Chapter 66 "The Fisherman and the North Wind"

(North American Indian folktale) A tribe of fishers.When summer comes, they will travel a long way to the north, where they will catch a lot of delicious fish.But when winter comes, they have to go back to warmer places.For there was a ruler in the North named Kabi Bornuga, also called the North Wind.The vile old man will drive them away. One morning, the fishermen got up and saw that the lake where they cast their nets was covered with a thin layer of ice.Soon it was snowing again, and the ice was getting thicker and thicker.The fishermen could already hear the sound of Capibonoga's footsteps coming from afar.

"Kapibaonuja is coming," the fishermen shouted. "Kabibaonuga is coming quickly, and it is time for us to go." However, a fisherman named Xinjibis only smiled. He said to his companions, "Why should I go? I can make a hole in the ice and fish with a line for food, and I don't care if Kabiba Nuga comes or not!" The fishermen looked at him in amazement.Of course, they knew that Simgibis was a clever boy, but how could this cleverness help him deal with the terrible north wind? They said, "Kabi Bunugah is much stronger than you. Even the largest tree in the woods bows before him, and the fastest river freezes against him. Unless you can become a bear or a fish, or he will freeze you to death."

Xin Jibis just smiled. He said: "I can wear a fur jacket and a fur slap in the daytime, and I can have a big fire in the hut at night, which will protect me. If Kabiba Nuga has the courage, please invite him to my house." Come to the hut!" When the fishermen left, they were very sad.They all loved Simbis, and they really thought they would never see him again. The fishermen went south, and Xinjibis immediately started.He prepared to put down many great logs, and collected many dry barks and dead branches, and every night he kept the fire burning very brightly in the house.In the morning he went out to the lake and made a hole in the ice to fish.In the evening, he would walk home along the path in the snow with a big string of fish.

"Woo, woo!" Bei Feng roared angrily. "The wild geese and wild ducks have already flown to the south, who dares to stay here? Let's see who is the master of this icy world! Tonight I will go to his hut and put out his fire! Woo , Woo!" When night came, Simgibis sat by the fire in the hut.What a fire!Each big log is enough to burn for a month!Simgibis was cooking a fish, a big fish he had just caught that day.The smell of the fish was delicious, and Simgibis rubbed his hands happily.He had walked miles and miles that day, and it was very comfortable to sit by the fire in this warm cabin.

He thought of his companions who had gone back south. He said to himself: "They think Cappy Bornuga is an evil spirit, more powerful than any Indian. Indeed, I am more afraid of the cold than he is, but he must be more afraid of the heat than me. " The thought made him laugh and sing with delight.As he ate his supper, he could hardly hear the north wind whistling in the woods around his cabin.The snow fell densely and quickly, and the north wind rolled up the snow on the ground and threw it towards the hut.But the snowflakes did not get into the house, but covered the hut like a thick blanket, protecting it from the cold.

Kirby Bornuga was furious.He stood at the door of the hut and shouted in a terrifyingly loud voice.But Sinjibis was not afraid at all. He felt that it would be nice to have some voices to break the loneliness in this vast and quiet land.He laughed and replied: "Ha, ha! How are you, Kabi Bornuga? You'll burst your cheeks if you're not careful." The hut was shaken by the strong wind, and the leather curtain at the door was rattling. "Come in, Kabibanuga," cried Simgibis happily, "don't be afraid, come in and enjoy the fire!" Hearing these mocking words, Kabibonuga plucked up his courage, opened a crack in the leather curtain, and squeezed his way in.Hey, his breath is so cool!The cold air made the hut seem to be filled with clouds and mist.

Xin Jibisi pretended not to pay attention.He stood up, singing with his mouth, and added another big log to the fire.The trunk of this big pine tree gave off a lot of heat, so hot that Sindhibis had to sit back a little farther away.The sight of Kabi Bornuga made him laugh again.The old man was sweating profusely on his forehead, and the snowdrops and ice cubes were gone from his hair.This fierce north wind, Kabi Bolnuga, is melting down, his nose and eyes are getting smaller and smaller, and his body is getting shorter and shorter. Xinjibis greeted him and said, "Come to the fire, come closer, and roast your hands and feet."

However, North Wind Kabiba Nuga did not dare to come to the fire.He jumped up and rushed out the door at a faster speed than when he came in. The cold air gave him some strength, and his rage flared up again.He couldn't freeze Simbis to death, so he took out his anger on everything around him. He stomped the snow hard under his feet, he blasted out the air-conditioning, the woods trembled, and all the beasts hid in fright. Kabiba Nuga ran to the front of Simgibis' hut again. He shouted: "Come out, come out if you have the guts. Let's wrestle in this snow, and sooner or later we will see who is the master of this ice and snow!"

Xin Jibis thought for a while. "The fire must have made him weaker, but my body is hot. I believe I can wrestle him. Let him see that I am indeed stronger than him, and he will not dare to mess with me. Then, I You can stay here as long as you like.” He ran from the hut, and a violent wrestling began.The two of them rolled on the hard snow, got up and fell. The two of them fell hand in hand all night.Simbis did not feel cold, for he was constantly moving, and his veins ran faster.He sensed that Capibonuga was getting weaker and weaker.His cold breath was no longer like a gust of wind, but like a sigh.

When the sun rises in the east, Kapi Bolnuga is finally conquered.He roared angrily, turned around and ran, to the top of the world, to the far, far north.Sindhibes stood beside the hut, laughing loudly, for he knew that merryness and courage conquered the fierce north wind. (The translation was published in the third issue of "Children's Literature Series" in 1964.)