-gilbang causes a brightly coloured rainbow to appear in the sky, and the donkey also rises up into the air. As they reach the palace of Sara-duγulγa Khan, a dense fog spreads and the subjects of the Khan bolt the gate. They go on the top of the gate and prepare to shoot arrows as soon as they see the monsters approach. Temür-gilbang tells her father to stay where he is while she pours down a shower of rain. She rises up into the air again and standing over the Khan’s palace, she removes her trousers made of cow leather and stretches her crotch as large as a plain and lets urine pour in every direction. Just when all is well a terrible rain falls. The subjects of the Khan can do nothing but commiserate with one another about what is happening and roll around on top of the gate.

Temür-gilbang enters the room where Sara-duγulγa his wife and their son, Erke-sira (Erkh-shar), are sleeping on a couch. She pulls out her leather sack from her back, opens it and stuffs the three of them into it. Temür-gilbang comes out and gives his father Temür-mečin the leather sack to carry. The two of them have not eaten anything since the day they left home, and when they are about to eat all the people there, they hear the sound of the bell of Samba Lama, who has foreknowledge of events. Being afraid of Samba Lama, the two monsters desist from eating the people and run away. Miraculous rain falls, which dispels all evil.

While the two monsters are escaping, the heroes Altan-ɣalab and Qadan-quurai Teneg are still resting on the southern slopes of a mountain. Now the two of them mount their horses and make their way towards the land of the monsters. On their way, Altan-ɣalab looks around him and notices that a brightly coloured rainbow has appeared in the sky from the south. He tells Qadan-quurai Teneg of the imminent danger and pulls out his arrows and his bow with the force of fifty thousand bows from his side. From the middle of twenty-one arrows he takes out the thunderbolt white feathered arrow which takes life. He orders the arrow to penetrate head the first vertebra of the neck and through the chest of Temür-gilbang. The arrow cries a! over the feathers, and cries je! over the arrowhead. Altan-ɣalab stretches the bow to its full extent and shoots the arrow, which pierces Temür-gilbang’s first vertebra of the neck. Altan-ɣalab shoots the scraper arrow which removes the skin, the cleaver arrow which cuts the flesh, the scraper arrow which scrapes the bones, and others. He shoots all his twenty-one arrows. Qadan-quurai Teneg gathers firewood to light a fire, and when the fire is blazing, they burn all the arrows in the fire. On seeing this, Temür-mečin panics, and Altan-ɣalab with his spear held high approaches the monster and threatens him that he will ensure that the monster will come out alive. They begin to fight with each other. When the monster hits him with his red cudgel, Altan-ɣalab flies into a rage. On the ground where they turn around a ravine forms. When the two of them have fought incessantly for nine or ten days yielding no result, Temür-mečin suggests to Altan-ɣalab that they give up their horse and donkey, and resume battle without their mounts. While the fight goes on, Altan-ɣalab looks for a weak spot in the enemy’s body. When Altan-ɣalab notices that Temür-mečin’s feet are beginning to weaken, he cuts the back of the thigh of the monster with a stroke of his sword. The monster Temür-mečin falls to the ground and Qadan-quurai Teneg cuts off his limbs and throws the corpse into the fire. Then Altan-ɣalab looks around him and sees the leather sack that Temür-mečin carried on his back. He opens it and his father, mother and younger brother, Erke-sira come out from the leather sack. The fresh air makes them recover their senses. They all go back to Bodi-ɣalab Khan’s palace to relax, but Altan-ɣalab is unable to relax. He tells his parents that that he will rest only when he has eliminated the monsters. So Altan-ɣalab and Qadan-quurai Teneg set out in search of the land of the monsters: but enough of the two heroes in search of the land of the monsters.

Pages 785-798:The story returns to the monster Wčir-temür, who goes around the land looking for Temür-mečin and his daughter, but, since the two of them are nowhere to be seen, Včir-temür becomes nervous and goes to the evil monk to seek his help. He walks to the temple in the north-east, which lies in the middle of an assembly of demons. Seeing Wčir-temür, the monk wears a vest of donkey skin inside out, dons a monastic robe and ties it absentmindedly, putting a red hat of straw on his head. He holds rosaries made of donkey dung in one hand, and a rosary made of camel dung in the other. When Včir-temür tells the monk that he does not know what became of Temür-mečin and his daughter, the monk makes a divination by counting his fingers, which reveals that disaster has happened. Aru-quurai, Temür-mečin and his daughter, the three of them, have been killed by Altan-ɣalab and Qadan-quurai Teneg. Moreover, it reveals that Altan-ɣalab and Qadan-quurai Teneg are approaching the land of the monsters. While the monk and Včir-temür are disputing between each other over what should be done, Včir-temür’s daughters, Aru-gilbang and Wčir-gilbang, come in and tell them that they will set off and kill Altan-ɣalab so that he will not be able to enter their land. After preparing for their mission, the two of them sit on their tails and rise up into the air, and a brightly coloured rainbow appears in the sky.

As they reach the Southern Continent and see the dust stirred up by horses’ hooves, Wčir-gilbang tells her sister that she will use her magic to kill Altan-ɣalab. She takes out the magic gourd from the lapel of her robes, opens the gourd and shakes, releasing nine poisonous wasps. The wasps fly close to Altan-ɣalab, who is going on his way, stinging him from the back and the front. Altan-ɣalab falls from his horse. Seeing this, the horse seizes his owner by the belt with his teeth and gallops westwards at full speed. Qadan-quurai Teneg cannot overtake Altan-ɣalab’s horse.

In the meantime, Samba Lama, who foresees events, comes out of his cave temple to see a horse neighing. Samba Lama takes Altan-ɣalab’s body inside the temple. The great learned master Samba Lama, from whom Buddhist monks have originated, reads scriptures in seclusion for three days and nights to dispel the evil. He sprinkles drops of holy water, and Altan-ɣalab comes back to life. He rises up and grabs his spear. When Samba Lama explains to Altan-ɣalab what has happened to him, Altan-ɣalab sets aside the weapon and turns around the saintly Samba Lama as an act of worship.

Qadan-quurai Teneg, meanwhile, has gone to the palace of Sara-duγulγa Khan to tell him that Altan-ɣalab has been poisoned and has died, that his horse has run away. He says he could not catch up with him and does not know where the horse went. Saddened by the news, Sara-duγulγa Khan begins to weep. Just at this time, Samba Lama is telling Altan-ɣalab that Qadan-quurai Teneg is at the palace of Sara-duγulγa Khan and that he should go there. Altan-ɣalab mounts his horse and comes to Sara-duγulγa Khan’s palace. Here he greets his parents-in-law and tells them how he died, and how he came back to life, thanks to the goodness and magic of Samba Lama. After all have expressed great happiness about Altan-ɣalab’s miraculous recovery, Altan-ɣalab and Qadan-quurai Teneg set out for the land of the monsters determined to vanquish them: but enough of the two heroes going on their way.

Pages 814-835:The story returns to the two daughters of Wčir-temür, who rejoicing at Altan-Wčir’s death, go back to their father. When the two of them tell their father how Altan-ɣalab died, Včir-temür is overjoyed, but, at this moment, the evil monk has a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He makes a divination by counting his fingers and discovers that although Altan-ɣalab died, Samba Lama resuscitated him, and that he has just set out with the express intention of killing them. The monk calls Včir-temür and tells him that although Altan-ɣalab was killed by the poison of the wasps, Samba Lama revived him. As the two of them are talking to each other, the two daughters of Včir-temür tell them that they will go to meet Altan-ɣalab on his way and to offer him as a delicious meal to them.

Wčir-temür’s daughters sit on their tails, rise up into the air and reach the Southern Continent. When they see Altan-ɣalab and Qadan-quurai Teneg in the middle of a road far in the distance, they hide and prepare to send down a shower poisonous rain. When Altan-ɣalab sees a brightly coloured rainbow in the north-east, he tells Qadan-quurai Teneg that this is the doing of the monster’s two daughters. Altan-ɣalab pulls out his bow with the force of fifty thousand bows from his side, and from among his twelve arrows he takes out the thunderbolt white feathered arrow which takes life. He orders the arrow to pierce through the chests of the monster’s daughters. The arrow obeys the order and pierces the chests of the two monsters and takes their lives. Altan-ɣalab shoots all his twelve arrows such as the arrow which flays, the arrow which cuts off the bones, the arrow which collects the blood, and others. After killing Wčir-temür’s daughters, Qadan-quurai collects firewood, and Altan-ɣalab produces a fire by striking the flint against the kindling steel. Then Altan-ɣalab recovers all his arrows and burns these in the fire. The two heroes transform themselves into Erlig, the King of the Dead, and burn the two Wčir-temür’s daughters in the fire: but enough of the two heroes who are staying on the southern slopes of the mountain.

Pages 835-894:The story turns to Erke-sira, the son of Bodi-ɣalab Khan, who became a fierce hero at the age of seven. Every day Erke-sira quarrels with his parents about going to the land of the monsters. Because of his young age, the parents will not let him go. Finally, Bodi-ɣalab agrees to let his son go and summons the horse for him. He takes loop-pole, halter and arrow and ascends the mountain. While he is so going, the Father God Qormusta has a ringing in his ears and knows that Bodi-ɣalab Khan is calling the horse, and that his son is impatient to go to the land of the monsters. The God Qormusta calls his son, the master of horses, and orders him to descend to earth, leading the light bay horse and to give him to Erke-sira. When he has caught the horse, the God Qormusta orders his son to harness the horse. The God Qormusta also bestows on Erke-sira a falcon placed on the horse’s saddle followed by a bluish coloured dog. Thus the son of the God Qormusta descends to the mountain and presents Bodi-ɣalab with the horse, with Bodi-ɣalab offering the horse to his son.

After receiving the horse, Erke-sira prepares for battle as a hero is wont to do. He straps a black quiver on his back with twelve arrows in it, tying a black bow to his right side. Holding a golden spear in his hand, the hero Erke-sira takes the bird and the dog and mounts his horse. Erke-sira sets off amid crowds who wish him well. On his way, the hero puts the horse to the test and makes him run fast. When Erke-sira sees a large fire on the southern slopes of the mountain he rides up to it, meets his older brother Altan-ɣalab and greets him. Then Erke-sira, Altan-ɣalab, and Qadan-quurai Teneg head for the land of the monster. Upon approaching, the horses of the three heroes spread their wings and soar into the air, while the heroes in their confusion hold on to the pommel of the saddle.

When the three heroes enter the land of the monsters, Camel Mount bellows and Donkey Mount brays to inform the wicked monk of the arrival of Altan-ɣalab. The land cries in a hoarse voice that Altan-ɣalab has arrived. The monk makes a divination and discovers that trouble has occurred: Altan-ɣalab has killed the two daughters of Včir-temür, burned their bodies, and has arrived with two heroes. On hearing this, Včir-temür climbs to a high mountain and summons armies of demons. The demons come riding on camels, on donkeys, and on wolves and brandishing cudgels, and Včir-temür orders the demons to fight the heroes.

The heroes encounter the enemies and engage them in battle. While the battle is going on, the wicked monk prepares seven harmful sor (Tibetan zor) of iron, and reads religious books for twenty-one days and nights. At the same time, in his cave temple, Samba Lama, who foresees events, makes seven magic sor in the shape of geese and reads scriptures in seclusion. As for Wčir-temür, when he sees the demons he has summoned being killed by the three heroes, he decides to fight the heroes himself.

Včir-temür calls his donkey, and when the donkey arrives he lets it rest. After harnessing the donkey, and dressing for battle, he mounts his donkey and sets out, holding a pointed red cudgel ten thousand jing in weight in his hand. When the monster Včir-temür sees the hero Altan-ɣalab and the two other heroes kill the demons, he flies into a fury and makes his donkey run at full speed. Altan-ɣalab sees the monster coming and begins to threaten him that he will ensure that the monster will not come out alive. The hero hits the monster with his golden spear, and the monster hits the hero with his red cudgel, laughing. The hero pierces the monster with his jewelled spear, and the monster strikes a blow at him with his red cudgel. The monster Včir-temür is furious. He whips his donkey and hits Altan-ɣalab in the head with his red cudgel. At this point, the dog which follows the hero Erke-sira bites the monster’s donkey. The dog pulls the flesh out of the donkey’s thigh, and Včir-temür goes on to fight with Altan-ɣalab without his donkey. When Erke-sira’s vulture struggles to snatch Wčir-temür’s neck, the monster becomes alarmed and runs this way and that in confusion, but Erke-sira’ dog grabs him by the calf and Včir-temür falls down. The hero Altan-ɣalab, at this point, tramples over the monster’s neck and kills the monster.

The hero Erke-sira fetches firewood and sets it on fire, burning the monster and his donkey in the fire. The evil monk, meanwhile, has finished reading books. He takes seven iron sor and while he is throwing these towards the west, Samba Lama in the cave temple throws seven flaming sor. The moment when the iron sor reach Altan-ɣalab from above, all the flaming sor descend to Yellow Pass Mountain, and a conflagration destroys the land of the monsters. The flaming sor also burn down the iron sor of the evil monk. Seeing the land destroyed by fire, the monk in his temple harbours resentment towards the twenty-one deities he worshipped for not protecting Wčir-temür, who has been killed.

The monk goes in search of Wčir-temür’s soul, and his soul is a donkey which grips the stirrups in its mouth. The monk opens a vessel and, having called on the soul of Včir-temür to come quickly, he lets the soul enter the vessel and fastens the vessel to his side. While he flees the land, he hears a voice asking him to wait. The monk turns back and sees that the souls of the monster’s daughters are demonesses. The monk also lets their souls enter the vessel, then runs away.

After killing the monsters, the three heroes head for the palace of Sara-duγulγa Khan, who marries his daughter Saran-gerel to Altan-ɣalab. Finally, Altan-ɣalab takes his wife Saran-gerel and goes back to his palace on Mount Sumeru.
The place where the tale was recited is peaceful and happy, so sings the bard, who brings his poem to an end with words of good wishes.