Baira had no arrows. In order to get them, he removed the bast from the tree and weaved a large snake from it. Then he climbed into the bast skin and swam under the water to the backwater, above which stood the small fish of another tribe. The women who were on the shore saw a large snake, screamed and began to call the men. The men came and brought with them bows and many arrows. And they pelted the big snake with arrows. When all the bast skin was covered with arrows, and the men had only empty bows left in their hands, Baira dived into the depths and swam home. Swimming ashore, he came out of the skin of a large snake, pulled out all the arrows from it and laid them to dry in the sun. His friend saw the arrows drying in the sun and asked Baira where he got them.
Baira did not want to tell how he managed to get the arrows. The friend insisted. Baira said that this is very dangerous. The friend promised that he would not tell anyone.
Baira told him that he needed to weave a large snake from the bast tree and swim to the backwater where another tribe lived. The friend did just that. He climbed into the bast skin and started swimming. The women, seeing the snake, screamed and called the men. The men came running with bows and arrows. There were a lot of men. They threw arrows at the snake, saying: “That one left, but this one will not leave, no.” One of the arrows hit Baira's friend in the head and killed him. Then the archers pulled the snake ashore, cut the skin and saw Baira’s friend. They cut his body into pieces and lit a fire under the grate to roast his meat.
Baira, seeing that his friend was not returning, went overland to the maloka of another tribe. He approached and asked permission to approach. He was allowed. Baira asked:
-What are you frying?
- A big snake. That time another one came. We shot and shot, but she left. Now we fry this one.
Baira asked them for the brain, liver, heart and several bones from the snake's skull. They gave it. Baira made a small basket, put all this in it and went home. There he blew on the heart, brain, liver and bones of his friend's skull. And the pieces of meat and bones began to moan: O-oh! Ooh! Ooh! And immediately Baira’s friend began to grow: first his head, then his shoulders, and so on until his waist. But he didn't speak or move.
Then Baira got angry and scattered bones and pieces of meat throughout the forest, which turned into birds - gokko, agami and others, as well as animals - agouti and deer.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru