Long, long ago there lived a hunter. His name was Ogalussa.
Once he went to the forest to hunt, and his wife with their five sons went to
the field to work. The family came home in the evening, but Ogalussa was not yet
back. The family waited and waited for him, but he did not come. They had their
supper without him. Night came, then morning came, then again night came, but
Ogalussa did not come home. A week passed, a month passed, a sixth son was born
to Ogalussa's wife. Puli was his name. Ogalussa did not come back.
Every day Ogalussa's wife worked in the field. Sometimes their sons helped her,
sometimes they went to the forest to hunt. Some time later the family forgot
about Ogalussa. The youngest son, Puli, could already walk, but he could not
talk. One day he opened his little mouth and began to talk. His first words
were: "Where is my father?"
"Where is our father?" asked the eldest brother too.
"We must go to the forest and look for him," said the second brother.
"There is the path he walked along," said the third brother.
"Let us go along that path, and I am sure that we shall find him,"
said the fourth brother.
"Let us go at once!" those were the fifth brother's words.
And the five sons took their guns and went along the path. The path was long,
very long. At last they came to a place where they saw Ogalussa's bones and his
old gun on the ground.
The eldest son said: "I can put the bones together."
And he put the bones together as they are in a man's body. Then the second
brother said: "I can cover the bones with skin."
And he covered Ogalussa's bones with skin.
The third brother said: "I can fill his body with blood."
And he did his work well.
Then the fourth brother said: "I shall make him breathe."
In a few minutes Ogalussa began to breathe. And the fifth brother made him stand
up. Ogalussa stood up, opened his eyes and asked: "Where is my gun?"
The sons gave him his old gun, and they went home together. At home he washed
himself, cut his hair (the people who come back from the Land of the Dead must
cut their hair), had his dinner and then rested for some days. All the family
was very happy. And so were his neighbours. Ogalussa called his neighbours to a
feast and killed a cow. His wife cooked the meat for the feast, and Ogalussa
made a whip out of the cow's tail. He put some bright beads on it, and the whip
was very nice.
The feast began. All the people came dressed in their best clothes. Musicians
played, the people danced and sang. All were very happy.
Ogalussa showed his new whip to the guests.
"This is the nicest of all the whips," they said.
Many of the guests asked Ogalussa to give them the whip. But Ogalussa did not
give it to the guests. Then he began to speak: "Long, long ago I went to
the forest to hunt. A strong lion killed me. I was dead for a long time. Then my
sons found my bones and brought me back to life. Now I am here among you. I am
very thankful to my sons! Look here, my dear guests! I have a whip, and you say
it is the nicest of all the whips. But I have only one whip! I shall give it to
the son who helped me most of all to come back from the Land of the Dead."
Then all the people began to think.
Who helped most of all?
It was not so easy to tell! At last Ogalussa said: "I shall give the whip
to little Puli. His first words were: 'Where is my father?' Thanks to him my
sons went to the forest to look for me. Thanks to Puli I am here with you and my
family."
And he kissed the little boy. All the people said: "Ogalussa, you are
right!"
And even today people say: "A man is alive as long as you remember
him."