Tuvan folk tale. Why the birds don’t speak

1. Tuvan folk tale

Why the birds don’t
speak
English translation

2. Why the birds don’t speak

It had been at that time
when the birds understood the
human language. The eagle
Darbayty lived on the
mountain. Once upon a time
the angry eagle sat on the top
of the mountain and looked for
the marmot-tarbagan getting
out from the burrow.

3. Why the birds don’t speak

He was waiting for a long
time, soon he got exhausted
and fell asleep. The eagle
woke up from the noise of
wings. The big grey hawk
grabbed the tarbagan and
became to peck him on the
nearest hill. The eagle
outraged, flew to the hawk
and nearly crushed him.

4. Why the birds don’t speak

But the hawk didn’t scare and said:
- Why have you got tousled? If you want to get a
chunk, ask it politely.
- I don’t need in your treat! – arrogantly replied the
eagle, but he nevertheless didn’t take off his greedy eyes
from the tarbagan. – I just want to look how you will eat
this dead tarbagan.

5. Why the birds don’t speak

The hawk laughed loudly:
- Why did you the whole day watch the tarbagan,
if he is dead! The eagle answered angrily:
- I didn’t look at the tarbagan. One my eye
looked for the roe, another eye looked for the
hare. You will never taste their meat in your life.
Eat your tarbagan while it isn’t rot.

6. Why the birds don’t speak

The eagle and the hawk
strongly quarreled among
themselves. Such a noise
was raised that all birds
rallied and decided to
choose the bird’s khan,
who could to disassemble
the disputes. The birds
clamored and noised.
Everyone wanted to
become a khan.

7. Why the birds don’t speak

The eagle stepped forward
and said:
- I must be your khan.
Nobody can fly higher than
me to the heavens.
- We don’t need in such
khan, - the birds protested in
unison. – You have got a
great pride, that’s why you
live alone at the
unapproachable rocks. We
don’t agree!

8. Why the birds don’t speak

Then the bat stepped forward
and said:
- I want to be your khan.
My wings are not from the
feathers as yours, but
from the leather. My ears
hear very far.

9. Why the birds don’t speak

The grey cuckoo got ruffled:
- The bat can’t be our khan. It
tells us that she is a bird, and it
tells beast that she is a beast. It is
flying all night and don’t give us
to sleep. Not as I’m a cuckoo. In
the spring the earth dresses up to
the green apparel because of my
singing. You can’t find better
khan than me.

10. Why the birds don’t speak

The big and small birds
waved their wings.
- The cuckoo wouldn’t be our
khan. It doesn’t breed own
chicks.
The great dispute broke out,
every bird offered itself to
become a khan. The bird’s
gathering had noised for a long
time.

11. Why the birds don’t speak

The old crow-magician sat
on the top of the high cedar.
He heard all discusses of birds
and said:
- If you can’t reach an
agreement, you will never
speak at all! Everybody wants
to be a khan…

12. Why the birds don’t speak

It happened so how the crow-magician had
said, the birds unlearned to speak.
THE END