своим деревенским пристанищем, деревенской резиденцией; seat — сиденье;
местонахождение). There was my pleasant summer house or bower (мой
приятный/симпатичный летний дом или беседка), where I liked to go for rest (куда
мне нравилось уходить отдохнуть).
In the middle of my bower (в центре беседки) I had my tent always set (я имел
мой навес всегда готовым). It was made of a piece of sail spread over some poles (из
куска паруса, натянутого на колья).
Under the tent I had made a soft couch (мягкую кушетку) with the skins of
animals and a blanket thrown over them (со шкурами животных и одеялом,
накинутым на них). Here, when the weather was fair, I often slept at night (здесь я
часто спал ночью при хорошей погоде).
A little way from the bower was the field in which I kept my cattle (держал мой
скот) — that is to say (то есть), my goats (коз).
I had taken great pains to fence and inclose this field (обнести забором и
огородить это поле). I was so fearful, lest the goats should break out (я так боялся, как
бы козы не вырвались наружу), that I worked many a day planting a hedge all around
(что я проработал много дней, высаживая /живую/ изгородь вокруг). The hedge
grew to be very tall and was as strong as a wall (крепким, как стена).
On the shore of the sea (на берегу моря), some distance beyond my summer
house (на некотором расстоянии от моего летнего дома), was the little inlet where I
had laid up my canoe (/узкий/ залив, где я хранил мое каноэ; to lay up —
откладывать, копить; выводить временно из строя).
gorgeous ['go: ə
ʤ s]
I LEARN TO BAKE AND AM PROSPEROUS
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www
. f ranklang . r u
136
I HAVE already told you about farming, and of the difficulties under which I did
my work. The thing which I wished to do most of all to make good bread. I tried many
plans, but it was several years before I could think of myself as a really good baker.
My barley was very fine. The grains were large and smooth. When boiled a long
time with a bit of goat's meat, they made good food.
But they did not take the place of bread. Before bread could be made, the grains
of barley must be ground into meal.
I tried pounding them with a stone. But that was slow work. The stone crumbled
into sand. My meal was worth nothing.
I looked all over the island for a harder stone. All were alike.
So at last I cut a large block of very hard wood. I rounded it on the outside with
my hatchet. Then, partly by chopping, partly by burning, I made a hollow place in the
end of it.
Out of a piece of ironwood I made a heavy pestle or beater.
I had now a very good little mill. In a short time I had crushed enough barley to
make meal for a large loaf.
It was easy to make the dough. I had only to mix the meal with water and knead it
with my hands. I must not think of yeast to make the dough light.
The baking part was the main thing, and the hardest to learn.
At first I put my biscuits of dough in the hot ashes and left them there till they
were baked. But I did not like these ash cakes very well.
Then I tried another plan.
I made two large earthen vessels. They were broad and shallow. Each was about
two feet across and not more than nine inches deep.
These I burned in the fire till they were as hard as rocks and as red as tiles.
I made also a hearth before my fireplace, and paved it with some square tiles of
my own making. But, perhaps I ought not to call them square.
The hearth, when finished, was quite level and smooth. It was as pretty as I could
have wished.
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www
. f ranklang . r u
137
Next I built a great fire of hard wood. When the wood had burned down, I raked
the hot coals out upon my hearth. I left them there till the hearth was hot through and
through.
My loaves of dough were all ready. I swept hearth clean and then put the loaves
down upon the hottest part of it.
Over each loaf I put one of the large earthen vessels I had made. Then I heaped
hot coals on the top of the vessel and all round the sides of it.
In a short time I lifted the vessels and took out my loaves. They were baked as
well as the best oven in the world could have baked them.
By trying and trying again, I at last learned to bake almost everything I wanted. I
baked cakes and rice pudding fit for a king. But I did not care for pies.
I now felt quite contented and prosperous. For did I not have everything that I
needed?
I had two homes on the island. I called them my plantations.
The first of these was my strong castle under the rock. I had enlarged it until my
cave contained many rooms, one opening into another.
The largest and driest of these was my storeroom. Here I kept the largest of my
earthen pots. Here also were fourteen or fifteen big baskets, all filled with grain.
My sitting room was not large, but it was made for comfort.
As for the wall in front of the castle, it was a wonderful thing. The long stakes
which I had driven down had all taken root. They had grown like trees, and were now so
big and so thick with branches that it was hard to see between them.
No one passing by would ever think there was a house behind this matted row of
trees.
Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, were my two barley
fields. These I cultivated with care, and from them I reaped a good harvest. As often as I
felt the need of more barley I made my fields larger.
Farther away was what I called my country seat. There was my pleasant summer
house or bower, where I liked to go for rest.
In the middle of my bower I had my tent always set. It was made of a piece of sail
spread over some poles.
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www
. f ranklang . r u
138
Under the tent I had made a soft couch with the skins of animals and a blanket
thrown over them. Here, when the weather was fair, I often slept at night.
A little way from the bower was the field in which I kept my cattle — that is to
say, my goats.
I had taken great pains to fence and inclose this field. I was so fearful, lest the
goats should break out, that I worked many a day planting a hedge all around. The hedge
grew to be very tall and was as strong as a wall.
On the shore of the sea, some distance beyond my summer house, was the little
inlet where I had laid up my canoe.
I SEE SOMETHING IN THE SAND (я вижу что-то в песке)
WHEN the weather was fine I often went over to the other side of the island to
look at my canoe (когда погода была хорошей, я часто ходил на другую сторону