The Bald Boy (Keloğlan) and the Ogress

The Bald Boy (Keloğlan) and the Ogress

Once upon a time, there was a village where everyone went to the mountain to chop wood.

Keloğlan (The Bald Boy) begged his mother to let him go to the mountain with the villagers. His mother could not resist his begging and allowed him to go with them.

They walked and walked, over hills and valleys, until they finally reached the mountain. One of the villagers said:

"Keloğlan, you collect some wood too."

He replied:

"My mother didn't send me to collect wood for you. She just let me come along with you."

The sky began to darken, and the villagers started their way back home. But suddenly, a thick fog descended upon them. The villagers couldn't find the way home.

When the fog lifted, they realized they were lost. They looked around and wondered:

"Should we go to the house where the dog is barking, or should we go to the house with a lit lamp and smoke coming from the chimney?"

They decided to go to the house with the lit lamp and smoke. They knocked on the door.

The Ogress (Dev Anası) was very happy to see the villagers and immediately brought them inside. She laid out the beds and waited for everyone to fall asleep.

After a while, she quietly came to the room. She noticed that Keloğlan was not asleep. She said to him:

"My Keloğlan, my smart boy, what did your mother cook for you so that you would fall asleep?"

Keloğlan replied:

"My mother would cook me an egg. I would eat it, and then I would fall asleep."

The Ogress went and cooked the egg. Keloğlan ate it happily, but he still didn't sleep.

After a while, the Ogress came back to the room. Again she asked:

"My Keloğlan, my smart boy, what did your mother give you to drink so that you would fall asleep?"

Keloğlan replied:

"My mother would carry water for me from the spring with a sieve ($kalbur$—a large, coarse strainer). I would drink that water, and then I would fall asleep."

The Ogress took the sieve in her hand and went to the spring to fetch water. Before she came back, Keloğlan immediately got up and woke the villagers:

"Hurry and run away, or the Ogress will eat you all! I will distract her until you escape."

The Ogress could not manage to carry water with the sieve. Finally, she got angry and gave up. When she returned home, she realized the villagers had escaped.

Angrily, she grabbed Keloğlan and shoved him into a sack. She then went to sharpen her teeth.

At that moment, Keloğlan took out his pocket knife and tore the sack. He then put the Ogress's red calf into the sack and hid himself on the roof.

When the Ogress returned after sharpening her teeth, she angrily opened the mouth of the sack. What did she see? It was not Keloğlan but her red calf! Keloğlan, watching from the roof, started to laugh.

The Ogress said:

"My Keloğlan, my smart boy, how did you get up there? Tell me!"

Keloğlan replied:

"I stacked sieves on top of sieves and hopped up there!"

The Ogress stacked sieve upon sieve. Just as she was about to step onto the sieves, they all collapsed, and she fell to the ground. In pain, the Ogress asked again:

"My Keloğlan, my smart boy, how did you get up there? Tell me!"

He replied:

"I stacked eggs on top of eggs and hopped up there!"

The Ogress ruined all the eggs in the house. Keloğlan, watching everything, had stomach pains from laughing.

The Ogress asked one more time:

"My Keloğlan, my smart boy, how did you get up there? Tell me!"

Keloğlan replied:

"I stacked ladders on top of ladders, and hopped up there!"

The Ogress put ladder upon ladder, but she still couldn't climb up. When she fell from the ladders, she couldn't get up.

Seeing that the Ogress couldn't get up, Keloğlan immediately ran away from the Ogress's house and caught up with the villagers. From that day on, he was declared a hero in the village.

Three apples fell from the sky: one for the teller of this tale, one for the listener, and one for those who do not use the wisdom they have. 🍎🍎🍎