Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

The second pursuer came, running and panting, only a little way behind. When he

saw me, he stopped as if he were frightened. I ran toward him, with my gun to my

shoulder.

As I came nearer, I saw that he had a bow and arrow and was taking aim at me.

What could I do but shoot? He fell to the ground and never moved again.

I now looked around to see what had become of the poor captive. I saw him

standing still and gazing at me. The noise of my gun had frightened him so that he did not

know what to do.

I called to him: "Come here, my good fellow I will not hurt you."

But of course he did not understand. Then I motioned to him with signs. He came

a little way and then stopped. He came a little farther and stopped again. He was

trembling like a leaf.

No doubt he was afraid that he would be killed as his two pursuers had been.

I spoke kindly to him and made signs that I would not hurt him. He came nearer

and nearer, trembling, and kneeling down at almost every step.

I smiled; I looked as pleasant as I could; I made still other signs.

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He came quite close to me. He laid his head upon the ground. He took hold of my

foot and set it on his neck. This was his way of saying that he would be my slave forever.

I took hold of his hand and lifted him up. I spoke kindly to him.

Thus I at last got hold of a savage, as I had so long desired.

I AM PLEASED WITH MY MAN FRIDAY (я доволен моим человеком

Пятницей)

THE savage spoke to me. I could not understand his words (не мог понять его

слов), but they were very pleasant to hear (они были приятными на слух, было

приятно их слышать). For it had now been more than twenty-five years since I had

heard the sound of a man's voice (так как было = прошло уже более 25 лет с того

времени, когда я слышал звук человеческого голоса).

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He pointed to the two savages (указал на двух дикарей) who had been pursuing

him (преследовали его). They were lying on the ground where they had fallen. Both

were quite dead (совершенно мертвы).

He could not understand how I had killed the second savage (как я убил второго

дикаря) when he was so far away from me (когда он был так далеко от меня). He

made signs that I should let him see whether his enemy was really dead or only

pretending to be so (делал знаки, что я должен дать ему посмотреть = показать ему,

действительно ли его враг был мертв или только притворялся быть таковым).

I told him, as well as I could, that he might go to him (мог пойти к нему). He ran

to the fallen savage and looked at him. He turned him first on one side and then on the

other. He seemed very much puzzled (озадаченным).

Then he picked up the savage's bow and arrows (лук и стрелы) and brought them

to me.

I turned to go back to my castle and beckoned him to follow me (поманил его

последовать за мной).

He stood quite still for a moment and then pointed again to the bodies on the

ground (указал опять на тела на земле). By signs he asked me if he might bury them

(знаками он спросил меня, мог ли похоронить их), lest the other savages should come

up and find them there (чтобы другие дикари не смогли прийти и найти их там). I

answered by signs and gave him leave (дал ему разрешение).

The work was quickly done (работа была быстро сделана). With a sharp stick

(острой палкой) and his big hands he soon dug two big holes in the sand (вырыл две

большие ямы в песке). He laid the bodies in them and covered them up (положил в них

тела и покрыл = засыпал их). Then he smoothed the sand (разровнял) and patted it

down so (притоптал его так) that no one could see that it had been touched (что никто

не смог бы увидеть, что он был тронут = что здесь рыли).

Having thus put the two savages out of sight he turned to me again (убрав таким

образом двоих дикарей из виду, он повернулся ко мне опять). I motioned him to

follow me (показал ему знаком следовать за мной). But on second thought I did not go

back to the castle. I led him far into the woods, to my new cave of which I have told you.

Once inside of that cave (внутри пещеры), I felt safe (почувствовал себя в

безопасности).

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I gave the poor fellow some bread (хлеба) and a bunch of raisins to eat (горсть

изюма съесть). I gave him also a drink of water from a jug (глоток воды из кувшина),

and he was so thirsty (испытывал жажду; to be thirsty — испытывать жажду) from

running that he came near drinking it all (почти выпил ее всю).

Then I showed him a place where I had put some rice straw (рисовую солому)