On the bank of the wide and deep Mangu (Amur River) there was an abandoned camp. Its dilapidated houses could be seen far along the river. People were afraid of these places.
How the two puddin sisters got to these places, no one knows, no one knows. They themselves didn’t know about it either. They only lived in the upper part of the camp near the taiga. Early in the morning, when the first bird began to sing, they rose from the warm canal and went to catch fish - carp, kaluga, cupid, lenka, or whatever came their way. When they get tired of fishing, they go hunting in the taiga, and then be careful, don’t catch their eye from the taiga beast, the bird of the sky. Their bows never missed, their spears struck to death.
And there was always order and prosperity in their home. That's how they lived.
But then one day, late in the evening, two young men came to their house and stayed overnight. Day after day passed, night after night, and now the four of them lived. And from then on, no one could say that this was an abandoned camp. And guests would flow here again to them both from above the river and from below the river. Yes, trouble happened - it came from nowhere. The good fellows disappeared, the happiness disappeared, the forest birds flew away, the taiga animals ran away. It seemed that someone was only waiting for the puddin sisters to leave the camp. But the sisters continued to live in the camp and wait for their husbands. They had two children, the eldest had a son, the youngest had a daughter. And from that time on, the sisters began to observe a strange miracle.
When they leave the house, the street is in order, the skis are placed against the wall, the sleds are hidden under the barn, there are birch bark buckets of water, there is a live fish in the basket still beating its tail, a piece of meat is lying on the board, bleeding. They look into the barn, and it’s full of everything, it’s even difficult to close it.
They were surprised, amazed at this miracle, and then they stopped being surprised. They live and live. The older sister loves and caresses her son, but the younger sister is somehow indifferent to her daughter, either doesn’t love her very much, or is embarrassed to show her love.
Brother and sister are growing up. And then one day the sisters were sitting at home with their children, when suddenly the door swung open. The younger sister, frightened by something, grabbed her daughter and hid her on her chest under her robe, lay down face down on the can and covered her head with a blanket. And the older sister looks at the door in surprise and thinks: Who is it that breaks into the house without asking?
Carefully, a brown bear squeezed sideways to the door and walked straight up to it. Out of fear, the elder sister handed him her son. And the bear seemed to be just waiting for this. He picked up the boy, sat him on his knee, stroked him with his paw, sniffed him, as if kissing him. And then he began to play with him. The boy is not afraid of the bear, he rides on it, puts his hands in its mouth, and pulls its shaggy fur. The elder sister saw this, was surprised at first, and then calmed down, rolled up a cigarette and gave it to the bear. He looks at him and thinks: It’s strange, a taiga animal, but he smokes tobacco, and a bear caresses his son. Strange!
The bear smoked, caressed the boy, played with him, looked at his younger sister on the canoe and left the house. The elder sister looked from the window, and the bear stood by the barn and went to the other side of the Mangu River.
The elder sister says:
“Sister, you’re kind of strange today, you kill an animal while hunting, catch a bird, but in the house of a taiga animal you’re shy.” If she was scared of him, she would have been hiding alone, but why are you taking your daughter with you? He would play with her.
The younger sister lies there and doesn’t answer. Only late in the evening did she leave the canals.
Several days passed. And again, like last time, the sisters sat in the evening, embroidering robes. Suddenly the door swung open and a bear entered. Only it was not the same bear that had already come, but a different one. He entered and immediately went to his younger sister. She got scared and was about to run. The bear came up, leaned towards the girl, and wanted to hug her. And puddin snatched her daughter from him and pulled her to her. Again, just like the first time, she pressed it to her chest and hid it under her robe. And she lay face down on Cana and covered herself with a blanket.
The bear froze in place and looked with a pitiful look, as if he wanted to say something. The elder sister even saw tears in the corners of his eyes. No matter how much the bear sat on the canal next to him, the younger sister did not even look in his direction, did not offer him to smoke tobacco, did not show him the girl. The bear sighed, stood up and went back to the taiga.
As soon as the door slammed behind him, the older sister began to reproach her:
- Why are you, sister, behaving like this with a guest? Although he is a taiga animal, he is a guest. And the custom of our ancestors is to receive a guest, feed him, give him a pipe to smoke, and ask him about life. And you keep being capricious. This will not lead to good. It costs nothing for a taiga animal to offend you, scratch you, or even kill you.
The younger sister quickly got up from the kana and became angry:
“Why are you reproaching me for this, my dear sister, my elder sister?” If this bear is an animal, then let it wander through the taiga; if this animal is a human, then let it come in the guise of a human. Why should a taiga beast break into us? It’s amazing to me: in the morning while hunting we kill a taiga animal, in the evening we will receive it as a guest?
The elder sister could not tell her anything, she only remained silent.
Several days passed. One day they are sitting, as always, on their bunks, doing household chores. Suddenly, an incomprehensible noise was heard in the yard: either the stomping of a bear, or the rapid steps of a man. The sisters became alarmed, the children became subdued. The door opened and a handsome young man entered. His braid was tightly braided, his eyes sparkled, he himself was slender, like a reed. The elder sister looked at him, and it seemed to her that this was her former husband, that this was the first bear that came to their house. She looks at him and thinks: Perhaps it seems to me, so many years have passed since my husband disappeared?
Then the eldest sister took out the most elegant silk robe, earrings, bracelets, and a nose ring from the chest, put them on and became a pu-din beauty herself. She led the young man to the place of honor - mala-lu, began to treat him, rolled up a huge tobacco cigarette, the size of a measles bird, inserted it into a tube the size of a long pole, and gave it to the mergen.
He was sitting on the kana, pulled the pipe several times, took out a copper jug from his bosom, poured wine into it, and gave it to his elder sister:
- Well, my faithful wife, drink wine, didn’t you recognize me? An evil spirit turned me into a bear and made me wander around the taiga. But you showed me your son, and the witchcraft spell fell. And here I am again a man. Become my wife again!
The elder sister was delighted, but said to him:
- How can I get myself married, or have you forgotten the customs of our ancestors? Ask my younger sister to give her a suitable ransom!
The young man served wine and began to ask his younger sister to marry her older sister to him. He promised to give a priceless ransom and to return her husband too.
The younger sister gave her consent.
The next day, another handsome and strong fellow arrived on a boat. He entered the house with various tasty dishes, approached his younger sister, and she sat on the bunk and remained there.
She turned to the wall, sat and embroidered, not paying attention to the young man who had come.
The older sister treats her son-in-law and cannot understand why the younger sister behaves this way. She thinks: Why is my sister behaving this way? She doesn’t like either the bear or the fellow? Or maybe it’s her former husband, she didn’t recognize him, and she’ll even drive him away.
They finished feasting. This fellow got up, went outside and lit a huge fire. When it got hot, he jumped straight into it. The flames shot up even higher, and the young man disappeared. The older sister thinks again: Why did he do this? Out of resentment that his wife did not recognize him?
She came to the house and told everything to her sister.
The next day, the younger sister also lit a big fire in another place, but a little smaller than the young man’s fire. She put on the most elegant robe she wore at the wedding, strung rings on her fingers right down to her nails, and put on silver and gold bracelets from wrist to elbow. Then she grabbed her daughter and jumped into the fire with her. She jumped and immediately lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in buni - the underground kingdom of the dead. She walks along the bunya and comes across a small house. I went into it, and there was an old lady sitting there:
- Oh, daughter, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time! Do you know that your husband will die soon. He was very angry with you. You don't recognize him. Don't be afraid of him, he doesn't want you harm, he will bring you good. Now go ahead! There you will meet two mountain rivers: with black and white water. Wash your daughter in these waters, bathe in them yourself! Now go! - the old woman told her.
Pudin went, she walked, walked and reached two mountain rivers. One river has white water, the other has black water. One flows from the underworld to the world of the living, the other in the opposite direction - from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Pudin went to a river with white water, washed the girl, went to a river with black water and bathed herself. And she moved on. I walked and walked and met another old woman.
- Uh, girl, how did you manage to get to this place? None of the people of the Middle World have ever reached here. Come here, I'll help you! - says the old lady.
Pudin came up to her, the old woman washed her body and face, rinsed the child in clear water, gave them new clothes, and then she said:
“Baby, your husband will come here soon.” When he arrives, he will take the girl and kiss her. Don't take the girl away. This will save him from death. I saved him before, but today my strength will run out. This is your husband, become his wife again!
In the evening, a young man came in, approached the child, began to play with him, hug him, and kiss him. And he kissed his daughter goodbye, and she kissed him. Only then did the girl-ka-pudin see that it was her husband. She threw herself on his neck and began to ask for forgiveness. The evil spirit also bewitched her so that she could not see her husband. They became husband and wife again. The old woman said to them goodbye:
“My children, I can’t stay with you anymore, I have other things to do.” You live peacefully and happily. There will be no more evil spirit. Your love expelled him from the world of living people. Now go to your homeland, your sister, her husband and son are waiting for you there.
The old woman turned into a duck and flew away.
The good man took his wife and daughter, put them on a sledge, and they went to the great Mangu River. They still live there. But the evil spirit is no more, it does not appear among the people of the earth. There are no more abandoned camps.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru