THE SNAKE AND THE BELL by L. BeckeW

THE SNAKE AND THE BELL by L. Becke

When I was a child of eight years of age, a curious incident occurred in the house in which our family lived. The place was Mosman's Bay, one of the many picturesque indentations of the beautiful harbour of Sydney. In those days the houses were few and far apart, and our own dwelling was surrounded on all sides by the usual Australian forest far back from the main road.

The building itself was in the form of a quadrangle enclosing a courtyard, on to which nearly all the rooms opened; each room having a bell over the door, the wires running all round the square, while the f ront-door bell; hung in the hall.

One cold and windy evening about eight o'clock, my mother, my sisters, and myself were sitting in the dining-room awaiting the arrival of my brothers from Sydney — they attended school there, and rowed or sailed the six miles to and fro every day, generalIy returning home by dusk. On this particular evening, however, they were late, on account of the wind blowing rather freshly from the north-east; but presently we heard the front-door bell ring gently.

"Here they are at last," said my mother; "but how silly of them to go to the front-door on such a windy night!"

Julia, the servant, candle in hand, went along the lengthy passage, and opened the door. No one was there! She came back to the dining-room when the bell again rang — this time vigorously. My eldest sister threw down the book she was reading, and with an impatient exclamation herself went to the door, opened it quickly, and said sharply as she pulled it inwards — "Come in at once, you stupid things!" There was no answer, and she stepped outside on the veranda. No one was visible, and again the big bell in the hall rang!

She shut the door angrily and returned to her seat, just as the bell gave a curious, faint tinkle.

"Don't take any notice of them," said my mother, "they will soon get tired of playing such silly tricks, and be eager for their supper."

Presently the bell gave out three clear strokes. We looked at each other and smiled. Five minutes passed, and then came eight or ten gentle strokes.

"Let us catch them," said my mother, rising, and holding her finger up to us to preserve silence, as she stepped softly along the hall, we following on tiptoe.

Softly turning the handle, she suddenly threw the door wide open, just as the bell gave another jangle. Not a soul was visible!

My mother — one of the most placid-tempered women who ever breathed, now became annoyed, and stepping out on the veranda, addressed herself to the darkness — "Come inside at once, boys, or I shall be very angry. I know perfectly well what you have done; you have tied a string to the bell-wires, and are pulling it. If you don't stop you shall have no supper."

No answer — except from the hall bell, which gave another tinkle.

"Bring a candle and the step-ladder, Julia," said our mother, "and we shall see what these foolish boys have done to the bell-wire."

Julia brought the ladder; my eldest sister mounted it, and began to examine the bell. She could see nothing unusual, no string or wire, and as she descended, the bell swayed and gave one faint stroke!

We all returned to the sitting-room, and had scarcely been there five minutes when we heard my three brothers coming in, in their usual way, by the back door. They tramped into the sitting-room, noisy, dirty, and hungry, and demanded supper in a loud voice. My mother looked at them angrily, and said they deserved none.

"Why, mum, what's the matter?" said Ted; "what have we been doing now, or what have we not done, that we don't deserve any supper, after pulling for two hours from Circular Quay."

"You know perf ectly well what I mean. It is most inconsiderate of you to play such silly tricks upon us.

Ted gazed at her in astonishment. "Silly tricks, rnother! What silly tricks?" (Julia crossed herself, and trembled visibly as the bell again rang.)

My mother, at once satisfied that Ted and my other brothers really knew nothing of the mysterious bell-ringing, quickly explained the cause of her anger.

"Let us go and see if we can find out," said Ted. "You two boys, and you, Julia, get all the lanterns, light them, and we'll start out together — two on one side of the house and two on the other."

We ran out, lit three lanterns, and my next eldest brother and myself, feeling horribly frightened, were told to go round the house, beginning from the left, and meet Ted at the hall door, he going round from the right.

With shaking limbs and gasping breath we made our portion of the circuit, sticking close to each other, and carefully avoiding looking at anything. We arrived on the veranda, and in front of the hall door, quite five minutes before Ted appeared.

"Well, did you see anything?" he asked, as he walked up the steps, lantern in hand.

"Nothing," we answered.

Ted looked at us contemptuously. "You miserable little curs! What are you so frightened of? You're no better than a pack of women and kids. It's the wind that has made the bell ring, or, if it's not the wind, it is something else which I don't know anything about; but I want my supper. Pull the bell, one of you."

Then Ted, raised his lantern so as to get a look upwards, and gave a yell.

"Oh, look there!"

We looked up, and saw the twisting coils of a huge carpet snake, which had wound its body round and round the bell-wire on top of the wall plate. Its head was downwards, and it did not seem at all alarmed at our presence, but went on wriggling and twisting.

Then the step-ladder was brought out, and Ted, seizing the reptile by the tail, uncoiled it with some difficulty from the wire, and threw it down upon the veranda.

It was over nine feet in length, and very fat, and had caused all the disturbance by trying to denude itself of its old skin by dragging its body between the bell-wire and the top of the wall.

Результаты (русский) 1:

ЗМЕЯ и колокол, L. BeckeКогда я был ребенком в возрасте восьми лет, любопытная(ый) инцидент произошел в доме, в котором жила наша семья. Это место было Mosman в залив, один из многих живописных отступы красивую гавань Сиднея. В те дни дома были несколько и далеко друг от друга, и наши собственные жилища был окружен со всех сторон обычно Австралийский лес далеко от главной дороги.Само здание было в виде четырехугольника, включающего двор, на котором открыт почти все номера; в каждом номере, имея колокола над дверью, проводов, работает все вокруг площади, а f распределяющих дверной звонок; висела в зале.Одна холодная и ветреная, вечером около восьми часов, моя мать, мои сестры и я сидели в столовой ожидают прибытия моих братьев от Сиднея — они посещали школу там и проплыли или отплыли шесть миль взад и вперед каждый день, generalIy, возвращаясь домой в сумерках. В этот вечер, однако, они были поздно, по причине ветер дует довольно свежей северо-востока; но в настоящее время мы услышали кольцо колокола дверь мягко.«Вот они наконец,» сказал моей матери; «но как глупо из них идти к передней двери на такой ветреная ночь!»Юлия, слуга, свечу в руки, пошел вдоль длительным течением и открыл дверь. Никто не был там! Она вернулась в столовой, когда раздался снова — на этот раз энергично. Моя старшая сестра бросил вниз книги она была чтения и с восклицательным нетерпение, сама пошла к двери, открыл ее быстро и резко сказал, как она тянет внутрь — «Войти на один раз, вы глупые вещи!» Ответа не было, и она шагнула снаружи на веранде. Никто было видно, и снова большой в зале раздался!Она сердито закрыл дверь и вернулся в свое место, так же, как колокол дало любопытные, слабый звон.«Не принимать какого-либо уведомления о них», говорит моя мать, «они скоро надоест играть такие глупые трюки и быть готовы для их ужин.»В настоящее время колокола дал три четкие штрихи. Мы смотрели друг на друга и улыбнулся. Пять минут прошло, а потом пришли восемь или десять нежные штрихи.«Давайте поймать их,» сказал моей матери, растет и проведение её палец до нас сохранять молчание, как она шагнула мягко вдоль зала, мы после на цыпочках.Мягко поворота ручки, она вдруг бросил двери широко открыты, как раз как колокол дал другой звяк. Не душа было видно!Моя мать — один из наиболее спокойный закаленное женщин, которые когда-либо дышал, теперь стало досадно и выйдя на веранде, адресованных себя тьму — «приходят внутри на один раз, мальчики, или я должен быть очень зол. Я прекрасно знаю, что вы сделали; Вы связали строки на Белл-провода и потянув его. Если вы не прекратите вы должны иметь без ужин.»Нет ответа — за исключением зал колокол, который дал другой звон.«Принесите свечи и стремянки, Юлия,» сказал нашей матери, и мы увидим, что эти глупые ребята сделали Белл проволока.»Юлия принесли по лестнице; Моя старшая сестра монтируется он и начал рассматривать в колокол. Она могла видеть, ничего необычного, нет строки или проволоки, и как она спустилась, колокол раскачивались и дал один слабый удар!Мы все вернулись в гостиную и вряд ли был там пять минут, когда мы услышали мои три брата, приходя в, в их обычным способом, на задней двери. Они уходили в гостиной, шумной, грязной и голодных и востребованных ужин в громким голосом. Моя мать сердито смотрел на них и сказал, что они заслуживают ни.«Почему, мама, что такое дело?» сказал Тед; «то, что мы делали сейчас, или что мы не сделали, что мы не заслуживаем любой ужин, после потянув за два часа от Циркьюлар Квай».«Вы знаете, perf ectly хорошо что я имею в виду. Это самый невнимательный из вас играть такие глупые трюки на нас.Тед взглянул на нее в изумление. «Глупые трюки, rnother! Какие глупые трюки?» (Юлия пересекли себя и заметно дрожал, как снова раздался).Моя мать, сразу удовлетворен, что Тед и мои братья действительно ничего не знал о таинственный звон колокола, быстро объяснил причину ее гнев.«Препятствуйте нам пойти и посмотреть, если мы можем найти вне,» сказал Тед. «Двух мальчиков и вы, Юлия, получить все фонари, свет их, и мы будем начать вместе — два на одной стороне дома и два с другой.»We ran out, lit three lanterns, and my next eldest brother and myself, feeling horribly frightened, were told to go round the house, beginning from the left, and meet Ted at the hall door, he going round from the right.With shaking limbs and gasping breath we made our portion of the circuit, sticking close to each other, and carefully avoiding looking at anything. We arrived on the veranda, and in front of the hall door, quite five minutes before Ted appeared."Well, did you see anything?" he asked, as he walked up the steps, lantern in hand."Nothing," we answered.Ted looked at us contemptuously. "You miserable little curs! What are you so frightened of? You're no better than a pack of women and kids. It's the wind that has made the bell ring, or, if it's not the wind, it is something else which I don't know anything about; but I want my supper. Pull the bell, one of you."Then Ted, raised his lantern so as to get a look upwards, and gave a yell."Oh, look there!"We looked up, and saw the twisting coils of a huge carpet snake, which had wound its body round and round the bell-wire on top of the wall plate. Its head was downwards, and it did not seem at all alarmed at our presence, but went on wriggling and twisting.Then the step-ladder was brought out, and Ted, seizing the reptile by the tail, uncoiled it with some difficulty from the wire, and threw it down upon the veranda.It was over nine feet in length, and very fat, and had caused all the disturbance by trying to denude itself of its old skin by dragging its body between the bell-wire and the top of the wall.