Precious Grass

In celebration of Ybyrai Altynsarin’s 180th anniversary, the children’s tale Precious Grass tells the story of the diligent Wolf, the enforcer of the Steppe Law, who is constantly chasing Rabbit. Exhausted from yet another pursuit, Rabbit, frustrated and catching his breath, asks the Wolf: «Instead of eating me, why not eat grass? Even though you know you can’t catch me, why do you waste your precious time following me around?» To this, the Wolf simply replies: «I just wanted to greet you», and continues the chase. Along the way, Rabbit escapes and meets Koshakan and the little kid goat, who have gotten lost. The Wolf helps guide them safely back to their village. Despite Rabbit’s irritation, seeing that the Wolf is hungry, he asks the bear and the badger they meet on the way to help the Wolf. In the end, all the characters in the performance give the Wolf gifts such as grass and roots, cheering him up and bringing the story to a joyful conclusion.