[https://i.imgur.com/rHJfOP6.jpg]
The descendants of the first humans Ongilid and Ongiliel multiplied and spread across the New World. They formed four tribes: Klo, Wae, Wihe, and Yu*. For a time they lived in peace and prosperity, taking from the world what could be taken, and giving back what could be given.
But good times weren't to last forever, and soon the Sun darkened, and the sky got closed off with clouds of dust as Sandstorm Spirit Haodit** came over the plains from his Lands of Dead Sands, bringing along with him darkness, fierce winds, drought, and famine.
The Elders of the four tribes gathered together to discuss their condition. They talked it over and found out that every tribe happened to have some things that everybody else had, but also something that no one else had. Klo, for example, had plenty of fish, as they lived closest to the River Ma. Wae tribe was closest to open plains and had many hides and dried meat. Wihe lived on hills and had many edible weeds and crops and vegetables. Yu, on the other hand, lived in Dry Mountains, which weren't dry at the time but had lots of streams coming from their tops, and also lots of useful stones, like flintstone and obsidian, and many animals in their valleys, and groves with useful trees.
The Elders decided that it would be wise for the tribes to share what they have with each other and thus survive the bad times. So they did thenceforth, but qaoron*** of Yu, known by the name Yuungiid****, went against the ruling of the Elders.
“Why would we share anything,ˮ he said, “when we have everything we need? Let everybody else figure it out for themselves. ˮ And the youth in the tribe agreed, and so the tribe Yu was living on their own without sharing, while the rest of the three tribes lived together, sharing.
Time went on, and the famine was getting worse. Haodit was sending wave after wave of deadly dry winds that killed plants and animals with heat. This did not concern Yu, as they were still living off what they had, and what they had in their mountains was plenty.
The other tribes, meanwhile, were struggling. Food and resources were becoming scarcer. Soon all the animals in the planes were dead, and the tribes were now living off Klo's fish and Wihe's crops. Then the crops died out as well, and now all three tribes lived off only Klo's fish. Then the River Ma dried out, but animals returned to the planes by then, and all tribes lived off Wae's hunting. Soon animals were gone again, but Wihe's crops came back to life, and all tribes lived off them. The crops then died out again, but the River Ma returned its waters, and the tribes lived off Klo's fish again. But then everything died for good, and there was no food remaining anywhere.
At this time all three tribes were desperate. They sent envoys to the fourth tribe to ask them to change their minds and show their mercy and share at least something. Each envoy had a present – as is prescribed by our customs. The envoy of Wae had a piece of dry meat, the last of the tribes’ reserve; the envoy of Wihe had a small bunch of edible grass, the last one from their reserves; and the one from Klo had a dried fish, the very last one they had.
But when those envoys reached the Dry Mountains, they saw that those mountains were now indeed dry and empty. No useful stones could be found anywhere, no animals were living in its valleys, no streams ran from its tops, no groves grew on its slopes. Worst of all – there were no signs of anybody from the Yu tribe, and all that envoys saw was a huge graveyard.
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When the envoys reached the graveyard, they saw Raven Dash, the mischievous bird. He was sitting atop a rock, spying for interesting things to catch.
“What're you here for, fellas? ˮ the Raven asked. The envoys described to him their misery,
“Oh, Raven Dash, we come from the plains, where no resources have left from the drought and sandstorms, and all the calamities that Haodit keeps sending upon us. We hoped to meet with our fellow tribe of Yu and persuade them to share with us at least something of what they had, for we have nothing left at all. But here we are, and lo! There's nothing here too, and there is no one left of our fellows! ˮ
“Why, sure, no one's left here,ˮ the Raven said. “They all died out long ago. They've driven out all of their animals and drank out all of the streams, and used up all the stones, and cut down all the groves. They ran out of everything, and naturally – they then ran out of themselves. ˮ
Then Raven Dash soared closer to them and said in a pert tone.
“Here's what I'm offering you, people. You each give me what you have, and I make it so that Haodit goes away from your lands and lets you live as before. ˮ
“But all we have are the presents for the Yu,ˮ the envoys said. “It's the last of our reserves. ˮ
“Well,” said Raven, “mine is to offer – yours is to choose.”
They conferred and decided to give the Raven what he wanted, for they knew that Raven Dash was a clever bird, and strong bird, and whatever his intentions might have been – he was their last hope.
“Fine,ˮ they said, “we shall share with you our last preserves. ˮ
They gave the Raven the meat, the crops, and the fish, and left heartsore. Raven Dash, meanwhile, took the presents and flew to the end of the Dry Mountains, where gembil was growing all year, and washed them in its morning dew. The dried fish became live fish, the dried meat became live antelope, and the dry crops became green plants. He left the fish lying in the south and the antelope in the west, and the crops in the north.
Then Raven Dash flew up and located Haodit.
“What are you doing, sandy one? ˮ he asked.
“I'm making sure that there is nothing alive left on these planes,ˮ the Spirit answered.
“Well, you're failing with that, because there's a fish still alive right there! ˮ
The Sandstorms Spirit looked south and saw the fish. He reached there with his storms.
“And there you're failing too. Look, there's an antelope running! ˮ
The Spirit looked west and saw the animal. He reached there too.
“And there's another failure of yours! Look, a whole bunch of green spikes glowing!ˮ
Haodit looked north and saw the grass. He reached there with his winds. He was reaching in all three directions, stretching himself in all three ways, becoming weaker and weaker in the center, and eventually, he fell apart and faded.
The famine ended. The animals returned to the plains, the River Ma filled again, the crops grew anew, and the three tribes continued living in prosperity.
And ever since then, it is our holiest custom, that we always share what we have with anybody we meet. For however bad their intentions may be, by sharing we always multiply for ourselves, and by keeping we always reduce ourselves.
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Footnotes:
* - Names of the tribes: /klo/, /wɛ/, /ˈwihɛ/, /ju/
** - /haoˈdit/
*** - /kaoˈron/ - An authoritative figure in a tribe, usually among the youth
**** - /juːnˈgiːd/