One old woman lived with her son. One day a mother went to the barn, and her son asked from under the barn, which stood on stilts:
- Mom, give me some fish belly yukola!
- You can come home and eat. When did you eat on the street?
- Mom, give me some yukola from the top layer!
- You can come home and eat. When did you eat on the street?!
-Mom, give me some yukola, cut into pieces!
- You can go home and eat. When did you eat on the street?!
- Mom, give me some fish back yukola!
- You can go home and eat. When did you eat on the street?!
- Mom, give me some yukola from the middle!
- You can go home and eat. When did you eat on the street?! Then the old woman came down - and only traces of her son remained. No matter how hard the old woman searched, she could not find it.
The old woman cries day and night. So she lived and lived, it began to get warmer in the yard, the birds began to return from warmer climes.
- Klokhtu-u-n, do you know any news about my son? Klokhtun says:
- Hohor-r, hohor-r, I don’t know!
- Kosach, don’t you know about my son, haven’t you heard the news?
Kosach says:
- Gileng-gileng, I don’t know news about your son!
- Goose, have you heard any news about my son? Gus says:
- Kalanlah-kalanlah, I don’t know, I don’t know anything about your son!
- Raven, do you know any news about my son?
- You will recognize those flying behind, kar, you will recognize, kar! Then the swan flies.
- Swan, do you know any news about my son?
“Hun-hun-hun, your son,” he says, “has feet like the webbed feet of a duck, and his nose has become like a duck’s nose!”
Your son said: And let her eat her fish belly yukola, which she spared me!
Your son said: And let her eat her own yukola from the top layer, which she spared me!
Your son said: And let her eat her yukola, cut into pieces, which I regretted! Your son said: And let her eat her fish-back yukola, which she spared me!
Your son said: And let her eat her own yukola from the middle, which she spared me!
If you meet my mommy, tell her this,” he said.
Then the gaglushka (bird) flies.
The old woman asks:
- Do you know any news about my son?
- Mom, mom, konger-r! Eat your own yukola from the top layer, which I regretted, you konger-r! Eat your fish belly yukola, which you regretted for me, you yourself, konger-r! Eat your yukola from the back of the fish, which I regretted, you yourself, konger-r! Eat your yukola from the middle, which I regretted, yourself, konger-r!
Eat your own yukola, cut into pieces, which I regretted, you konger-r!
- Child, come down! Child, come down!
- How can I get down, konger-r, when my legs have become webbed duck feet, konger-r, and my nose has become a duck’s nose, konger-r!
So he flew over and did not come down.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru