Xalantin

Comment

Recorded from Nikolaj Lixachev in 1986. See also Text 21.

Translation

(32-1) Xalantin was a Yukaghir, a Koriak killing man, a man who could kill the princes of the Koriaks. (32-2) In short he was a bandit. (32-3) He was a Yukaghir bandit. (32-4) He killed all the Koriaks. Having killed the rest he killed the last one, the most important one. (32-5) That's what happened. (32-6) That Koriak chief came with his daughter. (32-7) He came and said: "Where is Xalantin?" (32-8) Then Xalantin said: "I will show you Xalantin." (32-9) In reality he was Xalantin himself sitting there. (32-10) The Koriak said: "Please, kill Xalantin for me." (32-11) He said: "Brother, kill Xalantin. I will pay you." Xalantin deceived him. (32-12) The Koriak said: "I will work for you for several years without money. (32-13) If you kill Xalantin. Xalantin is a bandit." (32-14) But it was Xalantin himself, sitting there and deceiving him. (32-15) "Ok, I will show you Xalantin tomorrow," he said. (32-16) "He lives in a place thirty kilometers from here," he said. (32-17) Xalantin was alerted, thinking that he would kill him. (32-18) He saw that the Koriak took off his shirt and dressed all in iron. (32-19) An iron waist-coat. (32-20) Only here under the arm was there a hole, all the rest was iron. (32-21) "How shall I kill him? (32-22) He was thinking all the time. (32-23) "How shall I kill him? With which trick shall I kill him?" (32-24) Well, Xalantin said: "Let's go tomorrow. (32-25) If you want to kill him. It is thirty kilometers from here." (32-26) Then the Koriak said to Xalantin: "Oh, you seem to be a nice person." (32-27) He cut off some fatty meat from the pot with the knife and gave it to Xalantin. (32-28) "Eat some fatty meat." (32-29) He had such a knife. (32-30) Sixty centimetres long. (32-31) With an iron handle. He was a hero indeed. (32-32) So they left. (32-33) They prepared to leave. (32-34) Xalantin threw away his knife on purpose. (32-35) He blocked the hole in his pipe tightly. (32-36) He blocked it with wood so that it was completely closed. (32-37) "Let it be blocked," he said. (32-38) So they went. (32-39) On the way they chose a place where willow trees grew. (32-40) Xalantin thought that there shouldn't be any trees and that he would sit in that place.. (32-41) But tthere should be some willow trees where that man would sit. (32-42) They chose such a place. (32-43) Xalantin said: "Let's have a rest here. (32-44) Yes, let's have a rest." (32-45) That man said: "Ok." (32-46) They took off their skis and sat down on them. (32-47) They sat down and were going to smoke. (32-48) Xalantin took his pipe and sucked on it. (32-49) He said: "Oh, it is blocked." (32-50) Then he started looking for his knife. (32-51) He said: "Oh, brother, it seems that I forgot my knife. (32-52) I am dying, how shall I go without a knife?" he said deceiving him. (32-53) That's what he said deceiving him. (32-54) He took a stick, broke a willow branch, and dug at his pipe deceptively. (32-55) What was he to do? The pipe became more and more tightly blocked. (32-56) He said: "Oh, brother, give me your knife. (32-57) It is completely blocked," he said. (32-58) He dug at it, but his knife was lika that. (32-59) It was so wide. (32-60) How would it fit? (32-61) He dug at his pipe on purpose. (32-62) Then he scratched his head. (32-63) There were no trees there. (32-64) But there are trees to the South. (32-65) He said: "Brother, break a stick and give it to me." (32-66) So it was. The Koriak stood up on his skis and took that tree. As soon as it broke, Xalantin pierced him with the knife. (32-67) He pierced him with the knife and threw it away. (32-68) That hero stood up, took Xalantin, and went for his knife. (32-69) He didn't put on his skis. As soon as he took his knife, he died. (32-70) He completely collapsed. (32-71) He was the last Koriak.The Koriaks didn't come there anymore. (32-72) They didn't come anymore. (32-73) Before that they had killed thousand people on the Kolyma. (32-74) The Koriaks. (32-75) Xalantin was a good person. (32-76) Xalantin went home with both horses. (32-77) He came and said to his wife: "Take off my boots." (32-78) Earlier he had said: "If I don't come, it means he has killed me." (32-79) Then he said: "When you take my stockings off, say to that girl, the daughter of the Koriak chief: "Run away. (32-80) My husband killed your father. Take everything." Give her two reindeer and let her go. (32-81) So that girl left on two reindeer. (32-82) She had trouble reaching home.