Once upon a time there lived three sisters - Samba, Bebeka and Muyongo. One day, two elders and their friends decided to go to an old woman who was a tattoo artist. The old woman lived very far away. The girls left the house all together, and the younger sister, Muyongo, followed them, although the elders told her to stay at home. The sisters turned around and saw her. The little one pretended to return, but after a while she again found herself next to her sisters. Several times the older sisters forced the younger one to return home. But she didn't listen to them. Then one of the sisters’ friends said:
- Leave her alone, let her go! A child always brings good luck. Come, Muyongo, come with us.
And the sisters agreed.
Having crossed the threshold of the old woman's house, the girls looked at each other in surprise. In the back of the house sat many women, decorated with magnificent designs. On some, the tattoos were made with the tip of a needle, on others with the edge of a knife. They saw images of the sun, people, fish, snakes and much more. The girls froze with delight. They came closer, took a closer look and were even more surprised. It turned out that these were not living women, but wooden figures.
- My granddaughters, you will stay with me for eight days. Only on the fourth day will I give you a tattoo. And then you will rest for another four days,” said the old woman.
She fed the girls delicious food, after which she gave them a jug of palm wine each time. They ate and drank with pleasure, and then fell into a heavy sleep. After all, palm wine was strong. Only the younger sister, Mui-ongo, did not touch the wine.
On the fourth day, the old woman actually gave them a tattoo. But late at night, when the third roosters crowed, the old woman, turning into a two-headed monster, a dikwishi, knocked on the girls’ door and spoke in a hoarse voice:
- Daughter, daughter, give me a light!
Muyongo, who was awake, heard and was afraid. Crying with fear, the girl answered with a song:
I won’t give you a light, I won’t give you a light, I’m still little! I won’t give you a light, I’m afraid of you, I’m crying!
- Girl, girl, give me the phone! – the old woman said in the same hoarse voice.
And the girl sang again:
I won’t answer the phone, I won’t answer the phone, I’m still little! I won't answer the phone
I'm afraid of you, I'm crying!
- Girl, girl, give me some tobacco!
I won't give you tobacco, I won't give you tobacco, I'm still little! I won't give you tobacco, I'm afraid of you, I'm crying!
- Girl, girl, give me water!
I won’t give you water, I won’t give you water, I’m still little! I won’t give you water, I’m afraid of you, I’m crying!
The old woman stood outside the door and left. In the morning Muyongo told her sisters everything. But they didn't believe her:
- Come on, you’re making it all up! You'd better come home.
Muyongo assured them for a long time that everything was so, and only one of her friends stood up for her younger sister:
– Or maybe it’s true... After all, children don’t always make things up.
And she tied the baby's belt to her leg. And she said:
“If I’m fast asleep, Muyongo, then pull the belt and I’ll wake up.”
And most importantly, this girl promised herself that she would not drink wine at night.
Just like the day before, late at night the old woman knocked on the door:
- Girl, girl, give me fire!
Muyopgo pulled her belt and slowly sang:
I won’t give fire, I won’t give fire, I’m still little! I won’t give fire, I’m afraid of you, I’m crying!
The girl woke up, crept up to the door and looked through the crack. And she saw a terrible monster with two huge heads. The girl trembled with fear.
“Girl, girl, give me the phone,” the monster growled.
And Muyongo answered the same:
I won’t answer the phone, I won’t answer the phone, I’m still little!
- Girl, girl, give me some tobacco!
I won't give you tobacco, I won't give you tobacco, I'm still little!
- Girl, girl, give me water!
I won’t give you water, I won’t give you water, I’m still little!
The two-headed monster stood outside the door and left. And in the morning, the girls, convinced that Muyongo was telling the truth, decided to run away. Since the old woman spent the whole day in the field and returned only late in the evening, the girls managed to fill the hut to the top with dry branches. Then Muyongo struck the ground with her magic wand, which she always carried with her, and ordered:
- My wand, my wand, help me! A voice came from underground:
– What do you want, Muyongo?
“I want some kind of passage underground to appear: we want to escape to the river bank.”
And immediately the earth opened up, the girls ran along an underground passage and found themselves on the river bank. Just above the water stood a huge takula tree with a red trunk. The girls quickly climbed up its branches and hid in the dense greenery.
Suddenly an eagle appeared above the tree. Spreading his wings wide, he began to make circles above him. Then Muyongo began to sing, and the girls began to echo her:
Bird, bird, big bird! Lord of all birds, Take us with you, Save us!
- Kua! Kua! Can't you tell that I smell like fish? - asked the bird, turning to Muyongo.
And the girls continued to sing:
Bird, bird, big bird! Lord of all birds, Take us with you, Save us!
- Kua! Kua! Won't you say that I smell like smoke? - asked the bird.
And at this time it had already begun to get dark, and the old woman, along with other such terrible monsters, returned to her house. They walked around the house and, confident that the girls were fast asleep, set fire to the hut from all sides. The dry branches immediately flared up and crackled.
- We'll eat them today! Let's eat it with the bones! They will be so delicious fried! Look how they crack! They are all so fat! – the monsters squealed with joy, clicking their teeth.
But then the fire went out, and the monsters realized that they had been deceived.
They rushed after the fugitives and in an instant found themselves on the river bank. After all, they had magical powers!
- Here they are! Here they are! We caught them! - the monsters shouted in hoarse voices and, clinging to the tree with their teeth, began to gnaw, saying:
Gnaw the tree, Gnaw the takula, Dunduma!
Trembling for fear that the tree would fall, the fugitives begged Takula:
Tree, tree, Don't swing, Don't break! Help us, tree! Help us, takula!
At this time, the huge bird flew up and down, right and left, from time to time, snatching a fish from the river to refresh itself. And the girls sang plaintively:
Bird, bird, big bird! Lord of all birds, Take us with you, Save us!
- What will you give me if I save you? I won’t work for nothing? - asked the bird.
“Ask for whatever you want,” Muyongo said.
– I want to marry Bebeka!
And Bebeka agreed. What could she do?
One by one, the bird carried the girls to the other side of the river.
And the monsters kept chattering their teeth, all shouted in hoarse voices:
Gnaw the tree, Gnaw the takula, Dunduma!
Suddenly there was a crash, the tree tilted to one side, and at that moment a huge bird picked up Muyongo, who was still remaining on the branches, carried her to the other bank, and then the takula fell to the ground with a roar. And all the monsters died, crushed by the weight of the tree.
The rescued girls ran home. A huge bird flew above them.
Muyongo told everything that happened to her parents. She pointed to a huge bird soaring above. But suddenly the bird sank to the ground and turned into a man.
“I am a hunter,” he said. - My homeland is far from here. A curse was upon me, and that is why I was a bird.
In gratitude for saving his daughters, the father allowed the hunter to build himself a hut nearby.
And the hunter married Bebek. But when they already had three children, he said:
“I must return to myself, to my homeland.” But I will leave alone, because according to our laws I have the right to marry only a woman from our own tribe.
He turned into a bird again, slowly rose into the air and flew away.
The woman did not want to part with her husband; she ran after him, carrying her youngest son behind her back.
The bird flew and flew and flew. Bebeka followed, finding her way by the feathers that the bird dropped. She walked for a very long time. The forest surrounded her on all sides, instilling horror, and she cried bitterly.
The bird was somewhere far, far away. She was no longer visible. But the bird was also sorry to part with Bebeka. Lamenting her bitter fate, she sang:
Go home, go home!
We have different roads!
I'm used to living in the land of the West,
I'm used to living on hot land!
and she replied,
From afar, the voice of a bird came to Bebeka, crying:
I want to go with you
I want to know your homeland!
I want to go with you
I want to know your homeland!
And, defeated by her love, her husband returned. He descended to earth and turned forever into a man. And they lived together until the end of their lives.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru