The Long Winter[长冬]
Once, before humans walked the earth, winter did not end. It was very dark, and it snowed all the time. The animals were frightened. The worst thing was that they had no heat.
Some animals went to the upper world, where they thought the heat was. They came to a lake where two bear cubs were playing beside a tent. Some bags were hanging up inside the tent.
The visitors pointed to the first bag and asked the cubs, "What is in this bag?"
"That," they said, "is where our mother keeps the rain."
"And what is in this one?" the animals asked.
"That is the wind." "And this one?"
"The fog." "And what is in this next bag?"
"We can't tell," said the cubs, "for our mother told us it was a big secret. If we tell you, she will be very angry."
"Don't be afraid," said Fox.
"You can tell us." So the cubs whispered,
"That is the bag where she keeps the heat." The visitors left and discussed how to steal the heat.
"We need to distract the old mother bear somehow," said Fox.
"I know!" said Lynx. "I'll change myself into a deer and go to the other side of the lake. Bear will chase me. She'll have to paddle her canoe across the lake, and that will give you enough time to get the bag."
So Lynx turned into a deer, and then Mouse chewed a hole in Bear's paddle. The others hid near Bear's tent.
When Bear saw the deer, she jumped into her canoe and paddled toward it. Suddenly, the paddle broke, and Bear fell into the water. The animals dashed into the tent and took the bag.
They ran back toward the opening to the lower world. The animals shoved the bag through the hole, jumped in after it, and slammed the door closed.
When the bag hit the ground, it broke, and all the heat inside the bag rushed out. Springtime came. From that time till now, spring has always returned after winter, just as we see it today. |
