The publication of the story's online version in Gaelic is set on September 25th 2025, coinciding with the opening of Mink and Berry, a solo exhibition of Shen Xin's new works, including the paintings for this story, at TINA, London.
A young mink has noticed people's reverence and affection towards the puffin.
They watch as people circle their houses three times for good luck before setting out to work, mimicking the three circles made by the puffin around the sacred island.
They observe that the people's ferry goes out three times a week. And heard that the age of the dog, horse, human, deer, eagle, and oak are remembered in their three timed differences.
The mink counts their life stages which is a similarity they share with the people, and makes out three stages simultaneously.
The mink counts the number of traps and rafts set for their own eradication by the people, and noted there were always more than three in each village.
Feeling certain that three is what connects the people and the puffin, the mink plans to claim its significance.
This place that both the mink and the people share currently is diverse in its geology. And so, the mink picks three places to carry out their plan.
They risk the height of the landform edges and go three times up and down the cliff, killing three fulmars and filling their stomach for three days.
The mink then journeys to a seagull colony located on top of volcanic rock base, and kills three seagulls to eat for another three days.
In between these moments of executing their plan, the mink becomes more and more familiar with this place. But the rafts and traps grew even more rapidly, the mink descends into a helplessness.
So, the mink ventures closer to the people, hoping to prove one last time, that they are included in the significance of the three.
One night the mink finally decides to kill three hens kept at a family, leaving the people feeling helpless the next morning.
And the people put out three more traps along their burns and streams.
The people know that what tied the mink to them has more than three threads, but neither the mink nor the people can untangle it without the act of killing.
Maybe you know of a way?
Story and Paintings by Shen Xin