This story took place in the heart of Eclipse Island — in a river valley inhabited by peculiar water-cheeked creatures. They were called this because of their unusual ability to fill their cheeks with water and shoot it out at high speed. Water-cheeked creatures would flood enormous trees and build dams and houses from them.
Shchepa was an ordinary young water-cheeked creature, but everyone considered him very strong. He earned this status through deception, but no one suspected it.
Water-cheeked creatures often competed with each other, filling their cheeks with water and moving stones with the stream. Shchepa cheated: he moved boulders not only with water pressure, but also with the help of his friend — a transparent tail-legged creature. Of course, his stones always ended up farther than everyone else's. Shchepa thought it was harmless deception because no prizes were given for victory, and everyone competed just for fun.
The little liar was also very talkative and could chat for hours with anyone he met. Naturally, the inhabitants of Eclipse learned about his achievements very quickly.
One day, something happened on the island that forced Shchepa to keep his mouth shut in the most literal sense, and thanks to this, he saved all the valley's inhabitants and came to value the truth. But let me tell you everything in order.
Life in the river valleys was bustling: water-cheeked creatures built dams, and their young ones played on the shore. The biggest concern was building a prettier dam. But suddenly, the waterfall that fed all the rivers dried up. It fell from the highest cliff surrounding the valley, and now there wasn't a drop. Fear filled the hearts of the inhabitants: without water, they would perish.
The elders decided to send a reconnaissance team of flying crabs to the cliff. The crabs left at dawn and returned only the next day with bad news. A landslide had occurred in the gorge, and a huge piece of rock had blocked the river that ended in the waterfall.
Water-cheeked creatures needed to be sent to the cliff urgently to break the stone with water. But climbing the mountain on foot and then walking to the blockage would take a very long time, and the water in the valley was decreasing every hour.
The flying crabs wanted to lift a water-cheeked creature to the cliff, but they couldn't manage it: water-cheeked creatures, though small, were heavy. So the elders decided to choose the strongest from the tribe and launch him to the summit using a fountain that several water-cheeked creatures could create together.
The scout crabs warned that there was no water at the blockage site, so the chosen hero would have to collect it in the valley.
Shchepa was chosen, of course, since he always won the stone-rolling competitions. The water-cheeked creature was very frightened, but he couldn't bring himself to tell everyone that he was a cheater.
Water-cheeked creatures gathered as a tribe. Shchepa sat on the roof of the tallest house in the valley. His cheeks were full of water. A voice rang out: "Three! Two! One! Go!"
All the water-cheeked creatures fired at Shchepa simultaneously, and he flew to the top of the cliff.
The landing wasn't the softest: our hero hit his leg, but didn't make a sound. He knew that if he opened his mouth, the water would spill out and he wouldn't be able to break the blockage. Everything in the valley would dry up, and then the water-cheeked creatures would be finished. With this thought, he limped along the former riverbed.
Shchepa walked confidently toward his goal when suddenly a bear-homecarrier jumped out from behind the trees.
Homecarriers are called that because they carry dens made of brushwood on their backs. They wander the island for years looking for the perfect place to live, but they're never satisfied.
Did you take my honey, little one? — the bear said in a gruff voice, glaring at the water-cheeked creature with an unkind look.
Shchepa looked frightened at the enormous bear, who seemed like a mountain because of the den on his back. At that moment, a bear cub peeked out from behind the homecarrier with fir branches on his head.
Look, Dad! He hid the honey in his cheeks! — the cub cried out.
Give me back my honey! — the bear roared.
And then Shchepa noticed that the bear cub's mouth was smeared with honey, but Dad didn't notice. The water-cheeked creature began pointing at the little bear, but the cub only got more worked up.
Look, he's about to swallow our honey! Hurry, Dad!!! — the cub cried.
Shchepa squeezed his eyes shut and thought it was the end. Suddenly, bees flew out from behind the bushes and buzzed down on the bear cub. He squealed and spun in place. Dad bear finally looked at his son and, noticing the honey around his mouth, gave him a swat on the bottom. Shchepa didn't see this because he was already running without looking back.
Shchepa reached the blockage at night. Suddenly, he noticed something on the rocks. It was a nest of whirlwind-wings – flightless birds that could create such wind gusts with their wings that even the largest puffybelly would fall over. In the nest lay three eggs, and their father sat nearby. He silently watched the water-cheeked creature. Shchepa came closer and stared at the large bird. And so they sat, looking at each other.
An hour passed, but neither the bird nor Shchepa said a word. The water-cheeked creature tried to figure out how to explain to the whirlwind-wing without words that he came to help and that without water this bird wouldn't raise its chicks. He had to act.
I'll show you, — Shchepa decided and began to mime a waterfall, a stream of water, and how the blockage would be destroyed by the pressure. But the whirlwind-wing was silent and watched him without even blinking. The water-cheeked creature grew tired and sat down on the ground exhausted. It was getting light when suddenly the bird spoke in a cheerful voice.
Well, finally you've come! I've been waiting for you for three days, since the flying crabs promised to bring help from the river valleys.
Shchepa jumped up and froze with a surprised look.
When the river stopped flowing, everyone became so angry. I have to sleep with my eyes open so no one approaches the nest, — the whirlwind-wing continued.
After the bird's words, Shchepa simply lay down on the ground and smiled. After lying there for a couple of minutes, he stood up, gestured for the bird to move away, and blew water from his cheeks with all his might. The stream hit the stone at high speed. The boulder cracked…, but nothing else happened. Shchepa froze: how he regretted in those seconds that he had cheated at the competitions.
If I had told the truth, the elders would have sent someone stronger, — Shchepa thought with frustration.
Suddenly, there was a crack, and the rock fragment split. A powerful stream of water rushed toward Shchepa. But the whirlwind-wing flapped its wing, and the whirlwind pushed the water-cheeked creature to the side.
What cheeks you have, my friend!!! — the bird cried out. — Thank you so much, I'm in your debt! Here, take my nest. I'm moving anyway, and you'll float home quickly on it.
Shchepa settled into the nest and floated toward the river valleys, waving goodbye to the whirlwind-wing. When the water-cheeked creature returned home, he told all the valley's inhabitants about his adventures for a long, long time.
Although everyone knew about Shchepa's deed, every evening the tribe's children came to his house and listened with pleasure to his amazing stories. Shchepa told about his trials with joy and pride, because now every word he said was the truth.
