Sogsogot

 One day, a long time ago, some men went to the mountains to hunt deer and wild pig, and among them was one named Sogsogot.

 

They all went into the thick forest to look for game, but after a while Sogsogot called his dog and withdrew to an open spot near by, where he waited for the deer to come out.

 

While he stood there eagerly watching, a big bird85 swooped¹ down, caught him in its claws, and carried him away. Far off over the mountains the bird soared², until finally it came to a big tree where it had its nest, and here it left the man and flew away.

 

Sogsogot’s first thought was to make his escape, but he found that the tree was so tall that he could not get down, and after a time he ceased his attempts to get away and began to look over his companions in the nest—two young birds and three little pigs.

 

By and by he became hungry, so he cut up the three little pigs, and after he had eaten all he wished he fed the two birds. When this meat was gone the mother bird brought more pigs and deer, and the man had all he could eat. Then he fed the little birds, which grew [80]very fast and soon were able to fly. One day when they were standing³ on the edge of the nest Sogsogot caught hold of the birds’ legs, and they fluttered⁴ down and carried him safely to the ground.

 

Rice terraces⁵ in the mountains

Rice terraces in the mountains

 

A rice field

A rice field

 

He hastened home as fast as he could go and told the people of his wonderful trip. They made a ceremony for the spirits, and all the people rejoiced⁶ that the lost man had returned.

 

Some time after this Sogsogot went to a hostile town to fight, and while he was gone his wife died. On the way back to his town he met the spirit of his wife driving a cow and two pigs, and not knowing that she was a spirit he asked her where she was going.

 

“I am not a person any more,” she answered him; “I am dead.” And when he wanted to touch her hand, she gave him only her shortest finger. He begged to go with her so she said, “Go first to our home and get a white chicken; then follow the footmarks of the cow and pigs.”

 

He did as she commanded him, and after a while he came to a place where she was bathing in the river. She said to him:

 

“Now you may come with me to our spirit town.86 I shall hide you in the rice-bin⁷ and shall bring food to you every day. But at night the people in the town will want to eat you, and when they come to the bin you must take some of the feathers of the white chicken and throw at them.” [81]

 

The man went with her, and when they arrived at the spirit town she hid him in the rice-bin. At night the people came to eat him, as she had said they would; but when he threw the chicken feathers at them they were frightened away.

 

For two weeks Sogsogot lived in this place, but when the feathers were nearly gone he was afraid to stay any longer, for every night the spirits came to eat him. He begged his wife to allow him to go, and finally she showed him the way home, giving him rice to eat on his journey.

 

As soon as the man arrived home and inquired for his wife, the people told him that she had died and they had buried her under the house. Then he knew that it was her spirit that had taken him to the strange town. 

1 swooped   

俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The aircraft swooped down over the buildings. 飞机俯冲到那些建筑物上方。
• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it. 鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来，并把它杀死。

2 soared   

v.高飞( soar的过去式和过去分词 )；猛增；（音乐）升高；高耸

参考例句：

• The bird soared high, with outspread wings. 鸟儿展翅高飞。
• The rocket soared skywards. 火箭呼啸着朝天上飞去。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 fluttered   

v.飘动( flutter的过去式和过去分词 )；（心）快速跳动；振翼，拍翅膀

参考例句：

• Flags fluttered in the breeze. 旗帜在微风中飘扬。
• Imes concluded from her fluttered look that she had spent the money. 艾姆斯从她慌张的眼神推断出她花光了钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 terraces   

台阶( terrace的名词复数 )； 台地； （房侧的）铺砌地面； 一排并列的房屋

参考例句：

• The people here grow rice on terraces. 此地的人们在梯田里种植水稻。
• Footballers launched an unprecedented crusade against racism on the terraces. 足球运动员们对阶梯看台上的种族歧视发起了一场空前的运动。

6 rejoiced   

（使）欣喜[高兴，快乐]( rejoice的过去式和过去分词 )； 非常高兴； 深感欣喜

参考例句：

• He rejoiced that all the work was after all finished in time. 他很高兴，全部的工作最终还是按时完成了。
• The news of victory rejoiced the heart of the whole nation. 胜利的喜悦使全国人民欢欣鼓舞。

7 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。