Izobar Dushenaliev

A village boy awaits his father's return from the front. Though he doesn't yet know the alphabet, he begins composing letters and enrolls in school early to learn to write. He believes the Moon Witch — a figure from a fairytale — is behind all the misfortunes of war. In his dreams, he battles her on the moon as she casts black letters — death notices — down to Earth...

The boy Nurdin spent his summer holidays in the mountains with his grandfather, a herdsman. He learned to ride a horse, took part in horse races, showed courage by going with local children to a cave to get mumiyo to cure a sick comrade.