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The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk by Thornton W. Burgess, III. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE OLD BARREL

III. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE OLD BARREL

Peter Rabbit's jump over the old barrel on the edge of the hill was unexpected to Reddy Fox. In fact, Reddy was so close on Peter's heels that he had no thought of anything but catching Peter. He was running so fast that when Peter made his flying jump over the barrel, Reddy did not have time to jump too, and he ran right smack bang against that old barrel. Now you remember that that barrel was right on the edge of the hill. When Reddy ran against it, he hit it so hard that he rolled it over, and of course that started it down the hill. You know a barrel is a very rolly sort of thing, and once it has started down a hill, nothing can stop it.

It was just so this time. Reddy Fox had no more than picked himself up when the barrel was half way down the hill and going faster and faster. It bounced along over the ground, and every time it hit a little hummock it seemed to jump right up in the air. And all the time it was making the strangest noises. Reddy quite forgot the smarting sore places where he had bumped into the barrel. He simply stood and stared at the runaway.

"As I live," he exclaimed, "I believe there was some one in that old barrel!" There was. You remember that Jimmy Skunk had curled up in there for a nap. Now Jimmy was awake, very much awake. You see, for once in his life he was moving fast, very much faster than ever he had moved before since he was born. And it wasn't at all comfortable. No, Sir, it wasn't at all a comfortable way in which to travel. He went over and over so fast that it made him dizzy. First he was right side up and then wrong side up, so fast that he couldn't tell which side up he was. And every time that old barrel jumped when it went over a hummock, Jimmy was tossed up so that he hit whatever part of the barrel happened to be above him. Of course, he couldn't get out, because he was rolled over and over so fast that he didn't have a chance to try.

Now Reddy didn't know who was in the barrel. He just knew by the sounds that some one was. So he started down the hill after the barrel to see what would happen when it stopped. All the time Peter Rabbit was dancing about in the greatest excitement, but taking the greatest care to keep close to that old house of Johnny Chuck's so as to pop into it in case of danger. He saw that Reddy Fox had quite forgotten all about him in his curiosity as to who was in the barrel, and he chuckled as he thought of what might happen when the barrel stopped rolling and Reddy found out. Sammy Jay was flying overhead, screaming enough to split his throat. Altogether, it was quite the most exciting thing Peter had ever seen.

Now it just happened that Old Man Coyote had started to cross the Green Meadows right at the foot of the hill just as the barrel started down. Of course, he heard the noise and looked up to see what it meant. When he saw that barrel rushing right down at him, it frightened him so that he just gave one yelp and started for the Old Pasture like a gray streak. He gave Peter a chance to see just how fast he can run, and Peter made up his mind right then that he never would run a race with Old Man Coyote.

Down at the bottom of the hill was a big stone, and when the barrel hit this, the hoops broke, and the barrel fell all apart. Peter decided that it was high time for him to get out of sight. So he dodged into the old house of Johnny Chuck and lay low in the doorway, where he could watch. He saw Jimmy Skunk lay perfectly still, and a great fear crept into his heart. Had Jimmy been killed? He hadn't once thought of what might happen to Jimmy when he planned that joke. But presently Jimmy began to wave first one leg and then another, as if to make sure that he had some legs left. Then slowly he rolled over and got on to his feet. Peter breathed a sigh of relief.

III. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE OLD BARREL

Peter Rabbit’s jump over the old barrel on the edge of the hill was unexpected to Reddy Fox. Стрибок Кролика Пітера через стару бочку на краю пагорба був несподіваним для Лиса Рудого. In fact, Reddy was so close on Peter’s heels that he had no thought of anything but catching Peter. Насправді Редді так близько наступав Пітеру на п'яти, що не думав ні про що інше, окрім як зловити Пітера. He was running so fast that when Peter made his flying jump over the barrel, Reddy did not have time to jump too, and he ran right smack bang against that old barrel. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||正好|||||桶 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||smack|bang|||| Він біг так швидко, що коли Пітер зробив свій стрибок через бочку, Редді не встиг перестрибнути і врізався прямо в стару бочку. Now you remember that that barrel was right on the edge of the hill. Тепер ви пам'ятаєте, що ця бочка стояла на самому краю пагорба. When Reddy ran against it, he hit it so hard that he rolled it over, and of course that started it down the hill. Коли Редді зіткнувся з ним, він вдарив його так сильно, що той перекинувся, і, звісно, від цього він покотився з пагорба. You know a barrel is a very rolly sort of thing, and once it has started down a hill, nothing can stop it.

It was just so this time. Цього разу було саме так. Reddy Fox had no more than picked himself up when the barrel was half way down the hill and going faster and faster. Редді Фокс не встиг оговтатися, як бочка вже наполовину спустилася з пагорба і мчала все швидше і швидше. It bounced along over the ground, and every time it hit a little hummock it seemed to jump right up in the air. |弹||||||||||||小土丘||||||||| |bounced||||||||||||hummock||||||||| Він підстрибував над землею, і щоразу, коли вдарявся об невеликий горбок, здавалося, що він підстрибує прямо в повітря. And all the time it was making the strangest noises. І весь час він видавав дивні звуки. Reddy quite forgot the smarting sore places where he had bumped into the barrel. ||||疼痛|伤口|||||||| Редді зовсім забув про ниючі болі в тих місцях, де він вдарився об стовбур. He simply stood and stared at the runaway. Він просто стояв і дивився на втікача.

"As I live," he exclaimed, "I believe there was some one in that old barrel!" ||||exclaimed|||||||||| "Клянуся життям, - вигукнув він, - я вірю, що в тій старій бочці хтось був!" There was. You remember that Jimmy Skunk had curled up in there for a nap. ||||||蜷|||||| Пам'ятаєте, Джиммі Сканк згорнувся там, щоб подрімати. Now Jimmy was awake, very much awake. Тепер Джиммі прокинувся, дуже прокинувся. You see, for once in his life he was moving fast, very much faster than ever he had moved before since he was born. Розумієте, вперше в житті він рухався швидко, набагато швидше, ніж будь-коли раніше, відколи народився. And it wasn’t at all comfortable. |||||舒服 No, Sir, it wasn’t at all a comfortable way in which to travel. He went over and over so fast that it made him dizzy. |||||||||||dizzy First he was right side up and then wrong side up, so fast that he couldn’t tell which side up he was. Спочатку він перевернувся на правий бік, а потім на лівий, так швидко, що не встиг зрозуміти, на якому він боці. And every time that old barrel jumped when it went over a hummock, Jimmy was tossed up so that he hit whatever part of the barrel happened to be above him. |||||||||||||||被扔||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||tossed||||||||||||||| І кожного разу, коли стара бочка підстрибувала, переїжджаючи через горбик, Джиммі підкидало так, що він вдарявся об ту частину бочки, яка опинялася над ним. Of course, he couldn’t get out, because he was rolled over and over so fast that he didn’t have a chance to try.

Now Reddy didn’t know who was in the barrel. He just knew by the sounds that some one was. Він просто знав по звуках, що хтось був. So he started down the hill after the barrel to see what would happen when it stopped. All the time Peter Rabbit was dancing about in the greatest excitement, but taking the greatest care to keep close to that old house of Johnny Chuck’s so as to pop into it in case of danger. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||跳|||||| Весь цей час Кролик Пітер танцював у великому захваті, але намагався триматися якомога ближче до старого будинку Джонні Чака, щоб у разі небезпеки заскочити туди. He saw that Reddy Fox had quite forgotten all about him in his curiosity as to who was in the barrel, and he chuckled as he thought of what might happen when the barrel stopped rolling and Reddy found out. |||||||||||||||||||||||笑了|||||||||||||||| Він побачив, що Редді Фокс зовсім забув про нього у своїй цікавості, хто ж був у бочці, і засміявся, подумавши про те, що може статися, коли бочка перестане котитися і Редді дізнається про це. Sammy Jay was flying overhead, screaming enough to split his throat. ||||||||裂开|| ||||||||split|| Семмі Джей пролітав над головою, кричачи так, що йому розірвало горло. Altogether, it was quite the most exciting thing Peter had ever seen. altogether||||||||||| Загалом, це було найзахоплююче, що Пітер коли-небудь бачив.

Now it just happened that Old Man Coyote had started to cross the Green Meadows right at the foot of the hill just as the barrel started down. |||||||Coyote|||||||||||||||just||||| Так сталося, що Старий Койот почав перетинати Зелені Луки біля підніжжя пагорба саме тоді, коли бочка почала спускатися вниз. Of course, he heard the noise and looked up to see what it meant. |||||||||||||意味着 When he saw that barrel rushing right down at him, it frightened him so that he just gave one yelp and started for the Old Pasture like a gray streak. |||||||||||||||||||叫声|||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||yelp|||||||||| When he saw that barrel rushing right down at him, it frightened him so that he just gave one yelp and started for the Old Pasture like a gray streak. Коли він побачив, що бочка мчить прямо на нього, він так злякався, що лише зойкнув і побіг до Старого Пасовища, як сіра смуга. He gave Peter a chance to see just how fast he can run, and Peter made up his mind right then that he never would run a race with Old Man Coyote. Він дав Пітеру шанс побачити, наскільки швидко він може бігати, і тоді ж Пітер вирішив, що ніколи не буде брати участь у перегонах зі Старим Койотом.

Down at the bottom of the hill was a big stone, and when the barrel hit this, the hoops broke, and the barrel fell all apart. ||||||||||||||||||箍||||||| ||||||||||||||||||hoops||||||| Внизу пагорба був великий камінь, і коли бочка вдарилася об нього, обручі зламалися, і бочка розвалилася на шматки. Peter decided that it was high time for him to get out of sight. Петро вирішив, що настав час йому зникнути з поля зору. So he dodged into the old house of Johnny Chuck and lay low in the doorway, where he could watch. ||躲进||||||||||||||||| ||dashed||||||||||||||||| Тож він прокрався до старого будинку Джонні Чака і причаївся у дверях, де міг спостерігати. He saw Jimmy Skunk lay perfectly still, and a great fear crept into his heart. |||||||||||crept||| Він побачив, що Джиммі Сканк лежить абсолютно нерухомо, і великий страх закрався в його серце. Had Jimmy been killed? He hadn’t once thought of what might happen to Jimmy when he planned that joke. Він жодного разу не подумав про те, що може статися з Джиммі, коли планував цей жарт. But presently Jimmy began to wave first one leg and then another, as if to make sure that he had some legs left. Але ось Джиммі почав махати спочатку однією ногою, а потім іншою, ніби переконуючись, що у нього ще залишилися ноги. Then slowly he rolled over and got on to his feet. Потім повільно перевернувся і звівся на ноги. Peter breathed a sigh of relief. Peter breathed a sigh of relief. Петро полегшено зітхнув.