Comment
The content of this text was recorded in Russian by Ljudmila Zhukova from one of the residents of the village Nelemnoe. In 1990 it was translated into Yukaghir by
Vasilij Shalugin.
Translation
(46-1) It was in spring, when it was getting warm.
(46-2) I put on my good warm clothes and went to check the traps.
(46-3) I had caught some sables. I started to walk back, but crossing the river I fell in the hole in the ice.
(46-4) The ice melts on the upper river when it gets warmer.
(46-5) I fell under the ice. The ice was barely covered with snow.
(46-6) It had something like a hole.
(46-7) The ice was barely covered with hoar-frost.
(46-8) My ski stick went under the ice and fell there.
(46-9) I could hardly get up.
(46-10) The snow was sticking to the skis. It was very sticky.
(46-11) It was very difficult to walk.
(46-12) I was going to walk quickly so I could return quickly without getting cold.
(46-13) It was getting dark. It got dark.
(46-14) One mountain pass was remained before I was to reach my tent.
(46-15) One mountain pass remained.
(46-16) I had to cross that pass.
(46-17) After crossing that pass, I would go down and reach my tent.
(46-18) I tried to go up, but found myself sliding down without moving up.
(46-19) It happened several times.
(46-20) I was always sliding down.
(46-21) I was completely exhausted.
(46-22) I was completely exhausted and thought that I wouldn't reach my tent.
(46-23) I remembered my children, my wife and my house. I thought why I had quarrelled with my wife and why I had spoken badly to my children.
(46-24) Everything in my past appeared before my eyes.
(46-25) I was completely frozen.
(46-26) I was lying on the snow for a few minutes. I got up with difficulty and was going to go up.
(46-27) But I fell down again.
(46-28) I leaned upon something with my hand.
(46-29) Although there was not a single tree on that hill, nevertheless I leaned upon something.
(46-30) I got up on my feet and ran.
(46-31) I forgot completely that I was leaning on something.
(46-32) I could hardly see anything, but saw a ski stick.
(46-33) I managed to see a well-shaved ski stick.
(46-34) I reached the tent and put that stick next to the tent entrance.
(46-35) I cut my clothes with the knife and got undressed.
(46-36) I rubbed myself with eau-de-Cologne.
(46-37) I put on the new clothes and lit the oven.
(46-38) I drank tea and fell asleep. I slept very deeply.
(46-39) Then I woke up and lit the oven and waited until the day broke to see that stick in the morning, when it was light.
(46-39) I went out of the tent and looked for it, but that stick was nowhere.
(46-40) There was a trace of a stick I had brought which I thought was a ski stick, but in fact it was not there.
(46-41) In the day time I went round the tent but didn't find anything.
(46-42) I think there is something supernatural in this world.
Glosses