A Tale from Kyrgyzstan and the Journey Ahead

In Kyrgyzstan, I heard an intriguing story. Once, hunters were sailing on a lake. They spotted a deer swimming. They threw a rope on its antlers and tied the other end to the boat, thinking they would capture it near the shore to avoid towing it from the middle of the lake. They put down their oars, took out their guns, and enjoyed the hunt. But the deer, instead of slowly reaching the shore and praying, touched the bottom with its hooves and bolted. Two hunters fell into the water, while the third clung to the boat and flew towards the unknown. The hunters' wives were waiting by the fire on the shore. They found the hunt amusing when they saw a bird-shaped boat hitched to a deer. The entire contraption, cursing and splashing, ran quite far into the forest. Eventually, it crashed into a tree, allowing the hunter to fly a little. The deer broke free and escaped. Now, it has a fear of water. Such is the everyday story. I'm off to document this trip. Finally, I have something exciting to share with you.