This was when the goat's horns pointed to the sky and the camel's tail dragged along the ground.
A hungry lame wolf was walking along the road. His hunger was visible in his sunken eyes. His weakness was visible in his weak legs.
For thirty days of the month he licked puddles and gnawed dry bones in abandoned camps. At night he howled, and during the day he basked in the sun and kept thinking about warm blood, about fresh meat.
And so he came to a yellow cliff and saw a fat goat grazing near it. “Oh, finally,” the wolf thought joyfully, “finally I have enough to eat!” He carefully sneaked between the bushes and licked his lips. But the nimble fat goat sensed the enemy and easily climbed the rock. He stood at the top and began to proudly look down.
The joy in the wolf's eyes faded. It became dark in his stomach. And the wolf shouted:
- Hey, goat! Better cut me a piece of meat from your leg yourself! Otherwise, I’ll wait for you here day and night and then I’ll eat it without a trace, I’ll eat it so that there won’t be a wet spot left for a snake to lick, I’ll eat it so much that there won’t be a drop of blood left for the gopher to taste!
The goat thought and said:
“I agree to cut off a piece of my meat for you, but I don’t have a sharp iron.” How will I cut? Run to Donggul, ask for a knife.
The wolf thought: “Rather than stand and wait, it’s better to run for a knife.” And he ran to Donggul.
- Dongul, give me a knife, and the face of the goats, which stands on a steep cliff, will cut off the meat for me.
“Take the knife now,” answered Dongul, “but it’s completely stupid.” We need to sharpen it. Go to Chaldy and ask for a block.
The wolf thought: “Rather than argue with Dongul, it’s better to go get a block.” And he went to Chaldy.
“Nonsense, give me a whetstone to sharpen Dongul’s knife so that the goat standing on a steep cliff can cut my meat.”
“Take the block right now,” Chaldy answered, “but it’s too heavy, you won’t be able to lift it.” Run to Channyk and ask for a sleigh.
The wolf thought: “I’m completely weak, I can barely drag my legs, where can I drag a heavy block!” And he hobbled towards Channyk.
- Channyk, give me a sleigh to carry Chaldy’s whetstone, to sharpen Dongul’s knife, so that the goat, who stands on a steep cliff, can cut my meat.
“Take the sleigh right now,” answered Channyk, “but they won’t go on their own, and you won’t be able to take them.” Go to Kul-duy and ask for a horse.
The wolf thought: “Of course, I can’t carry such a huge sleigh. We need a horse." And he hobbled towards Kulduy.
“Kuldui, give me a horse to pull Channy’s sleigh, to carry Chaldy’s block, to sharpen Dongul’s knife, so that the goat standing on a steep cliff can cut my meat.”
“There is no person who does not know the agility of my horse,” answered Kuldui. “The horse is now in the pasture, and without a lasso it cannot be caught.” Go to Aldai, ask for a lasso.
The wolf thought: “Of course, such a horse cannot be caught without a lasso.” And, staggering, he trudged towards Aldai.
- Aldai, give me a lasso to catch Kulduya’s horse, so that he can drag Channyk’s sleigh, to carry Chaldyya’s block on it, to sharpen Dongula’s knife, so that the goat who is standing can cut off my meat
on a steep cliff,” the wolf barely said, gathering all his strength.
“To tell the truth, I don’t feel sorry for the lasso for you, wolf,” said Aldai. “But my lasso is in the chest, and the chest is locked, and the hunter has the key.” Go get the key.
The wolf began to think. And I realized that I couldn’t do without the key. He gathered his last strength and slowly dragged himself into the forest to look for the hunter.
The hunter was strong and dexterous. He had a black gun. Suddenly he saw a wolf crawling towards the plague on its belly.
“What, wolf, are you coming to me yourself?” said the hunter.
The wolf got scared and turned back. But the hunter took the black gun from his shoulder and fired. The wolf fell.
And the goat stood on an inaccessible rock, basked in the sun, nibbled grass. He knew that man would always protect him from the wolf.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru