The action of the story takes place on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk during the Great Fish-Woman, the progenitor of the human race. Mythological motifs are organically woven into the general outline of the plot, thus, a simple story about the fate of men turns into a parable. The history describes the life of the small, almost exotic Nivkh people that live on Sakhalin Island.
Sea and land are two elements that are in eternal confrontation. But it was not always so. Once upon a time there was nothing on Earth but water. Life originated in ancient times from a duck named the Louvre, which made a nest of feathers. So the land appeared.
Morning was approaching. The eleven-year-old boy Kirisk was to go out to the open sea for the first time. This is an important event that will determine whether he should be a hunter or not. The boy is escorted by the mother and, in order to drive away the evil spirits of the cinema from him, deliberately does not speak out loud about the upcoming voyage. But Kirisk himself considers himself an adult, he is not afraid of cinema. Together with him, the boy’s father Emrayin, the elder of the Organ clan and the cousin of his father Mylgun get into the boat. Sailing away from land, the boy sees a cliff, which from afar resembles a piebald dog running at the edge of the sea.
All adults understand that this swimming is designed specifically for Kirisk. They kindly joke with the boy, checking his courage and willingness to become a hunter. Finally, they swim to the first island on which the seals rookery is located - their prey. Kirisk for the first time shoots from a gun and misses. He is upset, but adults do not rebuke him. “No one becomes a hunter from the first shot,” Mylgun consoles the boy.
Having shot together one seal, the hunters quickly gutted the carcass. They have to perform a ceremony - to eat the raw liver of an animal. Then Kirisk will become a real hunter. After the liver you feel thirsty But the Organ warns the boy that it is necessary to save fresh water, because they still have to go to another island and return home. They only have one keg of water with them.
On the way to the second island of hunters, a storm suddenly catches up. They manage to survive and keep the boat on the waves, but after the crash, everything around is shrouded in fog. Nobody knows where to sail, the boat carries away in an unknown direction. Man is powerless in the battle with the elements.
For many days they drift in an unknown direction. The carcass of the seal had to be dumped into the sea. There was only a little dried yukola and a barrel of water that was rapidly emptying. Water distribution is the responsible business that the old Authority deals with. You need to stretch the drink for many days, everyone gets a little. As an elder, the Authority decides not to drink at all, and soon decides on a more desperate act - to throw itself into the sea. To save the boy is the main task, because he is the future of the family. Gradually after the Organ, Mylgun and Emrayin leave. Kirisk lies half dead in the boat, weakened, he does not even have the strength to finish the last drops from the barrel. At the very last moment, a piebald dog appears in front of his eyes, which means that he got to the house. The vitality in him overcame the elements.
