Page 86 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

The next day, the woman went out to the field again to take her their girlfriends
to harvest rice. As soon as they were about to mow, Mouse-deer was right there

again, and let’s jump!
Here is Snipe and says to his wife:
— Yesterday Kanchil came here. All the women helped the peasant’s wife to
catch him, but all to no avail! And then they threw a sickle at him. They think
that the sickle hit him because Mouse-deer began to limp. They don’t even know
that he is just pretending!
On this day, all the women, like madmen, again caught Mouse-deer, but he
dodged so deftly that it was not possible to catch him. Safe and sound, Mouse-
deer fled into the forest in the evening.
And the peasant women did not start to mow, because it was already too late.
Mouse-deer did this every day for a whole week. Every morning the women
chased the animal and forgot about their work.
Meanwhile, the little snipe have learned to rise into the air, and the father

and mother showed them how to fly in order to get away from this field. Kanchil
stopped coming there, and then, finally, the harvest began. Snipe safely avoided
danger, and all thanks to the help of Mouse-deer!
Here is Snipe and says to his wife:
— Let’s go to our friend, cunning Kanchil, and thank him for helping us
all. Although we cannot repay him in kind, we still need to visit him so that he
knows how we are grateful to him. And at the same time we will introduce him
to our children — after all, he has never seen them before.
The wife and children were very happy with these words, and Snipe’s wife
said:
— Now we will all fly to him. This is the first thing we have to do.
And all five of them flew to look for Mouse-deer.
And Mouse-deer, meanwhile, was resting on a high hill, not far from the bank
of a large river. This hill was surrounded on all sides by a deep ravine. When the
rains fell, the river overflowed and the water washed over the hill, over which
towered a spreading ficus. The tips of its branches almost touched the ground.
It was always very clean under the tree, as if swept out by a broom — every day
the wind blew all the fallen leaves into the ravine. Mouse-deer loved to spend

time there. And Snipe knew that Mousedeer often doze on this hill, chewing his
gum. So the birds flew right there. Mouse-deer immediately woke up and said:
— Hello, my friend Snipe. There is no need for you to whirl in the air and
waste your energy in vain. Sit on the branch above my head!
Snipe sat down on a branch and answered:
— Thank you very much for your kind words! If only you were always ьhealthy
and happy.
Mouse-deer said:
— You flew in with the whole family, what news did you bring
good or bad?

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