A Sea Nomad. Prose/проза. Firuz Mustafa

wet boat to rest a bit. Soon he fell asleep.

      He dreamed strangely. He dreamed that he was having a talk with mother in the yard. The eagle and the dog were on his knees. At that time the gate was knocked. No sooner had Tuqay raised himself there was seen a strange creature at the door; it was a gigantic fish which was walking on its tails! The most surprising thing was that the fish could speak well like a human! The fish jumped up and asked him furiously:

      – Where is my baby?

      Surely, the baby of a fish must be a fish too. Maybe it was the mother of the fish in the pool, the mother of Yaqut? Maybe the mother searched for its baby and at last it had come to Tuqay’s home.

      Mother came forward and said:

      – Your baby is in the pool.

      The huge fish jumped up and looked at the pool. Then it cried angrily:

      – But where is it? ..The pool is empty… Where is my baby?

      Mother and Tuqay looked at the pool. It was really, empty. Inside of the pool there was neither fish nor water.

      The gigantic fish began to strike its tail furiously against the wall of the pool. Because of the attacks of the fish not only the pool but also all the yard began to shake. As if there had happened an earthquake. The dog and the eagle rushed at the fish paw in paw, mother and Tuqay hand in hand went towards the gigantic fish. The gigantic fish was paying no heed to them, it was shaking its tail furiously, was attacking the wall of the pool and the ground.