"The Stone Giant" by Semyon Karatov, summary

This book is the final part of an adventure trilogy about the lives of primitive people in the Paleolithic era, written in 1965. The plot of the work focuses on a detailed reconstruction of the life of ancient hominids, showing the process of creating the first stone sculptures as a real tool for reconciliation between primitive tribes.

Korra’s Exile

The story’s protagonist is a hunchbacked hunter named Korru, a member of the Maum tribe. His fellow tribesmen nickname him "Red Saiga." A congenital physical defect makes the young man a weak link in the harsh conditions of the Stone Age, where survival depends on brute strength. Korru is unable to participate in driven hunts alongside able-bodied men. Unable to find acceptance in his native cave, the hero leaves the camp. This begins his solitary wanderings across the wild savannah.

Life in the savannah

During his travels, Korru uses his phenomenal powers of observation to survive. He perfects his stoneworking skills, crafting sharp flint tools. Soon, the exile’s path crosses that of a huge cave bear named Sherk. Contrary to his primitive instincts, Maum does not engage the predator. The man and the formidable beast begin to peacefully coexist. During this same period, Korru periodically encounters a girl named Zei from the Aikh tribe, who sincerely admires the hunchbacked craftsman’s talents.

Making a Stone Bear

Having settled near a high limestone cliff, Korru begins the monumental task. Using primitive stone chisels, he begins carving a gigantic bear figure from the soft rock. The work requires tremendous muscular effort and takes a long time. Maum methodically chipped away at pieces of stone, forming a recognizable silhouette. In the rays of the setting sun, the yellow limestone takes on a reddish hue, making the carved animal seem alive. The creation of this enormous sculpture becomes the master’s life’s work.

Intertribal truce

Rumors of the wondrous creation quickly spread across the savannah. Representatives of warring primordial hordes — the Mauma, the Aihi, the Kochchu, and the Okha-Guhi — flock to the rock. The savages stand transfixed in amazement before the stone giant. The scale of the work accomplished staggers the imagination of the primitive hunters. Taking advantage of the moment of general shock, Korr manages to put an end to a long-standing bloody feud. The disparate groups of hominids agree to cease attacks, forage for food jointly, and peacefully exchange animal pelts at the foot of the monument.

The death of the master

The united tribes stage a massive driven hunt. In a deep ravine, the hunters surround a giant woolly rhinoceros. Korru displays incredible courage — he approaches the enraged animal and delivers a precise blow. The mortally wounded rhinoceros begins to collapse to the ground. Suddenly, in its death throes, the beast jerks its heavy head sharply. A sharp horn grazes the temple of a humped maum. Korru dies instantly on the spot, amid the joyful cheers of the crowd celebrating the successful conclusion of the hunt.

Maum’s Legacy

Many winters later, new groups of hunters appear at the rock with the stone statue. Young Mammoth — the son of the warrior Mammoth Tooth and Zey — recounts to the young men the story of the great humpbacked maum. Every spring, people from different tribes continue to gather at the monument for peaceful exchanges. They carve miniature replicas of bears from limestone to bring good luck on the hunt. The old living bear, Sherk, also regularly visits Korru’s burial site, peacefully sleeping next to the people.