Successful hunters

Before the big move to the spring camp the hunters come and go. “Because we had looked for jade during the winter there was no time for the hunt. Now we urgently need meat”, Ultsan explained the sudden activity of the men. “The hunters are there!”, a call resounds through the camp. Immediately hurry the persons present out of the tepees. Also Tanja and I hurry from our ger. Each of the men leads his animals to the own tepee where the women immediately help them unloading. “They have shot two elks”, spreads the positive news around as the men and women the hard frozen meat lumps of the reindeers unload and on the Wandan (raised hide) stow away. Now the clan is supplied for some time with meat. Straight away elk’s meat is cooked in every tepee. It is almost absolutely fat-free at this season and tastes excellently. “Finally, once meat without fat”, I am glad as Purvee gives me a metal bowl with cooked elk’s meat and passes me a bowl with reindeer milk tea. On the next day excitement is again in the camp. This time Ultsan and Sansar come back of their hunt. Everybody would like to know whether also they were successful. Indeed, they have shot two gazelles. At noon I visit Tsaya and Ultsan in her log cabin. ÑWe just have cooked gazelle. Sit down please with us and enjoy itì, offers Tsaya to me a place. On a wooden board on the ground cooked bones and meat pile up. “Here take”, a piece rsays Ultsan to me. “What is this?”, I ask. “The heart. It tastes well. Try it”, he says because I hesitate. “Gazelle’s heart. I have never eaten such a thing. You must understand. I am a half vegetarian. Innards are to me normally a horror”, I answer and cut off a piece of the heart. “Hmm, really tasty”, I praise and mean it thus as I have tried the first bite Before I leave again the wooden hut Ultsan gives me the back leg of a gazelle. Surprised I look at him. “But, nevertheless, I cannot accept this?”, I say. “Nevertheless, however, please take it”, he believes friendly. “You need your meat for yourselves?”, I start a renewed attempt to reject the generous present. “The nature gods give us the food. It is our duty to divide it. If we are not doing this the gods are angry at us and will not in future present us any more so richly”, he answers, on which I several times thanking accept.