During the time of the Oghuz, there was a man by the name of Ushun Khoja, who had two sons. The elder son, who was called Eghrek, was a brave, reckless and fine young man. He used to attend Bayindir Khan's meetings whenever he wished. The doors of the council of Kazan Bey, the bey of beys, were always open to him. He used to step over the beys and sit right in front of Kazan. He did not care about the rules of precedence.
One day, when, as usual, he stepped over the beys and sat in front, a man of the Oghuz who was called Ters Uzamish said to him: "O son of Ushun Khoja, each one of these beys sitting here has earned his place with his sword and bread. What have you ever done? Have you cut off heads, shed blood, fed the hungry or dressed the naked?"
To this, Eghrek replied: "Ho, you, Ters Uzamish, do you think cutting off heads and shedding blood are acts of great skill?"
"Indeed they are", replied Ters Uzamish.
To these words of Ters Uzamish, Eghrek could not say anything. A few minutes later, he stood up and asked Kazan Bey's permission to make a raid. The permission was granted. He announced this fact and began to raise men for the raid. Three hundred men with straight spears gathered round him.
There was eating and drinking in the tavern for five full days. After this, Eghrek raided the territory between the tip of Shiroguven and the Gokche Sea. Much booty was taken. On the way back he stopped by Alinja Castle. Kara Tekur had set aside a grove there that was stocked with all kinds of game, such as geese, hens, deer and hares. This place was a trap set up for the Oghuz. One day the son of Ushun Koia stopped at the grove and entered it by tearing down its gate. He and his friends hunted fat deer, geese, and hens there. They ate and drank, unsaddled their horses and took their harnesses off.
Kara Tekur had spies there who saw them and who reported to Tekur, saying: "A company of Oghuz horsemen came, broke the gate of the grove, and have now taken the saddles and harnesses off their horses. Hasten!" Six hundred black-clad infidels attacked them there, killing the Oghuz warriors and capturing Eghrek, whom they put in the dungeon of Alinja Castle.
The news crossed the dark mountains and bloody rivers until it reached the country of the strong Oghuz. Grief broke loose in front of Ushun Koia's house. His gooselike daughter took off her white clothing and put on black. Ushun Khoja and his white-faced wife cried: "Son, son!"
Whoever has sides and ribs grows. Ushun Khoja's younger son Seghrek grew to be a brave, gallant and reckless young man. One day he happened to go to a meeting, where he ate and drank and became drunk. When he stepped outside to relieve himself, he saw there an orphan beating another boy. Saying "What is going on here?", he slapped both of them.
The worm in an old mulberry and the tongue of an orphan both have a bitter taste. The orphan boy said: "Why do you hit me? Is it not bad enough that I am an orphan? If you think you are so mighty, go and rescue your brother from Alinja Castle, where he is imprisoned."
"What is the name of my brother?", asked Seghrek.
"His name is Eghrek", replied the boy.
Seghrek said: "Eghrek goes well with Seghrek. Oh, that my brother should be alive and I should not care for him! Is it ever possible? I shall remain no longer in Oghuz territory without a brother." He then wept, saying, "My brother, the light of my dark eyes." He returned to the meeting inside, took leave of the beys and said: "May you remain in peace."
They brought his horse, which he mounted at once and rode to his mother's house. There he dismounted and went to learn the truth of the matter from his mother's mouth. Let us see what he said to her.
"My mother, I stood up from where I sat, And, mounted on my black-maned Kazilik horse, I reached the foot of yonder Ala Mountain. There was a meeting in the bloody Oghuz land; To this I went. There, as we ate and drank, A messenger rode up astride a gray-white horse. He spoke about a young man they call Eghrek, Who has been captive now for many years. With permission of Almighty Allah, He left that prison to go home again. The old, the young, and everyone gave welcome to that man. Should I go, too, my mother? Speak to me!"
His mother replied as follows: