Kish lived near the polar shores. He was thirteen years old. He lived with his mother in a poor hut. His father, wanting to feed his hungry fellow tribesmen, died fighting a bear.
One day Kish came to tribal council. His hot blood began to boil, and he said that his family was getting tough and bony meat. The boy's statements outraged the men of the tribe. They began to laugh at him and drive him away. Then, Kish said that he would no longer appear at the council until they called him. He decided to go hunting and fairly distribute the meat among his fellow tribesmen.
In the morning he took his bow and arrows and left. Three days later he returned with the spoils. The men's surprise knew no bounds; young boys had never gone hunting before. Since then, Kish began to hunt constantly. He killed bears and always came with prey. They built him a large hut.
Rumors began to circulate in the tribe that the boy was practicing witchcraft. The leader sent two tribe hunters to follow the boy. He wanted to know the secret of Kish.
Five days later, the men returned and eagerly began to tell the story. When Kish saw the bear, he began to follow him and scold him. The bear got angry and rushed at the boy. Kish began to run away and throw some balls to the bear. The bear ate them, and he felt sick, he howled in pain. After a while the bear weakened, and the boy killed him.
When Kish returned from hunting, he was invited to a council. He said he was tired and suggested holding a council in his hut. The council and the leader came to his hut and began to demand an explanation. Then Kish told them about his method of hunting. He made a ball of seal oil, inside which he placed a sharp whalebone. When the ball melted inside the bear, the whalebone pricked him painfully.
Everyone was delighted with Kish's ingenuity. They began to respect him and soon became the leader of the tribe.
Picture or drawing The Tale of Kish
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Jack London
The Tale of Kish
A long time ago, Kish lived near the Polar Sea. Long and happy years He was the first person in his village, he died surrounded by honor, and his name was on everyone’s lips. So much water has passed under the bridge since then that only old people remember his name, they also remember the true story about him, which they heard from their fathers and which they themselves will pass on to their children and their children’s children, and those to their own, and so it will pass from word of mouth until the end of time. On a winter polar night, when a northern storm howls over the icy expanses, and white flakes are flying in the air and no one dares to look outside, it is good to listen to the story of how Kish, who came from the poorest igloo, achieved honor and took a high place in his village .
Kish, as the legend goes, was a smart boy, healthy and strong, and had already seen thirteen suns. This is how years are counted in the North, because every winter the sun leaves the earth in darkness, and next year a new sun rises above the earth so that people can again warm up and look each other in the face. Kish's father was a brave hunter and met death during a time of famine, when he wanted to take the life of a large polar bear in order to give life to his fellow tribesmen. One on one he grappled with the bear, and it broke all his bones; but the bear had a lot of meat, and this saved the people. Kish was the only son, and when his father died, he began to live alone with his mother. But people quickly forget everything, they also forgot about the feat of his father, and Kish was just a boy, his mother was just a woman, and they were also forgotten, and they lived like that, forgotten by everyone, in the poorest igloo.
But one evening a council met in the large igloo of the leader Klosh-Kwan, and then Kish showed that he had hot blood in his veins, and the courage of a man in his heart, and he would not bend his back to anyone. With the dignity of an adult, he stood up and waited for silence to fall and the hum of voices to subside.
“I’ll tell the truth,” he began. - My mother and I are given our due share of meat. But this meat is often old and tough, and has too many bones.
The hunters - both completely gray-haired, and those who had just begun to turn gray, and those who were in the prime of life, and those who were still young - all gaped. They had never heard such speeches before. So that the child speaks like a grown man and throws bold words in their faces!
But Kish continued firmly and sternly:
My father, Bok, was a brave hunter, that's why I say that. People say that Bok alone brought more meat than any two hunters, even the best, that with his own hands he divided this meat and with his own eyes made sure that the oldest old woman and the most frail old man got a fair share.
There he is! - the hunters shouted. - Get this boy out of here! Put him to bed. He is still too young to talk to gray-haired men.
But Kish calmly waited until the excitement subsided.
“You have a wife, Ugh-Gluk,” he said, “and you speak for her.” And you, Massuk, have a wife and a mother, and you speak for them. My mother has no one but me, and that’s why I say. And I said: Bok died because he was a brave hunter, and now I, his son, and Aikiga, my mother, who was his wife, should have plenty of meat as long as the tribe has plenty of meat. I, Kish, son of Bok, said.
He sat down, but his ears were sensitive to the storm of protest and indignation caused by his words.
Does the boy dare to speak at the council? - old Ugh-Gluk muttered.
Since when did babies teach us men? - Massuk asked in a loud voice. - Or am I no longer a man, that any boy who wants meat can laugh in my face?
Their anger was boiling over. They ordered Kish to go to bed right away, threatened to completely deprive him of meat, and promised to give him a severe spanking for his impudent act. Kish's eyes lit up, his blood began to boil and a hot blush rushed to his cheeks. Showered with abuse, he jumped up from his seat.
Listen to me, you men! - he shouted. “Never again will I speak at the council, never until you come to me and say: “Speak, Kish, we want you to speak.” So listen, men, my last word. Bok, my father, was a great hunter. I, Kish, his son, will also hunt and bring meat and eat it. And know from now on that the division of my spoils will be fair. And not a single widow, not a single defenseless old man will cry at night anymore because they have no meat, while strong men they groan in severe pain because they have eaten too much. And then it will be considered a shame if strong men begin to gorge themselves on meat! I, Kish, said everything.
They ridiculed and mocked Kisha as he left the igloo, but he clenched his teeth and went his way, looking neither to the right nor to the left.
The next day he headed along the coast, where the land meets the ice. Those who saw him noticed that he took with him a bow and a large supply of bone-tipped arrows, and on his shoulder he carried his father's large hunting spear. And there was a lot of talk and a lot of laughter about this. It was an unprecedented event. It had never happened before that a boy of his age went hunting, and even alone. The men just shook their heads and muttered something prophetically, and the women looked with regret at Aikiga, whose face was stern and sad.
“He’ll be back soon,” the women said sympathetically.
Let him go. This will serve him as a good lesson, the hunters said. - He will return soon, quiet and submissive, and his words will be meek.
A long time ago, Kish lived near the Polar Sea. For long and happy years he was the first person in his village, he died surrounded by honor, and his name was on everyone’s lips. So much water has passed under the bridge since then that only old people remember his name, they also remember the true story about him, which they heard from their fathers and which they themselves will pass on to their children and their children’s children, and those to their own, and so it will pass from word of mouth until the end of time. On a winter polar night, when a northern storm howls over the icy expanses, and white flakes are flying in the air and no one dares to look outside, it is good to listen to the story of how Kish, who came from the poorest igloo, achieved honor and took a high place in his village .
Kish, as the legend goes, was a smart boy, healthy and strong, and had already seen thirteen suns. This is how they count years in the North, because every winter the sun leaves the earth in darkness, and the next year a new sun rises above the earth so that people can again warm up and look each other in the face. Kish's father was a brave hunter and met death during a time of famine, when he wanted to take the life of a large polar bear in order to give life to his fellow tribesmen. One on one he grappled with the bear, and it broke all his bones; but the bear had a lot of meat, and this saved the people. Kish was the only son, and when his father died, he began to live alone with his mother. But people quickly forget everything, they also forgot about the feat of his father, and Kish was just a boy, his mother was just a woman, and they were also forgotten, and they lived like that, forgotten by everyone, in the poorest igloo.
But one evening a council met in the large igloo of the leader Klosh-Kwan, and then Kish showed that he had hot blood in his veins, and the courage of a man in his heart, and he would not bend his back to anyone. With the dignity of an adult, he stood up and waited for silence to fall and the hum of voices to subside.
“I’ll tell the truth,” he began. - My mother and I are given our due share of meat. But this meat is often old and tough, and has too many bones.
The hunters - both completely gray-haired, and those who had just begun to turn gray, and those who were in the prime of life, and those who were still young - all gaped. They had never heard such speeches before. So that the child speaks like a grown man and throws bold words in their faces!
But Kish continued firmly and sternly:
My father, Bok, was a brave hunter, that's why I say that. People say that Bok alone brought more meat than any two hunters, even the best, that with his own hands he divided this meat and with his own eyes made sure that the oldest old woman and the most frail old man got a fair share.
There he is! - the hunters shouted. - Get this boy out of here! Put him to bed. He is still too young to talk to gray-haired men.
But Kish calmly waited until the excitement subsided.
“You have a wife, Ugh-Gluk,” he said, “and you speak for her.” And you, Massuk, have a wife and a mother, and you speak for them. My mother has no one but me, and that’s why I say. And I said: Bok died because he was a brave hunter, and now I, his son, and Aikiga, my mother, who was his wife, should have plenty of meat as long as the tribe has plenty of meat. I, Kish, son of Bok, said.
He sat down, but his ears were sensitive to the storm of protest and indignation caused by his words.
Does the boy dare to speak at the council? - old Ugh-Gluk muttered.
Since when did babies teach us men? - Massuk asked in a loud voice. - Or am I no longer a man, that any boy who wants meat can laugh in my face?
Their anger was boiling over. They ordered Kish to go to bed right away, threatened to completely deprive him of meat, and promised to give him a severe spanking for his impudent act. Kish's eyes lit up, his blood began to boil and a hot blush rushed to his cheeks. Showered with abuse, he jumped up from his seat.
Listen to me, you men! - he shouted. “Never again will I speak at the council, never until you come to me and say: “Speak, Kish, we want you to speak.” So listen, men, my last word. Bok, my father, was a great hunter. I, Kish, his son, will also hunt and bring meat and eat it. And know from now on that the division of my spoils will be fair. And not a single widow, not a single defenseless old man will cry at night anymore because they have no meat, while strong men groan in severe pain because they have eaten too much. And then it will be considered a shame if strong men begin to gorge themselves on meat! I, Kish, said everything.
They ridiculed and mocked Kisha as he left the igloo, but he clenched his teeth and went his way, looking neither to the right nor to the left.
The next day he headed along the coast, where the land meets the ice. Those who saw him noticed that he took with him a bow and a large supply of bone-tipped arrows, and on his shoulder he carried his father's large hunting spear. And there was a lot of talk and a lot of laughter about this. It was an unprecedented event. It had never happened before that a boy of his age went hunting, and even alone. The men just shook their heads and muttered something prophetically, and the women looked with regret at Aikiga, whose face was stern and sad.
“He’ll be back soon,” the women said sympathetically.
Let him go. This will serve him as a good lesson, the hunters said. - He will return soon, quiet and submissive, and his words will be meek.
But a day passed and another, and on the third a severe snowstorm arose, and Kish was still not there. Aikiga tore out her hair and smeared her face with soot as a sign of grief, and the women reproached the men with bitter words for treating the boy poorly and sending him to his death; the men remained silent, preparing to go in search of the body when the storm subsided.
However, the next day, early in the morning, Kish appeared in the village. He came with his head held high. On his shoulder he carried part of the carcass of the animal he had killed. And his step became arrogant, and his speech sounded impudent.
“You men, take the dogs and sledges and follow my trail,” he said. - In a day's journey from here you will find a lot of meat on ice - a mother bear and two cubs.
Aikiga was beside herself with joy, but he accepted her delight as a real man, saying:
Let's go, Aikiga, we need to eat. And then I’ll go to bed, because I’m very tired.
And he entered the igloo and ate heartily, after which he slept for twenty hours straight.
At first there were a lot of doubts, a lot of doubts and disputes. Going after a polar bear is a dangerous thing, but three times and three times more dangerous is going to a mother bear with her cubs. The men could not believe that the boy Kish alone, all alone, accomplished such a great feat. But the women talked about fresh meat the freshly killed beast that Kish brought, and this shook their mistrust. And so, finally, they set off on the road, grumbling that even if Kish killed the beast, it’s true that he did not bother to skin it and cut up the carcass. But in the North, this must be done immediately as soon as the animal is killed, otherwise the meat will freeze so hard that even the most sharp knife; and put the frozen carcass worth three hundred pounds on a sled and carry it along uneven ice- it's not an easy matter. But when they arrived at the place, they saw something they didn’t want to believe: Kish not only killed the bears, but cut the carcasses into four parts, like a true hunter, and removed the entrails.
Thus began the mystery of Kish. Days passed after days, and this mystery remained unsolved. Kish went hunting again and killed a young, almost adult bear, and another time - a huge male bear and his female. Usually he left for three or four days, but it happened that he disappeared among the icy expanses for a whole week. He didn’t want to take anyone with him, and the people were amazed. "How he does it? - the hunters asked each other. “He doesn’t even take his dog with him, but a dog is a great help when hunting.”
JACK LONDON
THE TALE OF QUISH
There once lived on the very shore of the Arctic Ocean
Quiche. He was the leader of his tribe, lived in prosperous
existence for many years and died, honored by his people, and
his name remained on people's lips. Lived so long ago
he said that only the old people remembered his name;
name and legend about his deeds, which they themselves heard -
in their youth from their grandfathers and now they tell
young men, and when they grow old, they will repeat it to their
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and so on - until the end of time.
And when the long winter darkness sets in, and the northern winds
The fish are raging over the icy plain, and in the air
white flakes are rushing about, and not a single living soul dares
pours out to lean out, then they gather
people listen to the story about Kish, about the boy who
lived in the poorest igloo and then became the first man
century, a powerful leader of his people.
Kish was a playful boy - so goes the saying
knowledge, - healthy and strong, and he has already seen the trina-
twenty suns - this is the count of time in these northern
edges. For every winter the sun leaves the earth and
leaves her in darkness, and the next year gives birth to
Xia new sun, so that it becomes warm again and people
could see each other.
Kish's father was a brave hunter. But death
overtook him during a famine, when he, wanting to save
life of his tribe, entered into single combat with the
Mad polar bear. In this unequal fight
the terrible beast broke all his bones. But on the bear-
There was a lot of meat, and the residents of the village were saved.
Kish was the only son of a brave hunter and
After the death of his father, he was left alone with his mother. But
People have a short memory, they quickly forget everything,
they were also about the feat of his father. The quiche was still quite
a boy, and his mother was only a woman, and so
it happened that everyone forgot about them too, and they fell
into poverty and ended up in the most miserable igloo in all
But one evening, at a meeting in a spacious igloo
leader Klosh-Kwan, Kish suddenly showed what kind of blood
flows in his veins. With the dignity befitting an adult
to a broken man, he stood up and amid the noise and controversy
waited for silence to come.
“I will tell the truth,” he said. - For me and my mother
mine gets our share of the meat, but the meat is often
It's old and tough and has too many bones.
Hunters, gray-haired and sedate, as well as young and
___________________________________________
1 Igloo is a round hut built of ice.
hot, everyone was stunned. This is something unheard of
no! A child dares to speak like an adult, yeah
Moreover, it throws such insolent things right in their faces.
what words!
However, Kish continued calmly and decisively:
I say this because I know that my father
Bok was a great hunter. Everyone knows that Bok is
carried home from hunting more meat than the two most successful
some St. John's worts, and with my own hands helped to divide
this meat and with my own eyes I saw that the most
the frail old woman and the most decrepit old man received
a fair share.
Come on! - the men shouted. - Drive away
boy! Send your baby to bed! He hasn't matured yet
to the point of talking like that to gray-haired men!
The boy waited calmly until the storm subsided.
“You have a wife, Ugh-Gluk,” he said, “and for
You say it. And you too, Massuk, and you too
there is a mother, and you speak for both of them. And my mother
there is no one but me, that's why I say.
And I tell you: Bok died because he was too
who was a zealous hunter, which means it was fair
so that I, his son, and my mother, Aikiga, who was
his wife, we both had plenty of meat when it
the tribe has. I, Kish, son of Bok, have said everything.
He sat down, listening warily to the indignant
Let's shout out loud.
The boy dares to speak at the council! -
old Ugh-Gluk grumbled.
What is this, now infants will
teach us wisdom? - Massuk asked loudly. -
Do I, a grown man, really have to endure insolence?
STI from a puppy, a boy who wanted meat!
Their anger flared up more and more. They
they shouted at him to go to sleep, they threatened that he wouldn’t
they would give him meat, and they also promised that they would flog him
him well for his insolence. Kish's eyes flashed and
blood rushed to his cheeks. Hearing threats and mockery
government, he jumped up from his seat.
Listen to me, you grown men! - scream-
zero he. - I will never say a word again
your advice. I won't tell you until you men
don’t come to me and ask: “It would be nice,
Kish, if only you would give us your word! Here we are all
we ask you, for we want to listen to you.” Remember-
those are all of you, these are my last words. Bock, my father,
was a great hunter. And I, his son, will also go to
I will hunt and get my own meat. And from now on -
let everyone remember this - the division of the spoils that I
I bring it back from the hunt, it will always be fair. Not at all
you and the helpless children will not shed tears for
nights because they did not get meat, and strong
men will not moan and writhe because they
ate too much of it. And shame and disgrace will fall on
the heads of those who gorged themselves on meat to the detriment of others.
I, Kish, said everything.
Contemptuous glances followed him and ridicule
poured after him when he," gritting his teeth, without looking
neither to the right nor to the left, he left the igloo.
The next day he went along the shore,
along the very edge, where the ice meets the ground. Those,
whoever saw him noticed that he was carrying his bow and a large
a supply of arrows with sharp bone tips, and on
on his shoulder is his father’s huge hunting spear. No-
There was a lot of laughter and gossip about this. Truly
it was something unprecedented. Never before have such little
chicks, suckers, didn’t go hunting, but this one looked-
child! - went alone. People swaying
or their heads and predicted that this would not end well,
the women looked sympathetically at Aikiga, and her face
it was harsh and sad.
He'll be back soon! - they tried to console her.
Let him try, it will be good for him
lesson! - said the hunters. - He didn’t hunt there for long -
tickles. But then he will calm down and talk
But a day passed, and another day, and on the third day...
There was a fierce storm, but Kish was still not there. Aikiga
she tore out her hair and, as a sign of great sorrow, smeared it with
covered my face with soot.
Women condemned men and reproached them for
that they treated the boy like that - they sent him to
certain death. And the men listened in silence and collected
They planned to go in search of the body as soon as the storm subsided.
However, the next day, early in the morning, Kish ver-
rushed to the village. But he returned not ashamed. On
he carried meat on his shoulders. And he performed impressively, and
his speech sounded arrogant and proud.
Take, men, dogs and sledges and walk along
my trail,” he said. - You'll have to go almost
all day. There's a lot of meat waiting for you on the ice - bear-
ditsa and two big bear cubs.
Aikiga almost cried with joy, but he met
On the shores of the harsh northern sea, where winter night endless, and the summer is so short, there lived an Eskimo tribe. People hunted bears and stored meat for future use, because the hunt was not always successful. The main character's father, Bok, brought the most prey, because he was an experienced and intelligent hunter.
It so happened that Bok died while hunting a huge bear, and his son Kish was left alone with his mother and became the only breadwinner in the family. Soon the boy noticed that the weak - women, old people, children - got the rest of the spoils. These poor people often cry from hunger in their igloos at night, while strong hunters suffer from gluttony.
Kish inherited from his father a keen sense of justice, pride and courage. At one of the councils, the boy boldly spoke out in defense of the weak, which caused ridicule from his older fellow tribesmen. The boy was expelled from the council, and he had to prove his case in practice. He went hunting. Soon people appreciated the courage and ingenuity of young Kish, who, to the shame of his elders, proved how a brave hunter and a real man should act. After some time he returns with the loot. He manages to kill a mother bear and two cubs. He shares the meat with others fairly.
Things are going well, Kish goes hunting and returns with prey. He only kills bears and butchers them himself, like a real man should. Even experienced hunters do not understand how he manages to cope with ferocious bears, and especially with mother bears who walk with children. They even begin to suspect him of witchcraft. When the people of his tribe ask him a direct question about this, the boy reveals his secret.
Very simple things helped him - whalebone and whale oil. He twisted the whalebone, placed it in a ball of fat, and left it in the cold. Then he fed these balls to the bears, and when they melted in their stomach, the whalebone straightened, and with its sharp ends caused unbearable pain to the victim. After several days of torment, the exhausted bear no longer posed a threat to the boy, and Kish killed him with a spear.
Mind and strength
We see how the boy’s intelligence helped him earn respect from the people of the tribe and save them from hunger. But in addition to intelligence, the boy has courage and perseverance.
Thus, he was able to defend justice in relation to the old and weak people of the tribe. Respect for him becomes so great that they want to make him leader when Klosh-Kwan, the old leader of the tribe, dies.
Kish – “equal among equal men”
Children's images occupy a special place in the works of Jack London. They are written with great warmth and love, perhaps a little autobiographical.
The fact is that the life of the writer himself early childhood It wasn’t easy: too early, little Jack had to become an adult and learn what hard work is. Jack London said about himself that from a young age he was “an equal among equal men.” Perhaps this explains the appearance in his works of such a hero as the proud and wise Kish, who is not content with scraps, but wants a decent existence for himself, his mother, and other deprived people. “Never again will I speak at a council, never before you come to me and say: “Speak, Kish, we want you to speak.” Kish utters words full of great dignity, and later his fellow tribesmen actually come to him and ask him to speak.
Legend, legend, parable...
“The Tale of Kish” is a work that is not entirely typical of the work of Jack London. It is written in the style of a legend, as indicated by the beginning “a long time ago.” The author refers to the remoteness of events, pointing out that life expectancy, the measurement of periods of time, is calculated by the heroes of the work in “suns”. London writes: “Kish has already seen 13 suns,” that is, the boy is 13 years old.
The characters' vocabulary is also very specific. And this is not surprising. Wandering around America, the writer observed the life of the indigenous population, looked closely at their way of life, studied cultural traditions. In other works, the author more than once expresses admiration for the resourcefulness, strength and endurance of local residents, Indians, and Eskimos. The writer’s favorite heroes are real men, taciturn and courageous. Their nationality, affiliation different eras doesn't matter. The main thing is that they all live in harsh conditions, have their own code of honor, are painfully fair, and sometimes merciless, both to themselves and to others. The Kisha tribe lives far from civilization. The tribe has its own laws, from our point of view strange, tough, sometimes cruel, but with a certain degree of justice.
“...look each other in the face”
It is worth noting the deep philosophical nature of The Tale of Kish. “The sun rises above the earth so that people can warm up and look each other in the face.” This phrase has a great meaning: people’s hopes for the best, expectation of warmth not only from sun rays, but also from those with whom you live side by side, the confidence that life goes on, and the sun warms not only bodies, but also souls.
People in the tribe cannot definitely be called evil and unkind. They are ordinary, with the advantages and disadvantages characteristic of the entire human tribe. Having ridiculed Kish from the council, they at the same time begin to be sincerely worried when the boy does not appear in the settlement for a long time, and even send a rescue expedition after him. Later, even the biggest skeptics recognize the boy’s right to his opinion and the justice of his claims.
The boy's love for the animals that live in the tribe and faithfully serve man is touching. For a very long time, the people of the tribe could not understand why Kish did not take dogs with him when hunting, because every Eskimo knows that there is no better assistant than a well-trained hunting dog. And only later, when the boy reveals the secrets of his success, the tribesmen understand that Kish takes care of the dogs in this way: having eaten the ball by mistake, the four-legged friends will die in agony. Kish cannot allow this, and leaves the dogs in the camp.