Page 26 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

Long ago, the world was filled with evil. Men and women have lost
respect for each other. The Creator was unhappy with this and decided
to cause a great flood to cleanse the earth.
Only one person survived. He built a raft for himself and the animals
that were saved. They waited all night for the water to leave, but this

never happened. Then the man decided to do something about it.
First, he asked Loon to dive and swim to the Old Earth in order to
create a New Earth from a piece of clay. For a long time Loon was
gone, and when she returned, it turned out that she had never been
able to swim to the Old Earth. Beaver was then sent. He was able to
swim even further, but still he could not get anything.

Then a little Eurasian coot floated by and asked what was happening.
But one of the birds drove her away so as not to interfere. Everyone
began to argue loudly about how to get a piece of clay. Several hours
passed, the sun had already begun to set, and the animals decided to
leave the dispute until tomorrow, when they suddenly noticed that the
Eurasian coot was gone.
Suddenly there was a cry. A small body floated to the surface. The
water birds hastily swam up and found that it was Eurasian coot. Her

body was transferred to the raft. The man lifted the little body and
found a grain of earth in its beak. Little Coot was able to get to the Old
Earth! Everyone else felt ashamed that they made fun of the coot.
The man breathed life into little coot, and announced that from now
on she will be in special honor among animals. And she again swam
on the water, as if nothing had happened.

And from a piece of clay, man was able to create a New Earth. He
stepped onto dry land, which became home to all beings, a place to live
in harmony.

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