| "I might be the son of a Tarkaan myself - or the son of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) or of a god!" | "Наверное, я сын какого-нибудь тархана, - думал он, - или Тисрока (да живет он вечно), а то и божества!" |
| He was standing out in the grassy place before the cottage while he thought these things. Twilight was coming on apace and a star or two was already out, but the remains of the sunset could still be seen in the west. | Так думал он, стоя перед хижиной, а сумерки сгущались, и редкие звезды уже сверкали на небе, хотя у западного края оно отливало багрянцем. |
| Not far away the stranger's horse, loosely tied to an iron ring in the wall of the donkey's stable, was grazing. | Конь пришельца, привязанный к столбу, мирно щипал траву. |
| Shasta strolled over to it and patted its neck. It went on tearing up the grass and took no notice of him. | Шаста погладил его по холке, но конь не обратил внимания. |
| Then another thought came into Shasta's mind. | И Шаста подумал: |
| "I wonder what sort of a man that Tarkaan is," he said out loud. | "Кто его знает, какой он, этот тархан!" |
| "It would be splendid if he was kind. | - Хорошо, если он добрый, - продолжал он вслух. |
| Some of the slaves in a great lord's house have next to nothing to do. They wear lovely clothes and eat meat every day. | - У некоторых тарханов рабы носят шелковые одежды и каждый день едят мясо. |
| Perhaps he'd take me to the wars and I'd save his life in a battle and then he'd set me free and adopt me as his son and give me a palace and a chariot and a suit of armour. But then he might be a horrid cruel man. | Может быть, он возьмет меня в поход, и я спасу ему жизнь, и он освободит меня, и усыновит, и подарит дворец... А вдруг он жестокий? |
| He might send me to work on the fields in chains. | Тогда он закует меня в цепи. |
| I wish I knew. | Как бы узнать? |
| How can I know? I bet this horse knows, if only he could tell me." | Конь-то знает, да не скажет. |
| The Horse had lifted its head. Shasta stroked its smooth-as-satin nose and said, | Конь поднял голову, и Шаста погладил его шелковый нос. |
| "I wish you could talk, old fellow." | - Ах, умел бы ты говорить! - воскликнул он. |
| And then for a second he thought he was dreaming, for quite distinctly, though in a low voice, the Horse said, "But I can." | - Я умею, - тихо, но внятно отвечал конь. |
| Shasta stared into its great eyes and his own grew almost as big, with astonishment. | Думая, что это ему снится, Шаста все-таки крикнул: |
| "How ever did you learn to talk?" he asked. | - Быть того не может! |
| "Hush! Not so loud," replied the Horse. | - Тише! - сказал конь. |
| "Where I come from, nearly all the animals talk." | - На моей родине есть говорящие животные. |
| "Wherever is that?" asked Shasta. | - Где это? - спросил Шаста. |
