Page 84 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

Once upon a time there were a snipe and his wife. They loved each other
very dearly and built their nest in the middle of the field. They thought it would
be the safest there. Although people walked across the field, they didn’t get
to the very middle. Bekasikha laid three eggs and hatched the chicks safely.
Bekas and Bekasikha were very happy. They fed their children enough so that
they would grow up as soon as possible, strengthen and fledge faster.
Meanwhile, the peasant who owned the field was going to mow the rice,
because it was time to harvest. He told his wife:
— Listen, little wife, the rice is already ripe, and it would be nice to harvest
it tomorrow. Another week passes and it will rot.
Hearing the words of the peasant, Snipe was deeply saddened and completely

hung his head. He imagined how people harvesting crops would destroy his
chicks. His wife cried and said to her husband:
— Oh woe, woe! Here’s what, hubby: tomorrow, when the peasant gets to
our nest to kill the chicks, I won’t leave them. I will cover my children with
wings and die with them under the feet of a man!
Snipe was mortified, looking at how his wife was crying bitterly. He was
desperate that she was going to die along with three chicks. Having caressed
his wife, he said:
— Stop it, dear, don’t cry! Don’t you know that my heart is as heavy as
yours? If you want to protect our children, then I will not stand aside — I will
also defend them with you. But before misfortune befalls us, we must try to find
some way out. I will go for help - I have heard that the cunning Kanchil is very
willing to help everyone who is in trouble. I’ll try to talk to him, maybe he will
agree to help us too!
And Snipe flew to look for Java mouse-deer. Soon he saw him. Java mouse-
deer was dreaming under a ficus tree and chewed gum with delight. He
shuddered when he saw Snipe circling right above his head, and, turning to
him, said:

— I never thought that you would fly here, and even at such a time!
What has happened with you? Come on, sit down on this branch closer to
me and tell me!
Snipe answered with a sad sigh:
— Ah, dear Kanchil, I flew in with sad news.
— What’s wrong with you? After all, you fly freely wherever you want, and
there is plenty of food!
— It’s all true. But among living beings there is no one who would be saved
from grief, who would not be threatened with death.
— And what grief befell you? Tell me, maybe I can help you.
And then Snipe began to tell Mouse-deer about his misfortune:
— My wife laid three eggs, and then began to incubate them. Finally, three
chicks hatched from the eggs. It was quite recently, and my children still cannot

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