Once upon a time there lived Bekas and Bekasikha. They loved each other very much and built their nest in the middle of the field. They thought that it would be safest there: although people walk along the field, they do not get to the very middle. The snipe laid three eggs and safely hatched the chicks. Bekas and Bekasikha were very happy. They fed their children enough so that they would grow up quickly, become stronger and fledge faster.
And at this time, the peasant who owned the field got ready to mow the rice, because it was time to harvest the crop. So the peasant says to his wife:
- Listen, wifey, the rice is already ripe, and it would be nice to mow it tomorrow. Another week will pass and he will rot.
Hearing the peasant’s words, Bekas was deeply saddened and completely hung his head. He imagined how people, harvesting crops, would destroy his chicks. The bekasikha began to cry and said to her husband:
- Oh woe, woe! Here's the thing, hubby: tomorrow, when the peasant approaches our nest to kill the chicks, I will not leave them. I will cover my children with wings and die with them under the feet of man!
Snipe was very upset, looking at how bitterly his wife was crying. He was in despair that Bekasikha was going to die along with her three chicks. Caressing his wife, he said:
- Stop it, darling, don't cry! Don't you know that my heart is as heavy as yours? If you want to protect our children, then I will not stand aside - I will also defend them with you. But before misfortune befalls us, we must try to find some way out. I’ll go for help - I’ve heard that the cunning Kanchil is very willing to help anyone who is in trouble. I’ll try to talk to him, maybe he’ll agree to help us too!
And Bekas flew to look for Kanchil. Soon he saw him, Kanchil was lying, lounging, under a ficus tree and chewing gum with pleasure. He shuddered when he saw Snipe circling right above his head, and, turning to him, said:
“I didn’t think you’d fly here, and even at such a time!” What happened to you? Come on, sit on this branch closer to me and tell me!
Snipe answered with a sad sigh:
- Oh, dear Kanchil, I arrived with sad news.
- What's the matter with you? After all, you are free to fly wherever you want, and there is plenty of food!
- This is all true. But among living beings there is no one who would be spared from grief, who would not be in danger of death.
- What grief befell you? Tell me, maybe I can help you.
And then Bekas began to tell Kancil about his affairs:
“My wife laid three eggs and then began to hatch them. Finally, three chicks hatched from the eggs. This was quite recently, and my children do not know how to fly yet. Now they are just starting to become covered with fluff, but they have already become healthy and fat. When we feed them, they push each other away. I am happy to get food for them - after all, there is no greater joy in the world than feeding your children. I have never had children before, and now my happiness is in danger of ending, because I heard that tomorrow people are going to cut rice. Ah, my friend Kanchil, you have a kind heart! Help me in this grief! Take my children away from this field, for my beak and claws are too weak for me to do it myself.
- How can I help you move the nest? After all, I only have legs and no arms, like people. This is just as difficult for me as it is for you. And if I take your nest in my teeth and miss a little, I may accidentally grab your chicks with my teeth, and they will die. So it turns out that I, without meaning to, will kill your children. In short, I can't help you!
“Don’t you feel sorry for my chicks who are in danger of death?” After all, only I and their mother will protect them. After all, you helped the Bull and did so many good deeds! What is the price of your kindness if you refuse to help a living being who asks you so?
“I never refuse to help those in trouble, unless it is really in my power.” But here the matter is not easy, because you have to enter into a fight with a person.
Just look, I’m in trouble myself! Judge for yourself: if you die, it’s not so scary - after all, you will die along with your wife and children. And by turning to me for help, you are only needlessly bringing trouble upon me. But since it’s just a stupid woman to outwit, I’ll try to come tomorrow - maybe I’ll be able to distract her from harvesting! Now go home and feed your children better. All this week I will stop the peasants from harvesting rice, and during this time your children will probably learn to fly.
- That's good, thank you! Well, now I’ll go home and obey you in everything. And tomorrow I will be waiting for you impatiently.
- Okay, I'll definitely come.
The next day, early in the morning, the peasant women came to the field to mow rice. Snipe and Bekasikha almost lost their minds from fear. They sat in the nest and, spreading their wings, covered their chicks. They already thought that the end had come for their children.
Soon Kanchil appeared and ran out to the very middle of the field. When the peasant women were about to mow, he slipped right under the feet of one of them. She screamed:
- Kanchil, kanchil!
And she rushed to catch him, but, of course, she didn’t catch him. Then she tried to cover him with a bag. But Kanchil slipped right under the bag. The woman began to fuss and began to scream in a heart-rending voice. Then other women ran up to help her, and instead of mowing down, they all chased Kanchil like crazy. But they didn’t even manage to touch him - he was so clever at dodging. In the afternoon, Kanchil ran into the forest. And the peasant women went home - it was too late to mow. The peasant's wife said to her husband:
“Today nothing happened with the mowing,” the wild Kanchil interfered.
The next day, the woman went out into the field again to harvest the rice crop with her friends. Just as they were about to mow, Kanchil was right there again, and let’s gallop!
So Bekas says to his wife:
- Yesterday Kanchil came here. All the women helped the peasant’s wife catch him, but it was all to no avail! And then they threw a sickle at him. They think that the sickle hit him because Kanchil began to limp. They don’t even know that he’s just pretending!
On this day, all the women, like madmen, again caught Kanchil, but he dodged so cleverly that they could not catch him. Safe and sound, Kanchil fled into the forest in the evening.
But the peasant women never started mowing because it was already too late. Kanchil did this every day for a whole week. Every morning the women chased the animal and forgot about their work.
Meanwhile, the little snipes learned to fly into the air, and their father and mother showed them how to fly in order to get away from this field. Kanchil stopped coming there, and then the harvesting finally began. The snipes safely escaped danger, and all thanks to the help of Kanchil!
So Bekas says to his wife:
“Let’s go to our friend, the cunning Kanchil, and thank him for helping us all.” Although we cannot repay him in kind, we still need to visit him so that he knows how grateful we are to him. And at the same time we will introduce him to our children - after all, he has never seen them before.
The wife and children were very happy with these words, and Bekasikha said:
“Let’s all fly to him now.” This is the first thing we must do.
And all five of them flew off to look for Kanchil.
Meanwhile, Kanchil was resting on a high hill, not far from the bank of a large river. This hill was surrounded on all sides by a deep ravine. When it rained, the river flooded and the water washed over the hill, above which a spreading ficus towered. The tips of its branches almost touched the ground. Under the tree it was always very clean, as if swept with a broom - every day the wind blew all the fallen leaves into the ravine.
Kanchil really enjoyed spending time there. And Bekas knew that Kanchil often dozed on this hill, chewing his cud. So the birds flew straight there. Kanchil immediately woke up and said:
- Hello, my friend Bekas. There is no point in you spinning in the air and wasting your energy. Sit on the branch that is above my head!
Snipe sat on a branch and answered:
- Thank you very much for your kind words! If only you were always healthy and happy.
Kanchil said:
- You came with your whole family, what news did you bring with you, good or bad?
“You’re not mistaken, Kanchil, that’s how it is.” I flew here with my wife and children just to let you know how grateful we are to you. You helped us escape from the enemy. Sparing no effort and knowing no fear, you came to our aid, and I, my wife and children, escaped terrible danger. We were saved only thanks to you, smart and kind Kanchil! How can we weakling birds repay you? Only by the fact that we will always be faithful to you. Day and night we will pray for your health! May Allah prolong your life, may he send you joy and happiness!
“Thank you very much for your devotion,” Kanchil replied. “Even though you are small in stature and weak in strength, do not forget that in life anything can happen: sometimes it happens that a small animal helps a big one.” Anything can happen - it is the will of Allah. Who knows when I will need your help. Well, there is no great merit in the fact that I saved you from the peasant. If Allah wanted to save your life, then even without me he would have found ways to save you from danger. Therefore, there is no need to say that I helped you - everything is the will of Allah.
Now I want to give you some advice. All of us living in this world should always strive for good. Never do harm to anyone, never cause grief to anyone. When we do a good deed, our hearts are light, as it is easy for a person who has paid off his debts - he no longer feels shame or fear. When we do what we’re supposed to do, our souls feel good, just as a sick person feels good after taking a healing remedy. About someone who is kind, even after death the rumor is good. The situation is completely different with those who have an evil heart. They hate someone all the time, are offended by someone, do not know peaceful sleep, are always in fear, as if surrounded by enemies. How can we compare them with those who fulfill the commandments of the Almighty! And their soul is pure, and there are no vain aspirations. First of all, they think about how to please Allah and do good to their neighbor. That is why their reputation is good. Everyone who knows them, everyone who hears about them, treats them with love. That is why they will speak well of them even after their death.
- Thank you very much, Kanchil, for your words. I want with all my heart to do as you advise. May Allah hear my prayers and grant me more strength so that I can come to the aid of animals in trouble. There is nothing impossible in the world, everything is in the power of Allah.
“I’m very glad that you have such good intentions.” Bliss awaits you in the next world.
- May your prayers come true, Kanchil. Now allow me, my wife and children, to leave you - after all, we have been here for a very long time.
- All the best, Bekas. I will pray that you will always be healthy and that everything will be safe in your family!
The snipes rose into the air and disappeared into the clouds. And Kanchil, left alone, again lay down under the ficus tree and dozed off, blown by the breeze. After a while he was fast asleep.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru