Comment
This tale was published in Jochelson (1900). In 1990 it was translated into modern Yukaghir by
Vasilij Shalugin.
Translation
(20-1) There were three boys.
(20-2) Once they said: "Let's go to the forest."
(20-3) They went on the sledge, but harnessed ten hares instead of dogs.
(20-4) They went down the river.
(20-5) They went and reached a Yakut house.
(20-6) They entered it and saw a woman sitting there with a child, her son.
(20-7) Her husband was not there. He had probably gone to the forest.
(20-8) The woman fed them and asked: "Will you stay here for the night or go further?"
(20-9) The boys said: "We shall stay here."
(20-10) The boys said to the woman: "Give some grass to our dogs."
(20-11) She went out and saw that instead of the grass she had given them human hair.
(20-12) The woman entered the house and said to her son: "Look after those boys well, they might escape."
(20-13) The boys cut off their small fingers, gave them to the child and said: "Don't say anything to your mother, we shall escape."
(20-14) After that they escaped.
(20-15) That woman's son was walking around and sucking the small fingers they had cut off.
(20-16) His mother came and asked: "Where are the boys?"
(20-17) Her son said: "They left a long time ago."
(20-18) Then the woman pierced the child with the roasting stick and put him on the fire.
(20-19) Like a roast.
(20-20) After that she followed the footprints of the boys.
(20-21) The boys had walked on slippery ice on the river.
(20-22) When that woman slipped, she fell down and her stomach was torn.
(20-23) When she fell down and her stomach was torn, a small baby fell out of it.
(20-24) Apparently she was pregnant.
(20-25) The woman lifted up that baby and thought: "Perhaps those boys had a small baby. They must have lost it."
(20-26) She thought, took the baby, went back, and came home.
(20-27) When she came home, she saw that the child she had pierced with the roasting stick had died.
(20-28) She took that dead child and laid it on the road on which her husband was about to come.
(20-29) Her husband came and thought: "She is waiting for me. She wants us to eat our child together."
(20-30) He entered the house and said to his wife: "Give me our child."
(20-31) His wife said: "I have killed our child.
(20-32) Some people came.
(20-33) I told him: look after them, be on guard.
(20-34) He didn't look after them. He deceived me and let those boys go.
(20-35) That is why I killed him."
(20-36) Then her husband said: "Then let's eat our child."
(20-37) She brought her child, and they ate him.
(20-38) The next day they got up and themselves died.
Glosses