Белый клык / White Fang

They made noises, and at first he was frightened. Then he understood that they were very little, and he became bolder. They moved. He placed his paw on one, and its movements were slowered. This was a source of enjoyment to him. He smelled it. He picked it up in his mouth. It struggled and tickled his tongue. At the same time he felt hunger. His jaws closed together. There was a crunching of small bones, and warm blood ran in his mouth. The taste of it was good. This was meat, the same as his mother gave him, only it was alive between his teeth and therefore better. So he ate all the ptarmigan. Then he licked his chops[24] in quite the same way his mother did, and began to crawl out of the bush.

There, the mother ptarmigan was in a fury and tried to hit him. He became angry. He no longer was afraid of anything. He was fighting. He had just destroyed little live things. He would now destroy a big live thing. He was too busy and happy to know that he was happy.

But he lost the battle with ptarmigan. She pecked on his nose, again and again. A rain of pecks fell on his ill-used nose. So he released his prey, turned tail and made an inglorious retreat. But, while he was lying in the bush, he saw a terrible hawk that caught the mother-ptarmigan and carried it away.

Live things were meat. They were good to eat. Also, live things when they were large enough, could give hurt. It was better to eat small live things like ptarmigan chicks, and to let alone large live things like ptarmigan hens.

He came down a bank to the stream. He had never seen water before. The surface looked good. He stepped boldly out on it; and went down, crying with fear, into the embrace of the unknown. It was cold, and he gasped, breathing quickly. The water rushed into his lungs instead of the air. Like every animal of the Wild, he had the instinct of death. To him it was the greatest of hurts.

He came to the surface, and the sweet air rushed into his open mouth. He did not go down again. He fought frantically, going under water from time to time, but finally he reached the bank. He crawled from the water and lied down. He had learned some more about the world. Water was not alive. Yet it moved. Also, it looked as stable as the earth, but was without any stability at all. His conclusion was that things were not always what they seemed to be.

One other adventure was destined for him that day. He had remembered that there was such a thing in the world as his mother. And then there came to him a feeling that he wanted her more than all the rest of the things in the world. Not only his body and brain were tired with the adventure. So he started out to look for the cave and his mother, feeling lonely and helpless.

He was going through some bushes, when he heard a sharp cry. He saw a weasel leaping away from him. It was a small live thing, and he had no fear. Then, before him, at his feet, he saw an extremely small live thing, only several inches long, a young weasel, that, like himself, had disobediently gone out on an adventure. He turned it over with his paw. It made a strange noise. The next moment he received a sharp blow on the side of the neck and felt the sharp teeth of the mother-weasel cut into his flesh.

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Примечания

1

to get on someone’s nerves – действовать на нервы

2

you see things – тебе мерещится

3

leave smb. alone – оставить кого-л. в покое

4

but – (зд.) кроме, за исключением

5

foot (мн. feet) – фут, английская мера длины, равная примерно 30 см

6

hadn’t the heart to do smth. – не хватило духу что-л. сделать

7

to explain oneself – объясниться

8

Who’s croaking now? – Расквакался!

9

to sniff noses – обнюхать

10

roused with a start – вздрогнув, очнулся

11

an inch – дюйм (английская мера длины, равная 2,5 см)

12

to be telling upon sb. – сказываться на ком-л.

13

a yard – ярд (английская мера длины, равная ок. 99 см)

14

on sb.’s heels – следом за кем-л.

15

a pound – фунт (английская единица измерения веса, равная ок. 450 г)

16

game – (зд.) дичь

17

to rip into ribbons – порвать в лоскуты

18

sit on someone’s haunches – сидеть на задних лапах (о животном), сидеть на корточках (о человеке)

19

to start for somewhere – направиться куда-л.

20

take after smb. – быть на кого-л. похожим

21

for smb.’s sake – ради кого-либо

22

to let go of smth. – отпустить

23

beginner’s luck – новичкам везёт

24

to lick chops – облизнуться (о животных)