Page 85 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

fly. Now they are just beginning to cover themselves with fluff, but they have
already become healthy and fat. When we feed them, they repel each other. I am

happy to find food for them — after all, there is no greater joy in the world than
feeding my children. I have never had children before, and now my happiness
is threatened with the end, because I heard that tomorrow people are going to
mow rice. Ah, my friend Kanchil, you have a good heart! Help me in this grief!
Take my children out of this field, because my beak and claws are too weak for
me to do this myself.
— How can I help you drag the nest? After all, I have only legs and no hands,
like people do. This is as difficult for me as it is for you. And if I take your nest
in my teeth and swing a little, I can accidentally grab your chicks with my teeth,
and they will die.
— Don’t you feel sorry for my chicks, who are in danger of death? After all,
only I and their mother will protect them. After all, you helped the Bull and did
so many good deeds! What is the price of your kindness if you refuse to help a

living being who asks you so?
— I never refuse to help those in trouble, if only it is really in my power.
But this is not an easy matter, because you have to engage in a fight with a
person. Judge for yourself: if you die, then it is sad, but not so scary, because
you will die along with your wife and children. And turning to me for help, you
only needlessly bring trouble on me. But since the only thing that needs to be
outwitted is people, I will try to come tomorrow — maybe I can distract them
from the harvest! Go home now and feed your children better. All this week I
will prevent the peasants from harvesting the rice, and during this time your
children will surely learn to fly.
— That’s good, thank you! Well, now I’ll go home and obey you in everything.
And tomorrow I will wait for you impatiently.
— Okay, I’ll definitely come.
The next day, early in the morning, the peasant women came to the field to
mow rice. Snipe and his wife almost lost their minds from fear. They sat in the
nest and, spreading their wings, covered their chicks. They already thought that
their children had come to an end.
Soon Mouse-deer appeared and ran to the very middle of the field. When the

peasant women were about to mow, he slipped right under the feet of one of
them. She screamed:
— Mouse-deer, Mouse-deer!
And she rushed to catch him, but, of course, did not catch him. Then she tried
to cover him with a sack. But Kanchil slipped under the very bag. The woman
fussed and began to scream in a heart-rending voice. Then other women ran
up to help her, and instead of mowing, they all chased Mouse-deer like crazy.
But they did not even manage to touch him — he very deftly convinced himself.
In the afternoon, Mouse-deer fled into the forest. And the peasant women went
home - it was too late to mow. The peasant’s wife said to her husband:
— Today nothing came of the mowing - the wild Mouse-deer interfered.

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