B. Yavuukhulan
THE LAST STOP OF
THE IBEX – Tekhiin Zogsool
The winter of that
year, was unforgettable!
And how high was
the peak of the “Last stop of the Ibex”!
Deep in the brown
mountains
There was a winter
camp called “Khyysh”
It was distant and
long to reach
It was a shelter
for the winter...
A day of that warm
autumn
My father decided
to move to the mountain
And so, in the
winter camp of the “Khyysh”
Decided to spend
with two other families.
The peak of the
mountains
They were all so
high
Among these a
“Stop of the Ibex”
Was much higher
from where we were...
Arrived at the
winter camp
My father often
went for hunting
And our families
started, for a while
Preparing for a
winter.
It was beautiful
and warm
The winter of that
year
It was convenient
to pass a winter
In those
mountains, where the grass covered by snow...
...In the
mountains of Gobi, as usually
Spring season
comes
For all three
families, it is a time to approach the river...
One morning, my
father called me
While he was
outside of the gher
Asking me to look
at mountain peak
Putting in my hand
his telescope.
What do you see on
the “Stop of the Ibex”?
Have a look! said
my father,
And in the next
instant
He sighed deeply.
I see the peak
I see an eagle
flying in the sky, looking toward his nest.
The peak of the
mountains seemed so close
That I could
almost touch,
The sky above us
was without any clouds.
Look into the “Stop of the Ibex”! Said my father,
There is an
animal, over the top, find it
Said my father.
I see the mountain
peak
That I used to see
through whole winter
There, over the
top, I see a wild mountain goat
Leaning his big
horns.
Seeing this
beautiful animal of the mountain, which dominates the whole valley
I enjoyed so much.
“This is a black
goat”!
I almost screamed with a joy.
My father back to
the gher
Without saying any
word and smoking his pipe,
At the news of the
ibex
Other neighbors
joined us.
My father was
silent and thoughtful
Waiting to drink
his tea,
With sadness in
his throat
Said a story:
- I received many
grace from the mountains with a silver peak
But I see for the
first time, a wild mountain goat is standing on its last stop.
And that mountain
goat, last year was thirsting in the “Water of the Goat”
And without any
doubt, on his last stop.
Being born and
then die
The law of the
nature!
To leave his
native land
It is not easy!
Then said, when
the mountain goat gets old
It can no longer
bear his horns
And becomes incapable
to follow his herd.
Then said, the mountain goat goes back to the mountain
He lies to the
place, where he was born
Where, long time
ago his mother put him in life.
Then said, in his
last days of life
He climbs to the
peak of the mountain
In this world, we
call it “The stop of the Ibex”.
Then said, for a
days and days
He remains on this
high peak,
He looks
behind, all his past life.
Then said, he is
happy to see
The pure water
where he nourished,
And observes
happily
The pasture where
he has fed.
Then said, he
looks for the last time his herd,
And he throws a
last glance to his native land.
Then said, due to
the weight of his horns
Will fall from the
mountain top,
So will go away from this glittering world.
All listened in
silence
The story told by
my father,
On the creek of an
elder woman
The tears flowed.
From that day my
father
He looked worried
For some time
decided not to leave the winter camp...
Turns soon the
turn of the sheep guard
Within three
families,
Just three days
have passed
Back again our
turn.
Every morning my
father sitting outside of the gher
Looking at the mountain peak and
recommending do not pasture the sheep up to mountain, do not disturb the ibex.
The Three families
remaining
In winter camp of
the “Khyysh”
The triangular
peak at the sight
Attracting the human
eyes.
The Ibex! Leaning his mighty horns in the blue sky
And the eagle
wandering above him, all the day.
And so, for days a
days
My father looked
at this same picture,
And this image, kept
us in the winter camp, for days a days.
One morning, my
father after looking the mountain peak
Back to the ger
But, I saw him happy and smiling and drinking his tea.
As I suspected, the Ibex is gone away by law of the nature, said my father.
It is better in
this way, the "unfortunate", sympathize my mother.
The next morning
our three families
Started early to
move
All together, the
men, women, children and animals
Left the winter
camp.
My father rolls his eyes towards to the “Stop of the Ibex”
And softly
murmured
-My native place!
How long it lasted
The winter of that
year,
And how high was
The peak of
the “Stop of the
Ibex”!
B. Yavuukhulan
