Once Shantar was a great and noble hunter, strong and fast. He often
used to hunt the wild horses on the plains. One time, the horses would
not give in to him and fled his approach. He followed them until he reached
the banks of the White Horse Lake [1]
and lost track of them. He was puzzled for he did not understand where
they could have gone. Then he saw a yearling stuck in the mud and he went
to where it was and pulled it from the mud. He jumped on its back and struck
it with its lash. The yearling cried out and turned into a beautiful young
maiden. "Do not hit me, for I am your destiny" she said. Shantar married
the maiden and their descendants are well known for their skill at riding
and especially their skill at taming wild horses. I know, for I am of their
blood.
[End]