Gwei-ni-bu and Gumei - water rats were collecting mussels on the river, when suddenly, to their surprise, a kangaroo jumped into the water next to them. They realized that the kangaroo was fleeing from the hunters who were pursuing it. Gwei-ni-bu grabbed a stick and hit the kangaroo on the head. The kangaroo got caught in the river weeds and Gwei-ni-bu killed him. The two old women then hid the kangaroo in the river under some seaweed so that the hunters would not claim it. The little son of Gwei-ni-bu watched them from the shore.
Having hidden the kangaroo, the women took the mussels and went to the camp. At this time, the hunters Uya and Gidzhe-rigar approached and tracked the kangaroo to the river. Noticing the women, they asked:
-Have you seen a kangaroo?
“No,” the women answered, “we didn’t see it.”
“It’s strange, we traced him to this place.”
— We didn't see any kangaroos. Look, we were collecting mussels. Let's go to our camp, and we will treat you to them when we cook them.
The surprised young men went with the women to their camp, and when the mussels were cooked, they all dined. The little boy did not want to eat mussels and kept repeating:
- Gwei-ni-bu, Gwei-ni-bu. I want a kangaroo. I want a kangaroo. Gwei-ni-bu, Gwei-ni-bu.
Uya said:
— Your boy saw a kangaroo and wants a piece of it. He must be here somewhere.
- Oh no, he asks for everything he can think of, sometimes even a kangaroo. “He is still small and does not know what he wants,” answered old Gwei-ni-bu.
But the child continued to repeat:
- Gwei-ni-bu, Gwei-ni-bu. I want a kangaroo. I want a kangaroo.
Gumei was so angry with little Gwei-ni-bu for asking for a kangaroo, arousing the suspicion of the hunters, that she slapped him hard on the lips to keep him quiet. Blood started flowing and dripped onto his chest, turning it red. Seeing this, old Gwei-ni-bu became angry and hit Gumei, who responded with blows. There was a noise, the women were fighting, little Gwei-ni-bu was crying, either because Gumei had hit him, or because his mother was fighting, or because he still wanted the kangaroo.
Uya told Gijerigar:
— They hid the kangaroo somewhere. Let's go away and hide, and then come back and surprise them.
They walked quietly, and the women, noticing this, stopped the fight. They watched the men until they were out of sight, and waited a little longer to be sure. Then they hurriedly went down behind the kangaroo, pulled him out and began to build a large fire to roast the meat. At this time, Uya and Gijerigar arrived.
“We thought so,” they said. “You had a kangaroo all along, little Gwei-ni-boo was right.”
- But we killed him! - the women exclaimed.
- But we brought him here! - the men answered, grabbed the kangaroo, dragged it some distance, lit a fire and fried it.
Gumei, Gwei-ni-bu and her boy approached the hunters and asked for meat, but the young people did not give them anything, although little Gwei-ni-bu plaintively asked for a piece. They said they would rather throw the leftovers to the hawks than give them to the women and child.
Seeing that there was no hope of getting anything, the women left. They built a large dardur from bark and closed themselves in it. The women then started a song that caused a storm to destroy their enemies, who they now believed to be Uya and Gijerigar. They sang:
Mugarey, Mugarey, May, May,
Ihu, Ihu, Dun Gara.
"Hail, hail, wind, wind,
Rain, rain, lightning.
They began to sing slowly and quietly, then louder and faster, and finally began to shout loudly. While they sang, little Gwei-ni-bu cried and could not calm down.
Soon several large drops of rain fell, a strong wind arose, and then the rain poured down. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, the air became very cold, and a terrible hurricane came. Hailstones larger than duck eggs knocked leaves off trees and cut into bark. Uya and Gijerigar ran to the hut and asked to be let in.
- No! - Gwei-ni-bu shouted through the hurricane. “There was no kangaroo meat for us, and there is no room for you in the hut.” Seek refuge from the hawks you fed.
The men kept asking the women to let them in, promising to kill not just one, but several kangaroos for them.
- No! - the women shouted again. - You don’t
listened to the cry of a small child. People like you would rather die.
The rain fell harder and harder, and the women sang louder and louder:
Hail, hail, wind, wind,
Rain, rain, lightning.
The hurricane was so fierce that the men were expected to die. But they were turned into birds, and then into stars in the sky, where they are still today - Ooya and Gigerigar - with a kangaroo between them. They still bear the names they had on earth.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru