was Schemschen-Chanum. She had borne a daughter to Abamelik, who was now an ardent Mahometan. This daughter took up her bow and arrows and concealed herself on the sloping river-bank. When David bathed in the waters of Locher she shot him, assassin-like, with an arrow in the back. David arose and made a great outcry and his voice sounded even up to Sassun. Zönow-Owan, Chorassan, Uncle Toross, Tschontschchapokrik, and Zöranwegi came together, for they heard the voice of David. And Zönow-Owan called to him from Sassun, “We are coming.”
And they went forth to help David, who heard in the water the voice of his kinsmen. They came to the river and found David, who said: “Zönow-Owan, she seemed frightened at our calling. Go and find her.”
And they sought and found the blue-eyed maiden. David seized her by one foot, trod on the other, tore her in pieces, and threw her into the village at the foot of the mountain. From this deed he named the village Tschiwtis-Tschapkis.[1] The village lies at the mouth of the Tschechur and is called Tschapkis to this day.
The brothers took David with them and moved on to Sassun. And after four days David died, and his brothers mourned for him. They went to Chandud-Chanum to console her and wish her long life; but Chandud-Chanum said, “Ah, me, after David’s death I am but the subject of your scorn.”
And Tschöntschchapokrik said: “Chandud-Chanum, weep not, weep not. David is dead, but my head is still whole.”
Chandud-Chanum climbed the tower and threw herself down. Her head struck a stone and made a hole in it, and into this hole the men of Sassun pour millet and grind as the people of Mösr do; and every traveller from Mösr stops there before the castle to see the stone.
The brothers came to see the body of Chandud-Chanum, and they pressed on her breasts and milk flowed therefrom. They said: “Surely she has a child! If there is a child it must be in Kachiswan.”[2] And they set out for Kachiswan and said to the governor: “A child of our brother and sister-in-law lives here. Where is it?”
