The vast plains of Northern China, completely plowed and covered with all kinds of grains, delight the owner’s heart, but don’t look for special beauty and diversity in them, especially when everything visible to the eye is completely covered with fine, yellow dust brought by the northern and northwestern winds...
The monotonous landscape cannot be brightened up even by the gloomy, high, bare Qin-ling ridge, stretching across the whole of China, between the basins of the Yellow (Huang-he) and Great Jiang (Da-chiang, or Yang-tzu-jiang) rivers.
Southern China presents a completely different picture. It is almost completely filled with low but picturesque mountains with countless lakes, valleys, rivers and streams. The warm climate, abundance of moisture and luxurious vegetation make Southern China one of the most beautiful countries in the whole world.
The North is extremely poor in animals and birds, while in the South the abundance of birds, animals and insects in the wonderful forests is amazing. Singing, buzzing and various cries of forest inhabitants can be heard from all sides. The vivid imagination of the southerners, more poetic than the northerners, created many tales and legends associated with local animals and birds; These tales are sometimes distinguished by their poetry and sincerity, often touching on aspects of family life.
Often in the forest and in the clearings you can hear the cries of two birds, which are called: one - Ko Ko-o, the other Ti Tai-tai. These names are the same imitation of their cry, as in Russia, for example, cuckoo.
The first of these, Ko Ko-o, is often heard but very rarely seen. It is similar in size and build to the Brown Blackbird, but slightly longer; but the color of her feathers is pitch-black, she emits a ringing, clear, distinct cry: Ko-ko-o-o!
Another bird looks like a lark, called (in the northern language) Hei-dou-nyao (i.e. “black bean bird”), or otherwise (in the southern language) - Ti Tai-tai. She rises from the ground with a surprisingly melodic chirping, very reminiscent of the sounds: “Ti tai-tai.” The bird rushes straight up, like an arrow, continuing to continuously make the same sounds until it disappears for the eyes and ears in the blue sky.
Many years ago, but exactly when is unknown, only a very long time ago, a young man named A, named Xin, lived in those parts with his mother and young sister. They were wealthy people: they had their own land and house. One thing was bad - there was only one man in the family: it was necessary to take care of procreation...
Finding a bride in China is easy. But the mother did not want to take just any daughter-in-law, but carefully looked at all the surrounding girls. And she finally chose one that, even with all the desire, it was impossible to find a single flaw in her: she was beautiful, and smart, and kind, and obedient, and what a needlewoman - you couldn’t find a better one in the whole area!
The wedding took place soon.
That Ah Xin passionately fell in love with his young, cheerful, chirping wife, Ah Ko, is understandable; and what was more surprising was that his mother also became extremely attached to the young woman - the hope of their family.
In a word, everyone in the house doted on the lovely young woman: she was the center of their lives; and even the young husband, who had a strong character and firmly held the house in his hands, obeyed her in everything. The mother, like most Chinese widow mothers with adult sons, was afraid of her son and obeyed him in everything. This made her even more forced to court the lovely young woman in every possible way. It was also good that Ah Ko became friends and fell in love with young Ah So, her husband’s sister...
One day, Ah Xin went away on business for several days. Ah Ko and Ah So were essentially still children; they felt free from supervision, frolicked and ran across the field...
Behind the field there were hills covered with dense thickets. Charming butterflies fluttered around so whimsically, the birds sang so loudly, the thick shadow beckoned so seductively that the friends could not resist the temptation and violated Ah Xin’s order: never go beyond the field into the hills...
They, holding hands, walked along the path between two hills; and then, either chasing butterflies, or running from flower to flower, they lost both the path and the direction where their house stood.
Suddenly some huge red mass flashed before Ah So’s eyes and a terrible scream was heard. The huge tiger jumped, almost hitting Ah So, and grabbed Ah Ko by the shoulder. Dead with horror, Ah So saw how the tiger stood for a moment, angrily looking at her with terrible eyes and hitting his sides with his tail, and then dragged the unfortunate woman into the thicket of the forest. The girl did not know what happened next: she lost consciousness.
She also didn’t know how much time passed before Ah So came to her senses... But remembering what had recently happened here, she ran away in horror. By chance, Ah So ended up on the very path that led to their field; and soon she, out of breath and without memory, ran home.
For a long time, the frightened mother could not figure out what happened to her and where was Ah Ko? One cannot imagine the mother’s horror when, finally, from her daughter’s isolated words, interrupted by sobs, she learned the terrible truth...
- Son, what will the son say? - it was like a hammer beating in her brain...
People, especially women, are very often unjust and cruel in times of misfortune. And this mother, forgetting that the young girl’s grief was no less than her own, fell upon her daughter:
- It's all your fault! Why did you go to the mountains with Ah Ko? How many times have you been forbidden to do this? Damn you - get out of my house! Look for Ah Ko and don’t think about returning home without her!
The unfortunate girl could not withstand the new blow. Her mind went blank. She resignedly left her home and went to the mountains, where so recently she had laughed and had fun with Ah Ko.
- Ko-ko-o, Ko-ko-o! - she called the dead woman. “Ko-ko-o,” the forests and rocks answered her...
No one saw poor Ah So again. But so that reckless mothers remember that they are responsible for the fate of their children, the gods transferred the soul of Ah So into the body of a bird, which, although you cannot see, but which with its cry: “Ko ko-o” reminds: “Don’t be cruel!”
“Ko-ko-o-o,” is heard clearly in the thicket. “Ti-tai-tai,” the melodic chirping in the clearing answers him...
Once upon a time there lived a wealthy villager with the surname A (this is a very common surname in the South), named Guay. Its land was not in one piece, but rather scattered; One field in particular that was recently inherited was removed.
A Guai had a good, glorious wife. But, having given him a little son, Ah Pun, she moved to the land of shadows...
A Guai grieved greatly for his wife, although, of course, he did not show it in any way, so as not to “lose face.” But life takes its toll: you can’t live without a wife. But Guai had not yet gotten tired of family life, and the widower decided to repeat the experience.
It was conceived and done: something good, and there are more than enough brides: more girls are born in China than boys.
Soon A Guai brought a lovely young wife into his home. This time the choice turned out to be successful: beautiful, cheerful, but impetuous Ah Lin madly loved children and, with all the fervor of her inexperienced heart, became attached to her stepson Ah Pun.
And Guai was happy and in his heart he praised himself for his good choice...
She soon also gave birth to a pretty boy; but later she did not want to imitate her predecessor: she gained weight, became stronger, and her character changed - she became more independent, independent and decisive.
The father was happy. His second son, ATi, will serve as a new thread, consolidating that invisible but strong love connection that exists between members of the same family living on earth and those who have passed on to eternity...
But, alas! While Ah Lin did not have her own son, she fussed, amused herself and spoiled her stepson in every possible way; he was a pretty living toy for her. But when Ah Ti was born, the latter completely captured his mother’s heart. Gradually, her love for her stepson melted, and the following thoughts began to creep into her head: “Why will Pup get everything and be the master in the family, and not Ti? Just because he's the eldest? Yes, Ti is more beautiful, and better, and will probably be smarter!”
In a word, a little time passed, and instead of the former love for her stepson, A Lin felt first cooling, then indifference, then dislike, which, imperceptibly for her, turned into hatred.
The young woman herself was not aware of what was happening to her; she only felt that her stepson was a nasty, bad, nasty boy standing in the way of her beloved son. But she was so smart that she carefully hid her true feelings for the time being.
Nevertheless, Ah Poong loved his younger brother dearly and deferred to him in everything.
Over the years, Ah Lin’s hatred for her stepson grew and swelled in her heart. The very sight of him already raised a whole storm of hatred in her... Finally, she could no longer fight with herself, and decided to take a desperate step. She decided to eliminate her stepson from her son's path.
But how can you do this without getting your hands dirty, without arousing suspicion in anyone, and without seeing anything yourself?
She thought for a long time and finally came up with...
One day she called both boys and, giving each a basket of beans, said:
- Here are the bean seeds: this basket is for you, Pun, and this one is for you. You are no longer little, it’s time for you to get used to work. Go now to the farthest field and plant beans, but not together, but each in a separate plot: I want to see which of you can plant it better. Sit in the field and do not dare to return home under any circumstances until the beans have sprung. Whose beans sprout must return immediately... You, Pun, were already in this field with your father, but Ti was not; so you show him the way well so that he remembers it. Make sure you don't mix up the baskets!
The mother gave the children some boiled rice and saw them off.
On the way, Ah Ti kept playing around and running around, not paying attention to Ah Pun’s requests to remember road signs. Getting naughty, he grabbed his brother’s basket and accidentally pulled off the rag that covered the seeds.
The boy was amazed that his older brother's beans were much larger and juicier than his own. “My brother’s beans are fresh, so they will sprout sooner than mine,” he thought.
“Give me your beans,” he asked. - But mom told us not to mix up the baskets! - the elder objected. - Give it, give it, I want it so much! Come on now, otherwise I’ll complain to mom that you don’t listen to me and offend me!
Pun knew what the consequences of such a complaint could be, and so he gave his brother his basket full of beans, and took small, dry grains from him.
Only in the evening did they reach a distant field. They immediately chose a plot of excellent, already plowed, moist land, and began to plant beans. Ti planted haphazardly and in a hurry, while Pun methodically, carefully, at an equal distance, and to the same depth. The sky itself blessed their work: as soon as the last grain was lowered into the ground, a light rain began to fall. The boys took refuge in a straw hut that stood in their field and spent the night here.
In that fertile climate, with plenty of heat and moisture, seeds germinate extremely quickly. Before the boys had time to eat the supply of rice they had taken with them, one morning, leaving the hut, Pun saw his plot, all covered with green, sharp, arrow-shaped sprouts of beans. But it is strange that only the seeds sown by Pun sprouted, while Ti’s did not produce a single sprout. The children did not suspect that their mother had previously cooked the beans given to Pun: that’s why they were larger and juicier...
It was a pity for Ah Pun to leave Ah Ti alone in the field, but he could not disobey his mother’s order. He consoled his capricious brother as best he could and went home.
Evening soon came: it began to rain, and Pun had to spend the night in someone’s field in someone else’s hut, and only returned home in the morning.
As soon as Ah Lin saw her stepson, her heart sank: she immediately guessed what was the matter.
- How dare you come back alone? - Mom, you ordered that... - Go back, puppy, and don’t come without your brother! The unfortunate boy ran back...
Now their field is already there, his beans have had time to grow, but his brother’s plot is still bare. But where is Ti? Probably in a hut!
In vain, choking with tears, the boy looked for his brother and shouted:
- Ti-tay-tay (brother, where are you)?
Neither here nor in the neighboring fields and thickets the boy was found: probably at night, afraid of loneliness, he left and got lost.
And Pun kept running and calling for his brother until he finally fell and died of exhaustion. And at the moment of his death, a bird with a wonderful song flew up from his body like an arrow into the sky:
- Ti-tay-tay!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru