A long time ago, when there were no people on earth, all birds and animals could speak. Even the trees talked to each other.
But then people came. And one day a man went hunting with a dog. They met an antelope, and the man ordered the dog:
- Catch her!
But the dog did not chase the antelope. Then the hunter hit the dog.
- Why are you beating me? - the dog shouted. In amazement, the man asked:
-Can you speak?
“All animals and birds and even trees can speak,” answered the dog.
“It can’t be,” the man didn’t believe it.
“Okay,” said the dog. “Today you will see that not only people can talk.” You'll hear something else today.
They went further and came across another antelope. The dog rushed after her and drove her towards the hunter. A man killed an antelope with a spear. He skinned the antelope, but did not know what to do with the meat. Then the dog said:
I will run to the village and bring the woman here.
How will you explain to her where to go? - the man was surprised.
“I’ll run around, whine and wag my tail.” The woman will understand and follow me. And you wait for us here. Hide the meat in the bushes. And lie down on the ground and cover yourself with an antelope skin. Today someone else will speak in front of you.
And the dog ran away.
The man did everything as he ordered: he hid the meat, and he lay down and covered himself with an antelope skin.
Soon an eagle vulture and a crow arrived. They thought there was a dead antelope lying on the grass.
- Hello, Kabadhotoga! - said the eagle, calling the crow by its secret name.
- Hello, Makaloburiang! - the crow responded, calling the eagle by a secret name. - How are you doing? What's new?
“I don’t know the news,” answered the eagle. “Is that where this dead antelope came from?” How to start it? I guess I'll start first.
- OK! — the crow agreed. “I know how to peck any dead animal: an elephant, a giraffe, a leopard, but this antelope is somehow strange.” Get started, Makaloburiang!
The man heard their conversation and was afraid that the eagle would strike him with its beak, as if it would grab him through the skin with its sharp claws. He threw off his skin and jumped to his feet.
- I knew it! - the crow screamed, flying away. And the birds scattered in different directions.
Soon the dog returned, leading the woman. She took the meat and went to the village to prepare food.
When the man and the dog were alone, the dog asked:
- Well, did you hear anything?
“Yes, I heard the eagle and the crow talking,” the man admitted.
- Do you believe me now?
- Yes, now I believe it.
“But you must not tell anyone about this, otherwise you will die,” the dog warned the hunter.
And they returned to the village.
For three days the hunter remained strong and did not tell anyone about anything. But on the fourth he could not stand it and came under the council tree, where the men were playing with pebbles. The hunter sat with them and began to tell them, without naming names, without saying where and with whom it happened. He thought it was possible to say this.
But when the dog heard his story, his fur stood on end and he growled. Immediately the hunter began to feel feverish, and by evening he died.
At midnight, people carried his body further into the forest. But as soon as they left, the dog came to his owner and touched him with his paw. The hunter immediately came to life.
“I didn’t want to revive you,” said the dog, “but who, besides you, will take care of me!” Let's go home.
And they went to the village. There the hunter called his entire family, all his friends and relatives. And he said to them:
- Never hit dogs. Let them sleep in our houses and eat our food, while at least one dog and at least one person is alive on earth.
This is why the dog still lives with the person.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru