The meadow
There was excellent July day, one of those days, which occur only then, when weather was established for a long time. The sky is clear from the earliest morning; morning dawn does not blaze by the fire: it spills by gentle bloom. Sun - not fiery, not incandesced, as during the hot drought, not dim- crimson, as before grow brown, but bright and peacefully floats under the narrowband long cloudlet, fresh will brighten and will be immersed and its violet fog. Upper, thin edge of the extended cloudlet will begin to sparkle by snakes; their luster is such to the luster of forged silver... But the playing rays here again gushed out, - and gaily it is stately, as if taking off, heavenly body rises more powerfully. Many round high clouds usually appear about noon, golden- grey, with the tender white edges. It is similar to islands, scattered along the infinitely spilled river, flowing around by their deeply transparent sleeves of flat dark blue, they barely move; further, to the horizon, they are shifted, they crowd, the dark blue between them to no longer see; but themselves they are so azure, as the sky: they everything right through proniknuty by light and by heat. Color of horizon, light, pale- violet, it does not change during entire day and it is around identical; nowhere it grows dark, thunderstorm does not thicken; perhaps somewhere will be lengthened from top to bottom the bluishstrips: that will be sown hardly noticeable rain. These clouds disappear toward the evening; the latter of them, blackish and not determined, as smoke, they lie down by pink clubs opposite the setting sun; on the spot, where it was rolled so quietly, as quietly it ascended the sky, ruby-colored siyan'e stands brief time above the darkened earth, I, quietly blinking, as the with great care carried candle, evening star will light itself on it. All are softened during such days of paint; they are bright, but they are not bright; on everything lies the press some of touching gentleness. During such days of heats it is sometimes is very strong, sometimes even "steams" on the slopes pour on; but wind accelerates, the accumulated intense heat separates, and vortex- rotations - the undoubted sign of a constant weather - by high white posts go for a walk along the roads through the plowedland. In dry and pure air it smells ice-hole, by the compressed rye, by buckwheat; even per hour to the night you do not feel dampness. A similar weather desires farmer for the harvesting of bread...
I reached finally the angle of forest, but there there was no road whatever: some nekoshenye, low bushes widely spread before me, and after them, daleko-daleko, and desert field was seen. I again stopped. "That after parable? But yes where 4?"I began to recollect, as where it walked during the day... "3! Yes these are Parakhinskiye bushes! - It exclaimed 4 finally, - accurately! There this, must be, Sindeyevskaya grove... But yes as this I here did visit? So it is far? It is strange "! It is now again necessary to the right to take ".
I went to the right, through the bushes. Meanwhile the night approached and grew, as thunderstorm cloud; it seemed from everywhere it rose together with the evening pairs and even from the height flowed the darkness. To me fell some netornaya, the been overgrown path; I left on it, attentively casting looks forward. Everything around rapidly turned black and ceased, - some quail rarely shouted. Small night bird, it is inaudible and low- rushed on its flexible wings, almost it stumbled on me and fearful dived into the side. I left to the edge of bushes and wandered through the field byboundary. Already 4 with difficulty were distinguished the distant objects; field unclear became white all around; after it, with each instant being moved, by huge clubs rose sullen gloom. My steps in thickening air blindly returned. The turned pale sky began again to turn blue - but that there was already the dark blue of night. Asterisks flashed, they stirred on it.
What I was it accepted for the grove, it proved to be dark and round mound. But "yes where this 4?"- It repeated 4 again aloud; it stopped third time and interrogative looked to its English yellow-speckled dog Dianku, decisively cleverest of all four-footed creatures. But cleverest of the four-footed creatures only wiggled by tail, despondently blinked by tired eyes and not podala to me any efficientcouncil. I became conscientious before it, and I desperately rushed forward, as if suddenly it surmised, where it was to be gone, mound went around and appeared in the shallow, around ploughed ...
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What I was it accepted for the grove, it proved to be dark and round mound. But "yes where this 4?"- It repeated 4 again aloud; it stopped third time and interrogative looked to its English yellow-speckled dog Dianku, decisively cleverest of all four-footed creatures. But cleverest of the four-footed creatures only wiggled by tail, despondently blinked by tired eyes and not podala to me any efficientcouncil. I became conscientious before it, and I desperately rushed forward, as if suddenly it surmised, where it was to be gone, mound went around and appeared in the shallow, around ploughed up to hollow. A strange feeling immediately mastered me. Hollow this took the form of almost correct boiler with the gentlysloping sides; on its bottom projected upright several greater, Whitestone, - it seemed they slipped down there for the secret conference, - and to that in it was silent and it is blind, it is so flat, so is despondent viselo above it sky, that the heart in me was pressed. Some little beast weakly and sorrowfully squeaked between stones. I hurried to be selected back to the mound. It did not still lose the hope to find road home Until now, 4; but here I finally was certified in that, that it strayed completely, I, already not at all without trying to learn surrounding places, almost entirely sunk in the haze, it went to itself directly, on the stars - naudaluyu... About a half hour it went 4 so, with difficulty transposing feet. It seemed it was never 4 in these empty places: flame nowhere twinkled, it was heard no sound. One gently sloping hill was changed by another, <End of Translation>
Fields infinitely were pulled after the fields, bushes as if arose suddenly from the earth before my quite nose. 4 everything went and already it was going it was to lie down for awhile somewhere until the morning, when suddenly it appeared above the terrible abyss.
I rapidly jerked back the carried foot and, through hardly the transparent dusk of night, it saw enormous plain far under itself. Wide river went around by its exiting from me in a semicircle; the steel reflections of water, rarely and vaguely twinkling, they designated its techen'e. Hill, on which I was located, it got down by suddenly almost perpendicular break; its huge outlines were separated, turning black, from the bluish air void, and directly under me, in the angle, formed by that break and plain, near the river, which in this place stood by fixed, by dark mirror, under very kruch'yu of hill, with red flame burnt and smoked friend next to friends two flames. The people swarmed around them, shadows varied, sometimes vividly was illuminated front half of small curly head...
I learned finally, where I visited. This meadow is famous in our neighbourhoods by the name Bezhinameadow... But to return home there was no possibility whatever, especially into the night time; feet were mowed under me from the fatigue. I decided to approach the flames and in the society of those people, which were accepted for the herdsmen, to wait for dawn. 4 it satisfactorily went down downward, but it did not have time to let out the last grasped by me branch from the hands, when suddenly two large, white, shaggy dogs with the malicious barking rushed to me. Children's ringing voices were heard around the fires; two or three boys rapidly rose from the earth. I responded to their interrogative cries. They ran up to me, they recalled immediately dogs, which especially struck the appearance of my Dianki, and I approached them.
I was mistaken, after accepting people, sat around those fires, for the herdsmen. This simply there were peasant children from the adjacent villages, which guarded herd. In the hot summer time of horses they expel on the night to feed in the field: in the daytime fly and gadflies would not give to them rest. To expel before the evening and to fit at the morning dawn herd -large holiday for the peasant boys. Sitting without the caps and in the old sheepskin coats on most briskklyachonkakh, they mchatsya with the merry whooping and the cry, stirring by hands and by legs, highly they jump, bell laugh loud. Light dust rises and rushes by yellow post along the road; friendly footfall far resounds, horses run, after sharpening ears; in front of all, after beginning to tear tail and incessantly changing feet, skips any red kosmach, with the acrimony in the jumbled mane.
I said to boys, that it strayed, and it took a seat to them. They asked me, from where 4, they hushed, and they stood aside. We a little had a talk. I lay down for a while under the gnawed bush and it began to look around. Picture was wonderful: it shook and as if died near the fires, being abutted against the darkness, round reddish reflection; flame, flaring up, it rarely threw for the feature of that circle rapid reflections; the thin language of light will lick the naked branches of loznika andat once it will disappear; sharp, long shadows, being dug in on the instant, in turn, they ran so far as far as the flames themselves: gloom fought with the light. Sometimes, when flame burnt more weakly and circle of light it was reduced, horse head suddenly was advanced from the moved dark, bay, with the twisting hole, or entire white, attentively and dully it looked on us, quickly chewing long grass, I, again descending, immediately it hid itself. It was only audibly, as it continued to chew and it otfyrkivalas'. It is difficult to examine from the illuminated place, which is done in the darkness, and therefore near everything seemed by the drawn almost black curtain; but further to the horizon by long spots vaguely were seen hills and forests. Dark clean sky solemnly and immensely highly stood above us with entire its mysterious splendour. Breast sweet was troubled, inhaling that special, wearisome and fresh smelled - it smelled Russian summer night. Around it was heard almost no noise... Only rarely in the close river with the sudden sonorous ness will splash large fish and coastal reed weakly will noise, hardly pokoleblennyy by the run across wave... Some flames very quietly crackled
Boys sat around them; here sat those two dogs, which so it was it was wanted me to eat. They still for long could not be reconciled with my presence and, sleepily squinting and mowing to the fire, rarely they growled with an unusual sense of self-respect; first they growled, and then slightly they squealed, as if sozhaleya about the impossibility to carry out its desire. All boys there were five: Fedya, Pavlusha, Ilyusha, Kostya and Vanya.
To the first, to elder of all, To Fedya, you would give years fourteen. This was ordered boy, with the beautiful and the thin, by the little small features of face, by curly blond hair, by bright eyes and by constant poluveseloy, by the semiscattered smile. It belonged, on all signs, to the rich family and leave- that in the field not on the need, and so, for the amusement. On it there was motley cotton shirt with the yellow border; small new armyachok, put on vnakidku, only it was held on its uzen'kikh clothes-hangers; on the pale blue belt of visel comb. Its boots with the low tops of a boot were accurately its boots - notpaternal. In the second boy, Pavlushi, hair were vsklochennye, black, eyes are grey, cheek-bones are wide, face is pale, speckled, the mouth of large, <End of Translation>
But correct, entire head is enormous, as the saying goes, beer boiler, and body thickset, clumsy. Small was plain, - that also to speak! - And nevertheless it to me was pleased: it looked very wisely and directly, yes even in his voice sounded force. It could not show off by the clothing of its: entire it consisted of simple zamashnoy shirt yes from thezaplatannykh ports. Face of the third, Il'yushi, it was sufficiently insignificant: hook-nosed, elongated, weak-sighted, it expressed some dull, unhealthy care; its compressed lips did not stir, the moved eyebrows did not disperse - it as if everyone it squinted from the fire. Its yellow, almost white hair projected by sharp kositsami from under thenizen'koy felt cap, which it by both hands continually moved to it to the ears. On it there were new bast sandals and puttees; thick rope, three times interwoven around the camp, it thoroughly tightened its neat black to roll. And to it and Pavlushe to the form was not more than twelve years. The fourth, Kostya, the boy of years of ten, excited my curiosity by its pensive and sad look. Entire its face was small, it is bad, in the freckles, it is downward sharpened, as in squirrel; lips hardly can be distinguished; but the strange impression produced its large, black, by liquid lustre the shone eyes: they, it seemed they wanted to express something, for which in the language, - in its language at least, - there were no words. It was small increase, the addition of frail and it is dressed sufficiently poorly. Latter, Vanya, I was first and it did not note: it lay on the earth, smirnekhon'ko of prikornuv under the angular bast mat, and it only rarely advanced from under it its light-brown curly head. To this boy there were only of years seven.
Thus, I lay under the bush at the side and cast looks to the boys. Small of kotel'chik of visel above one of the fires; in it were cooked the "potatoes", Pavlusha controlled it and, costing on the elbows, it poked by chip into the boiled water. Fedya lay, opershis' to the elbow and after stretching the hems of its armyaka. Il'yusha sat next to the bones and everything so napryazhennosquinted. Kostya lowered a little head and looked somewhere far. Vanya did not stir under his bast mat. I was shut by that sleeping
All hushed.
- A that, - asked Fedya, - potatoes did weld?
Pavlusha felt them.
- No, other cheeses... You vish', it splashed, - it added, after turning face in the direction of river, - must be, pike... But there asterisk was rolled.
- No, 4 to you that, brothers, I will describe, - addressed Kostya thin goloskom, - listen to- kA, lately that tyatya with me said.
- Well, we listen to, - with the patronizing form said Fedya.
- You indeed know Gabriel, suburban carpenter?
- Well yes; we know.
- A you do know, why it such entire joyless, everything keeps silent, you do know? Here why it such joyless. It went once, tyaten'ka spoke, - it went, brothers are my, in the forest on the nuts. It here went into the forest on the nuts, yes even it strayed; it visited - god knows kudy it visited. Already it walked, it walked, brothers are my, - no! Roads cannot find; and already night outside. It here and squatted under the tree; give, it is said, I will wait for the morning, - it squatted and dozed off. Here it dozed off and it hears suddenly, someone calls it. It looks - no one. It again dozed off - again they call. It again looks, it looks: and mermaid sits before it on the branch, it rocks and calls it to itself, and itself dies to laughter, it laughs... But month- that shines strongly, so it is strong, clearly shines month - all, brothers are my, evidently. It here calls it, and such entire svetlen'kaya itself, Belen'kaya sits on the branch, as if plotichka is what or gudgeon, - and that here another crucian is such whitish, silver... Gabriel- that carpenter so measurement, brothers are my, and she know it laughs loud yes it all to herself it is such by hand it calls. Already Gabriel it was and it arose, it obeyed it was mermaid, brothers are my, yes, to know, His Lord suggested an idea: assume- after all to itself cross... But already as to it it was difficult cross- that to place, brothers are my; he speaks, hand it is simple as rock, it does not turn... Ah you such, A!.. This is how it placed cross, brothers are my, rusalocka- that and to laugh it ceased, yes suddenly as it will begin to cry... It cries, brothers are my, it wipes eyes by hair, and hair in it green, that your hemp. Here it looked, Gabriel looked to it, and yes even it began it to ask: "what you, forest potion, you do cry?" A mermaid- that as it vzgovorit to him: "not to be crossed to you, he speaks, to cheloveche, to live to you with me on veselii to the end of the days; and to weeping 4, I am killed that is why, that you was crossed; yes not 4 one be killed I will be: however, be killed and you to the end of the days ". Here it, brothers are my, propala, and Gabriel immediately and ponyatstvenno became, as to him from to scaffolding, i.e., to leave... But only it entire joyless walks since then.
- ek! - Spoke Fedya after brief molchan'ya, - yes as this can such forest evil khrestiyanskuyu soul sportit', <End of Translation>
- The very same it did not obey?
- yes you here are podi! - said Kostya. - I Gabriel bail, that golosok, it is said, in by it such slender, sorrowful, as in toad.
- Your father same this did tell? - continued Fedya.
- Itself. I lay on the sleeping place, everything heard.
- The strange matter! What to it to be joyless? But, to know, he was pleased by it that called it.
- Yes, it was pleased! - caught Il'yusha. - As! To zashchekotat' she it wanted, this is what she wanted. This is the ikhneye matter, these mermaid- that.
- A indeed here and here must be mermaids, - noted Fedya.
- No, - answered Kostya, - here place is clean, free. One - river is close.
All smolkli. Suddenly, somewhere in the distance, was heard drawn-out, ringing, the almost stenyashchiy sound, one of those incomprehensible night sounds, which appear sometimes among the deep silence, they rise, they stand in air and they slowly resound finally, as if dying. You will listen - and as if there is nothing and it rings. It seemed someone for long, for long it shouted under the horizon itself, someone another as if answered to it in the scaffolding thin, by sharp laughter, and weak, the hissing whistle rushed past along the river. Boys exchanged glances, they shuddered...
- With us cross force! - whispered Ilya.
- 3x you, crow! - shouted Pavel. - What tyuey vspolokhnulis'? Look- kA, potatoes welded. (All pushed up to kotel'chiku and began to eat the smoking potatoes; one Vanya did not stir.however) that you? - said Pavel.
But it did not come out from under its bast mat. Kotel'chik soon entire was emptied.
Dawn still nowhere rouged, but already it whitened in the east. Everything became evident, although it is vaguely evident, around. Pale gray sky brightened, it grew cold, it turned blue; stars that blinked by gleam, that they disappeared; the earth dampened, leaves became covered with moisture, living sounds somewhere began to be heard, voice, and liquid, early breeze already went to wander and to flutter above the earth. Body my answered it by light, by merry trembling. 4 quickly it arose and approached the boys. They all slept as killed around the glowing bonfire; one Pavel raised himself to half and fixedly looked to me.
I nodded to it by head and went vosvoyasi along the begun to smokeriver. It did not have time 4 to go away two versts, as they already began to pour by circle me on the wide wet meadow, and from the front, on the turned green hills, from to scaffolding to to scaffolding, and from behind along the long dusty road, on those sparkling, to the stained with blood bushes, and along the river, shyly turned blue from under the thinning fog, - began to pour first ruby-colour, then red, the gold flows of young, hot light... Everything stirred, it awoke, it began to sing, it noised, it addressed. By everywhere radiant diamonds reddened the major drops of dew; to me towards, clean and clear, as if also washed by morning coolness, the sounds of bell were brought, and suddenly past me, driven on by familiar boys, rushed past the rested herd...
English/Story
Alex Trofimov Page 1 08/05/2007