English to German Art/Literary Slang expressions

A young woman spends some time in a little village in Thailand and tries to make conversation with the locals:

A woman hands me a book called "Phonetic Akha-English Dictionary". This dictionary was compiled by some anthropologist in the forties. The introduction informs me that the Akha tribe enjoy speaking in riddles. That would explain why I encounter pages and pages of phrases such as "How many chickens on rooftop mean bad luck?"

I'm contemplating a particularly fascinating riddle series involving *mudcocks*, when it dawns on me that the group has gone completely silent. They are waiting for me to say something.

Does anybody know what mudcocks are in this context? I only found one reference which was rather scientific and had something to do with purifying water, which I don't think fits in this context. Is it some kind of animal? Or, if it is made up, does anybody have a creative idea how to translate it into German (or should I leave it in English, if that's what it is?)

Any input welcome, thanks!