Английский перевод авторских русских сказок о природе озера Байкал

Fairy-tales

Stones, houses, trees, rivers are talking. Listen! Everything is talking. The stream is gently murmuring like it is singing a song. The snow is crunching angrily under your feet. The homeless wanderer, the wind is howling wistfully. It is knocking on your window. The wood is crackling cheers in the stove. Everything has its own story. Take a rest. Open your heart and listen. Why are you in a hurry? Talk to them. If you really want it, you will hear it.

The legend about the Hamar-Daban

A road starts with the first step, a legend starts with the first word. Roads and legends do not go away without signs. Wayfarer, listen to the people’s legend. Stones remember their names.

The son of mother Earth and father Sky is Hamar-Daban. Powerful cedars stood on his mountains-shoulders. Snow peaks stood on his head. Clear waters are his blood. He gave love, health and home to people, animals, birds and fish. And there was the peace on the Earth by his law.

But people by nature are selfish. They forgot the rule of Hamar-Daban. They started cutting down cedars with sharp iron of axes. They have defiled his body.

Hamar-Daban’s heart turned to stone. The eyes of the lake filled with tears and anger. And he told angrily: “People, who do not follow my rule, will live with a dead soul. You will lose the clean waters and the presents of mine. I am depriving you. You will live in your impurities - you will be ill due to yourselves!” The trees answered: “We are listening to you, Hamar-Daban!” The animals cried, the birds sang: ”We are listening to you, Hamar-Daban!”

Only people’s hearts are mute.

Wayfarer, listen to the plea of Hamar-Daban. Don’t live with the dead soul. Don’t desecrate his flesh. Don’t leave the mud on his clear face. Then Hamar-Daban will forgive you.

A road starts with the first step, great deeds start with little things.

Omm…

He and She

The big rock is on the left bank at the sight of all inhabitants of the town. The rock told this story.

Once upon a time, so long ago that no one remembers when it happened, whether it was or they were small talks… The stone giants- Man and Woman lived next to the blue Baikal. Though they were made of stone, they were similar to us: they worked, ate, drank and dreamed of great True love.

The man loved the fabulous giant woman. The beautiful mountain is rich. She has saved a lot of dowry. Thick cedar hair is on her proud head. The giantess stands on her own feet, choosing grooms carefully. Why should she choose a fellow from the shores of the Baikal? Khan Ula himself has asked her for marriage!

The woman has dreamed of blue Sky. Sky is high, handsome and pure. Even a drop of dirt does not dare to stick to his shining clothes. But the high Sky doesn’t watch under his feet. He loves only himself and his beauty. He doesn’t think about who is lower than him.

Life is going on. The woman feels bad without a man. It’s hard for a man to live without woman’s care. The stone man and woman became to live together. They started a family. A lot of water is under the bridge, so much that it was enough to fill the Baikal up all. The man and the woman didn’t notice that their flesh had become unified, but each of them continue dreaming and keeping a secret in their hearts. They are dreaming of what might have been. The woman is still looking at the blue sky. She is waiting for her tall handsome man Sky who will call her name. The man still isn’t keeping his eyes on the proud mountain. They both are ready to take off. Just call. The man and the woman do not understand that their flesh is stronger together. If one step is away, they both will crumble by small stones. Look, how many rubbles are thrown around! They were also families.

Get to the dam on the right coast, look at the rock. Look! The woman is lying and admiring the sky. On the left there is a man’s stone face, looking at the river mouth, at the beautiful mountain with thick cedar hair. The high mountain is waiting for her khan. She is getting old alone.

She is missing.

Why is there no water in the river?

The water drops lived on the slope of the mountain. The old people called this mountain the nose of the Earth because her peak is like a nose on a face. The drops are restless. They are like little children – they don’t stay anywhere to long: they go up into the sky in trickles of fog, go down on the ground like snowflakes or pouring rain or turn into a light cloud and fly away to distant lands. But most of all drops love to be together. Once upon a time the drops decided to go to a big home of all the water, to the powerful Baikal. Therefore, the Slyudyanka River appeared.

Animals and birds started to live on the banks of the river. Fish appeared in the water. The drops had fun – they were playing with a quick grayling and cheerfully young fast omul. They frightened the fat burbot in the water depth, moved, pushed the houses-tubes of caddises to the side. There was no cleaner and tastier water in the world that these drops flowing from the mountains have.

Then the people went to the river. The drops were merry: they will have a word with somebody. The water washed the faces of handsome boys and beautiful girls and did them nicer; the working people, troublesome old ladies and settled old men drunk it as tea; played with children. People feel good! They will have lived for a long time. They are powerful and healthy. People got used to their river. Why should we save water? The Baikal is full of it! People started throwing garbage out on the banks of the river. People leave rubbish where they live. People will collect all the rubbish from their yards and shops and will throw it to the Baikal too. They clean their cars and throw garbage out of trains.

The marry fish left the river. No one couldn’t play in the clear streams. The river became muddy because of grief, offended and went under the ground. She doesn’t want to carry the dirt to the sacred Baikal. Only after heavy rain the drops will check the riverbed, find the mud and hide under the ground again.

People became angrier and meaner without clean mountain water. They began to complain about fate, but they are still polluting the water. That’s why, there is no water in the Slyudyanka river. Don’t you believe? Go and have a look.

​​​​​​​The silver spring brook

The giant Hamar-Daban heard that his daughter- beautiful river Slyudyanka didn’t stand the dirt on her shores and hid under the ground. The giant is old and wise. He knows that many good people are without his water now. They haven’t done anything. He does not feel sorry for them. Hamar-Daban sent his youngest grandson to the people. The silver spring brook has run from a white stone on the left shore of the river, where the town was. Every day and night he sings a marry song. That song carries the sadness away. The little bird has flown and tasted the water. The wings have become stronger. It sat on the branch of an aspen, sang a song and praised the spring brook. The mouthy magpie heard that song and told marry news about the magic water to all creatures in the forest. The birds and animals came to a happy spring brook. People have followed them. They noticed: creatures that have drunk that water became full of cheerful spirit. The water washes diseases and sadness away. It gives strength. The marry spring brook was loved by experienced adults and carefree children.

Two houses are in the middle of the town. A lonely old woman lives in the first house. She heard about wonderful spring brook and began walking to it. Her legs hurt. Her eyes can’t see. Will you carry much water in your bag? She hasn’t got any strength in her arms. The old lady walks every day, puts an empty bottle in the bag of her dead husband, takes a stick in her hand and goes for the water. The way isn’t close. And she goes for up the hill. The old woman trudges in summer heat, in autumn hasty weather and in frosty winter. She feeds the birds along the road and says good words to every passerby.

The old woman didn’t notice how the difficult path became easier. Blush got back to her wrinkled cheeks. The step became harder and pest, as if she threw 10 years off her shoulders.

The neighbour from a rich house across the street noticed a miraculous change. It is hard for the man to walk. His belly is full, shortness of breath is tormenting. So, the rich neighbour drives a big car. He asked the old woman what the secret was. The old lady didn’t hide anything. She told him about the wonderful spring brook. The neighbour wanted to take his youth and health back. He began to drive to the spring brook on his car and carry water in large canisters every day. He comes, smokes and doesn’t tell anyone a good word while the canisters are being filled with the water dumplings. What he didn’t do with the magic water – he washed himself, cooked dumplings and soup and just drank it with some jam and sugar. The water didn’t help him. His belly got bigger.

That neighbour doesn’t know that the spring brook has a secret: the water helps only those who go to the spring brook on their feet many times, who have pure thoughts and a good heart.