Page 48 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

The mink saw a Pike on the shore. And she said to her:

— Pike, do you know what Maskinong says about you?
— What?
— He says you have slanting eyes.
The pike didn’t like it at all, and she said:
— He has teeth like a saw and his muzzle is flat and narrow. He’s ugly
himself.
Mink ran to Muskinong and conveyed Pike’s words to him. And so she
rushed back and forth, quarreling Muskinong and Pike so much that they

began a fight. It ended up killing each other. And Mink only laughed at
them.
She cooked and dried their meat, and then lay down to rest, first putting
caviar next to her so that she could eat it right away, just sticking her
tongue out. Finally, she dozed off.
People in a canoe sailed by and saw a mink with a fish. They took the

spoils for themselves, and in exchange for caviar they put stones and left.
The mink woke up and reached for a treat, but instead there were stones.
She broke all her teeth and realized that someone had tricked her. And in
the end, she was left with nothing.

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