The tale about the DAM

Somehow the SUN and the MOUNTAINS argued: which of them is stronger.

-I'm stronger than all, - the SUNsaid proudly. – If I want to - I'll caress, and everything will come to life. If I want to - then I will burn everything with my beams.

The MOUNTAINS answer:

- What you burn today, in a year will come to life - the grass will turn green, the flowers will blossom. And we, the MOUNTAINS, as we stood and so we’ll stood and stood. We do not care about your rays. So,wearestronger.

The SUN is angry, the MOUNTAINS burn with rays by SUN. The MOUNTAINS are laughing:

- Tickling! - and only at the tops of the ice caps start to melt more hard - the MOUNTAINS sweat, it's hot. Meltwater is collected in brooks, it flows into mountain rivers. The river flows from MOUNTAINS to the CITY, full of water, stormy. In the CITY people are feeling themselves good - the water from the MOUNTAINS is cool. TREES drink MOUNTAIN’s water - they become greener, they give a thick shade. ROSES-BEAUTIES from the MOUNTAIN’s water and the hot SUN with such a scent that the head starts to spin.

- Anyway, I'm stronger! The SUN shouts.

-We do not see your strength, - laugh the MOUNTAINS. - We are stronger and more beautiful.

- I will melt the ice on tops, snow on the slopes. The water will wash away the trees, flood the meadows. Beauty will disappear. Remain naked stones. Then you, the MOUNTAINS, recognize my power, the SUN hopping mad.

Then the WIND addressed the disputants:

- Stop it, brothers. Empty disputes do not lead to good.

The SUN and MOUNTAINS not listening the WIND. They shout to each other:

- I am stronger!

- No, we are stronger than you!

The WIND rushed to the SUN:

- You overheated with anger, Brother SUN. Take it easy. As though that some foolishness did not became. - The WIND has been burnt and has rushed to the MOUNTAINS:

- Brothers-MOUNTAINS, leave stupid stubbornness.

The SUN does not listen to WIND, andblazes red flame. The MOUNTAINS do not listen to WIND, and thundering rockfalls. Arguing:

- I'm the most-most ...

- We are the most-most ...

The sky was clouded with black clouds, the high-mountainous lakes were overflowing with water, the MOUNTAINS flinched and a mud-stone stream rushed along the canyon - MUDFLOW. The MUDFLOWswept down –as an evil demon released to freedom. He flew along the ravine, sweeping away everything in his path: as straws crumpled age-old firs, like peas, rolled huge boulders, destroying houses and taking lives. Behindhimtherewasonlydeadmud.

- Ha-ha-ha! Understand now, who is the strongest?!–said MUDFLOW ragingat that moment. The roar of the stream merged with the whistling of the WIND. A little bit more and will destroy, wipe the wonderful CITY from the face of the earth, and the bare plain will remain on this place.

On the way of MUDFLOW stood DAM. That's why people built it to protect the CITY from possible misfortune. With all the exorbitant power, MUDFLOW hit to the body of DAM. The DAM falter, but resisted. MUDFLOW lost its speed and impact force, began to fill a huge man-made bowl at the DAM.

- Ah-ha-ha-ha! Now I will accumulate strength, I will gather in the bowl, I will tear up the DAM and wash the CITY together with small people! - Squealed MUDFLOW.

- What have you done, brothers? - Cried the WIND. The MOUNTAINS died down, the SUN was suppressing the heat.

DAM stood from the last strength, arched with a bow, tears of water seeping from the cracks. DAM sighed:

- I cannotstand anymore ...

People came to help DAM. Without sleep and rest, for three days and three nights, the water was pumped together in friendship, strengthened the body of the DAM. MUDFLOW calmed down, ceased to rattle with stones, to brawl. Itfrozeinathickmudlake.

- Thank you, DAM, the people said. - You stood and saved our CITY.

Then people dredged all the dirt from the bowl, make a mound and raised even higher DAM, paved a new road, plant or flowers and trees.

The SUN and MOUNTAINS were looking at the workof people and did not argue anymore. They understood that FRIENDSHIP and HELP are the strongest.

The DAM-MEDEO, a special mud protection facility in the Medeu valley, the mountain valley of the smaller Alma-Ata River. It is located 15 kilometers from Almaty at an altitude of 1750 meters above sea level. In 1973, detained a powerful catastrophic village. In 1980, the height of the dam was raised to 150 meters, the length along the ridge is 530 meters, the width of the base is 800 meters.

Translated by AkhanTuleshov, Story by Elena Klepikova

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