Johnny-cake 1

ONCE upon a time there was an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy. One morning the old woman made a Johnny-cake, and put it in the oven to bake.

"You watch the Johnny-cake while your father and I go out to work in the garden," said the old woman to the boy.

So the old man and the old woman went out and began to hoe potatoes, 2 and left the little boy to look after the oven. But he didn't watch it all the time, and suddenly he heard a noise. The boy looked up. The oven door had opened itself. Then Johnny-cake jumped out of the oven, and rolled towards the open door of the house. The little boy ran to shut the door, but Johnny-cake was too quick for him, and rolled through the door, down the steps, and out into the road. The little boy cried out to his father and mother and ran after Johnny-cake as fast as he could. When the parents heard the noise, they threw down their hoes and gave chase too. 3 But Johnny-cake outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight, 4 while they had to sit down, all out of breath, on a bank to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, 5 and soon he came to two well-diggers, 6 who were digging a well. They looked up from their work and called out, "Where are you going, Johnny-cake?"

He said, "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you too—о—о!"

"You can, can you? We'll see about that!" said they, and they threw down their picks and ran after him. But they couldn't catch up with him, and soon they had to sit down by the roadside to rest.

On ran Johnny-cake, and soon he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch. "Where are you going, Johnny-cake?" asked they.

He said, "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and I can outrun you too—о—о!"

"You can, can you? We'll see about that!" said they, and they threw down their spades, and ran after him too. But Johnny-cake soon outran them also, so they gave up the chase 7 and sat down to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and soon he came to a bear. The bear asked, "Where are you going, Johnny-cake?"

He said, "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and I can outrun you too—о—о!"

"You can, can you?" said the bear in his gruff voice. "We'll see about that!" And the bear ran as fast as his legs could carry him after Johnny-cake, who never stopped to look behind him. But soon the bear was left so far behind that he gave up the chase at last, and he lay down by the roadside to rest.

 

  

 

On went Johnny-cake, and soon he came to a wolf. The wolf asked, "Where are you going, Johnny-cake?"

He said, "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers and a bear, and I can outrun you too—о—о!"

"You can, can you?" said the wolf in his horrible angry voice. "We'll see about that!" And he ran after Johnny-cake, who went on and on so fast that the wolf too saw that he could not hope to catch him, and he too lay down to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and soon he came to a fox that lay quietly in a corner by a fence. The fox called out in a sharp voice, "Where are you going, Johnny-cake?" But the fox did not get up.

Johnny-cake said, "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers and two ditch-diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can outrun you too—о—о!" "I can't quite hear you, Johnny-cake, won't you come a little closer?" said the fox and turned his head a little to one side.

Johnny-cake stopped running for the first time. Then he went a little closer, and called out in a very loud voice,

"I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you too—о—о!"

"I can't quite hear you; won't you come a little closer?" said the fox in a weak voice, as he turned his head towards Johnny-cake, and put one paw behind his ear.

Johnny-cake came up close. He leaned towards the fox and screamed out, 8 "I'VE OUTRUN AN OLD MAN, AND AN OLD WOMAN, AND A LITTLE BOY, AND TWO WELL-DIGGERS, AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, AND A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU TOO-O-O!"

"You can, can you?" cried the fox, and he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye. 9

 

 

1 Johnny-cake — Джонни-пончик

2 to hoe potatoes — окучивать картофель

3 and gave chase too — тоже пустились в погоню

4 outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight - намного обогнал всех троих и вскоре скрылся из виду

5 On went Johnny-cake — Дальше покатился7Джонни-пончик (Здесь и далее в сказках для усиления смысла используется инверсия, т.е. изменение обычного порядка слов в предложении.)

6 well-diggers — землекопы, роющие колодец; далее: ditch-diggers —землекопы, роющие канаву

7 they gave up the chase - они прекратили погоню

8 He leaned towards the fox and screamed out — Он наклонился к лисе и пронзительно закричал

9 in the twinkling of an eye — в мгновение ока