[Gwyddion]

Tales of the Utari

As translated by William G. Sindarin

Tales i - v have been omitted and may be filled in later.

vi. — The Travellers and the Light

The Smaller Big Brother, the Ape-Bird and the Eye-Child woke up to bring their Shaman to the research-city Ataras. They drank from the river, then two days they walked north. Here, they saw a light in the distance. As they be wise travellers, and there was no settlement nearby, the Ranger spoke. “What a light may do here, I know not. It must surely be supernatural.” To which the Shaman spoke, “Then we shall go around it. We can stay safe, but we have to travel another day.” So, the travellers travelled east two days, upon which they reached unscathed the city of Ataras.

Behind them, unkind strangers rode on horses. They crossed the bridge, drank from the river, then one day walked north. Here, they too saw a light in the distance. As they had evil intentions, and there was no settlement nearby, the Headman spoke. “What a light may do here, I know not. It must surely be a traveller’s campfire.” To which the second replied, “Then we shall approach it. We can steal their food, and we do not have to travel another day.” So, the unkind strangers approached the light, and all that remained of them was screams in the night.

Let this be a warning to all travellers; that they may not near that they do not know, and that they not have bad plans.

[as told by Kobiri. Other versions tell us more about the campfire; It may have been a city of foxes, who then stole the men's clothes, ate their bodies, and travelled to Ataras in their stead.
In another tale, the light was a god. For not disturbing him, he rewarded the wise travellers with good luck. But the unkind strangers, for disturbing his rest, were turned into foxes. So anyone who saw them knew they tricked a god.]


vii. — The two Visitors, the Guard, and the Fox

The Utari and the Shaman wanted to visit the research-city Ataras, but the guard blocked their way. So the Utari spoke, “We come bringing the rare Ape-Bird, put enter it in the museum.” The guard did not believe them, and sent them away.

The second day, the Utari and the Shaman came again to visit Ataras, but the guard blocked their way. So the Utari spoke, “We come from a circus, and will perform with this rare Ape-Bird.” The guard did not believe them, and sent them away.

The third day, the Utari and the Shaman came again to visit Ataras, but the guard blocked their way. So the Utari spoke, “We come to fetch the fossil of a rare Ape-Bird from the museum.” The guard did not believe them, and asked “And who asks you to fetch such a fossil of the rare Ape-Bird from the museum?” To which the Shaman replied, “It is the Apothecary, who hath sent us.” The guard obeyed, and let them visit the city of Ataras.

But though the Shaman had said thus, the Apothecary who was a fox quickly met the guard. He asked, “Have you let the Utari and the Shaman through this gate?” The guard confirmed, upon which the Apothecary entered the city.

Next, the Apothecary saw the Utari and the Shaman in the city; though they did not see him. He set his first trap, a wire upon which a thousand needles would shoot at the Shaman. Quickly upon, one tripped the wire, and the other was barraged by a thousand needles. But the other was no fool; for he kept his shield up in the city.

The Apothecary set up his second trap, a group of hundred macaques to ambush the Utari. Quickly upon, the hundred macaques knocked out the Shaman, and surrounded the Utari. But their friends in the city came around and killed the macaques.

Then the fox who had seen this happen went away. But he came back next day to the circle of Ataras, where he was an old, coughing man. The Utari and the Shaman walked past him. The friends in the city walked past him. Then, the Apothecary followed them.

[the remainder of the story is not known by Kobiri, who tells us she had fallen asleep as her mother told this tale. It is likely that the ending had the third trap for the characters, after which they would either die or admit their lies to the fox. The next tale appears to be a continuation, yet it is focused on the friends and does not mention the fox]