Kantar was a great and strong hunter who was famed for his skill
with dogs. It is said that he was descended from Brother Dog himself. Once,
Kantar was hunting in the plains with his great hound Mantar. Now, everyone
knows how strong and fast Mantar was and everyone knows how proud Kantar
was of his brother. They reached the woods that surround White Horse Lake
and they met a youth whose skin was as white as koumiss and whose hair
was black as night[1]. He
congratulated Kantar on his hound and asked for him as a gift. In return,
he promised to bring a herd of white horses from the lake. After many hours,
Kantar grew tired and agreed to give Mantar to the youth in return for
the horses. The youth led him to the lake and dived into the milky waters
with the dog and appeared with a milk white mare. He led the mare to Kantar
and bid him mount her. He then taught Kantar to whistle in a certain way
and told him to ride away, whistling, "but whatever you hear, don't look
back until you cannot see White Horse Lake" [2].
Kantar set of and heard a great snorting and neighing behind him. He rode
until he could bear it no longer and turned around to see his prize. As
he laid eyes on them, the horses of the herd snorted and turned around
to gallop back into the lake. All that remained were a dozen mares that
had made it to dry land. Kantar led the horses back to where his yurt stood
and brought a white stallion to the herd. The stallion mounted each of
the mares and finally approached the first mare that Kantar had ridden
from the lake. As the stallion came close, the mare rose up and neighed
loudly, lashing out with her hooves. Each time he approached, she rose
up and would not let him near. At last, Kantar moved in and took her by
the bridle. "Hush, my beauty, why do you complain so?" he asked. "Because,
my lord, I only wish to be with you" the mare replied and changed form
into a beautiful maiden with milk white skin and hair and eyes of the deepest
black. Kantar was amazed and led the maiden back to his yurt and they became
man and wife there. Their descendants are good horsemen and can speak with
their horses as if they are people.
2. This has been used by others to HeroQuest and gain horses from White Horse Lake or to gain a wife. This HeroQuest is known by the descendants of Kantar.
[End]