Page 50 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

En elderly couple lived happily. They had no one, nothing, only a
blue cow. The old man told fairy tales at night, whistled songs. The old
woman was kneading animal skins, listening. And so hearing these soft
fairy tales Musk deer would come running to listen. The light of the fire
gleamed white on her long fangs. But once and in the day the Musk
deer could not resist. Carefully, fingering with thin legs, I went down to
the hut. There was a cauldron full of milk near the hut. The musk deer
lowered their muzzle into the cauldron, drank half of the milk.
The old woman returned home.
— We have been living under this hut for sixty years - there were no
thieves. Who drank our milk?
Musk deer fled with shame to the mountain ledges, climbed the rocks
that elude the eyes. And in the morning, missing milk, she came with a
light step to the shalashu. I drank the milk again and ran away.
The old men got angry, thrust three high stakes into the ground and

raised the heavy yellow cauldron. The next morning, Musk deer came
running, chewing with her lips. It banged her hooves in front of them -
the cauldron swayed and splashed the musk deer milk on its back. The
gray back was covered with milky spots. No matter how much she rolled
on the ground, no matter how much she rubbed against the stones, the
white spots cannot be erased.

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