It was a long time ago. A very long time ago. Much time has passed since then. Where rivers flowed, now high mountains stand. Where mountains once stood, wide rivers now flow.
At that time, there lived in the same camp a woman named Vaida with her little son, his name was Anga. The boy had no father - a tiger
killed.
One day Vaida fell ill. She's feeling really bad: she's lying down
in his yurt, he can’t get up. The neighbors came and said:
“It’s the evil Buseu devils who have unleashed a disease on her and are torturing her!” We need to kick out the buseu!
They called a lot of people into the sick yurt, turned off the lights and began to scare and drive out the buseu: they beat iron cauldrons, banged with rattles, shouted loudly: “Gaa-gaa! Gaa-gaa!” They just couldn’t help the patient. Then they called the shaman. The shaman came to Khoy
- a horned hat, heated his tambourine on the coals so that it would be louder, and began to beat it with a mallet as hard as he could. He hits, and he spins around the yurt, jumping from side to side, shouting spells, the iron trinkets on his belt clanking.
The shaman beat his tambourine for a long time, spun for a long time, but he also could not help the patient.
“If only she would get better,” said one old woman,
- if only someone could get her the scales of a snake - Oglo-ma and the hairs of a big bear - the Master of all bears. Yes, it’s difficult, it’s dangerous! To find the snake Oglom, you need to go through the entire taiga. And if you find her, a new danger is coming. Near the snake Oglom lives another snake - Simun. She attacks both the snake Oglom and everyone who dares to approach her. The snake Simun breathes fire - and a person’s hands will be charred!
Anga listens, remembers everything, and remains silent. Another old woman talks about the bear:
“And no one will dare to go to the Master of the Bears.” He lives on a high mountain, in a deep cave. It is difficult to climb the mountain. It's scary to approach the Bear Master! Where can someone so brave be found?
The old women shook their heads, talked and left. Mother and son were left alone in the yurt. The mother lies, looks at her son, and cries bitterly.
- I’m sick, I won’t get up... How will you live now?
Son says:
- Don't cry! I will cure you: I will get both the scales of the snake Oglom and the hair of the Master of the Bears
I'll get it!
“You’re too young to take on such a thing!” You'll be lost!
“I have no fear,” Anga answers. - I'll go! Maybe I won’t be lost!
He sharpened his spear better, took a large cauldron, took a long leather rope and went. He goes along and picks the resin off the trees along the way and puts it in a cauldron.
He walked for a long time. For a very long time. I stopped in one place. He sees a river flowing. There is a big tree near the river. It is thicker and taller than all the trees. Behind its foliage the sun is not visible during the day, and the moon is not visible at night. And everything around the tree is burned out.
The snake Simun lived under this tree.
Anga began to pluck the moss. I pinched a lot. After that he entered the river and plunged headlong. The moss absorbed a lot of water. Anga went ashore - water oozes from the moss and flows to the ground. Then he boldly went to the tree and began banging on the cauldron with all his might. It made a terrible noise. All the birds scattered far, all the animals scattered far.
The snake Simun heard the noise and crawled out of its nest. She crawls towards Anga and hisses. And behind it a red trail remains - the grass and stones are burning.
The snake Simun crawled up to Anga, opened its mouth and breathed a strong flame on him. But it’s okay for him: wet moss protects him from fire.
The snake Simun breathed again. He raised the steam and covered everything around. Anga contrived and threw the cauldron of resin straight into the snake’s mouth. The resin melted and poured into the throat of the snake Simun. She died.
A little time passed - another snake crawled up to Anga and said:
- I am the snake Ogloma. All my life I fought with the snake Simun and could not defeat her. This snake ate my children one after another. You helped me - you saved me from it. Tell me what to give you in...
hail.
Anga said:
- I don't need anything. Give me just one scale from your body to cure my mother!
The snake Ogloma gave Anga its scales, and he moved on.
He walked for a long time. No one will say how long it took. Finally he saw a high mountain. I wanted to look at the top - my hat fell off my head: such a high mountain!
Anga began to climb the mountain. He climbs from ledge to ledge, grabs every stone, scratches his hands until they bleed - he doesn’t think about himself. He remembers one thing: his mother is lying sick in the yurt.
How much time has passed, you never know, he just got to a deep cave. He entered the cave, and in the cave there was a huge bear - the Master of all bears was sleeping, with his paws spread out to the sides, groaning himself.
Anga looked at him and saw: a sharp twig stuck into the bear’s back leg and went deep into the body.
Anga felt sorry for the bear. He tied a rope around the branch as tightly as he could, pulled as hard as he could, and pulled it out of the bear’s paw.
The Bear Master woke up, saw Anga and said:
“I suffered for three years - I couldn’t pull out this twig!” And now my torment is over. You saved me from them. What should I give you for this, tell me?
Anga says:
“Just give me your hair to cure my mother, I don’t need anything else!”
The owner of the bears gave him a piece of hair. Anga went quickly to his camp. How the young wapiti rushed and hurried!
He ran into the yurt and gave his mother the scale of the snake Oglom and the hair of the Master of the Bears.
She applied the scales and hair to the sore spots and immediately recovered.
From that time on, everyone began to consider Anga the most courageous and best person in the entire camp.
Whether it was close or far away - the fairy tale is over!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru