Now the next time that the herald called upon the Bears to "go a-laughing," (ну и вот, следующий раз, когда глашатай призвал Медведей посмеяться) the skin of the Laugh-maker was almost dry (шкура Смехунчика была почти сухой = почти высохла), but they knew nothing of it (но они ничего не знали об этом). They went away as usual (они ушли как обычно), and left the young man alone with his son (и оставили молодого человека одного с его сыном). But he (но он), knowing that his wife's kinsfolk would kill him (зная, что родня его жены убьет его) when they discovered (когда они обнаружат) what he had done (что он сделал), took the skin for a quiver (взял шкуру для колчана = чтобы сшить из нее колчан) and went homeward with his child (и направился домой со своим ребенком;
almost [`Llmqust], alone [q`lqun], quiver [`kwIvq]
Now the next time that the herald called upon the Bears to "go a-laughing," the skin of the Laugh-maker was almost dry, but they knew nothing of it. They went away as usual, and left the young man alone with his son. But he, knowing that his wife's kinsfolk would kill him when they discovered what he had done, took the skin for a quiver and went homeward with his child.
The Friendly Skeleton (Доброжелательный Скелет)
An old man and his little nephew once lived in a dark woods (старик и его маленький племянник когда-то жили в темной дровосеке). One day the man went hunting (однажды старик: «мужчина» ушел охотиться = на охоту), and just before leaving (и как раз перед уходом) told the boy he must not go eastward (сказал мальчику, что тот не должен ходить на восток). But the boy became tired of playing in one place (но мальчик устал играть на одном месте), and was one day tempted to go in the forbidden direction (и однажды не удержался и пошел в запретном направлении;
nephew [`nevjH], eastward [`Jstwqd], forbidden [fq`bIdn], direction [dI`rekS(q)n, daI`rekS(q)n], engaged [In`geIGd]
An old man and his little nephew once lived in a dark woods. One day the man went hunting, and just before leaving told the boy he must not go eastward. But the boy became tired of playing in one place, and was one day tempted to go in the forbidden direction until he came to a large lake, where he stopped to play. While thus engaged a man came up to him and said, "Well, boy, where do you come from?"
The boy told him (мальчик рассказал ему) that he came from the woods (что он пришел из леса). Then the man said (тогда человек сказал), "Let us play together at shooting arrows (давай поиграем вместе в стрельбу из лука: «в стрельбу стрелами»)." So they shot off their arrows up into the air (итак, они выпустили свои стрелы вверх в воздух), and the boy's arrow went much the higher (и стрела мальчика ушла намного дальше). Then the man said, "Let us see (давай посмотрим) which can swim the farthest without breathing (который /из нас/ сможет проплыть дольше без дыхания = не дыша)," and again the boy beat the man (и снова мальчик победил мужчину;
breathing [`bri:DIN], beat [bJt], island [`aIlqnd], canoe [kq`nH], swan [swOn], propel [prq`pel]
The boy told him that he came from the woods. Then the man said, "Let us play together at shooting arrows." So they shot off their arrows up into the air, and the boy's arrow went much the higher. Then the man said, "Let us see which can swim the farthest without breathing," and again the boy beat the man. Then the latter said, "Let us go to the island, where you will see many pretty birds." So they entered the canoe. Now, on either side of the canoe were three swans which propelled it.