Russian · Intermediate
Adapted from The Tinderbox
A soldier finds a magical tinderbox that summons three powerful dogs.
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Scene 1 · Intermediate
По большой дороге шагал солдат: «Левой, правой; левой, правой». За спиной у него был ранец, а сбоку висела сабля. Он побывал на войне и теперь возвращался домой.
A soldier marched along the high road: “Left, right; left, right.” He had a knapsack on his back and a saber at his side. He had been to war and was now returning home.
Навстречу ему вышла старая ведьма. Вид у неё был страшный: нижняя губа свисала до самой груди.
An old witch came out to meet him. She looked frightening: her lower lip hung all the way down to her chest.
— Добрый вечер, солдат! — сказала она. — Какая у тебя красивая сабля и какой большой ранец! Сразу видно, что ты настоящий солдат. Ты получишь столько денег, сколько захочешь.
“Good evening, soldier!” she said. “What a fine saber you have, and what a big knapsack! Anyone can see you're a real soldier. You'll have as much money as you want.”
— Спасибо, старая ведьма, — ответил солдат.
“Thank you, old witch,” replied the soldier.
— Видишь это большое дерево? — Ведьма указала на дерево рядом с дорогой. — Внутри оно совсем пустое. Заберись на самый верх: там есть отверстие, через которое можно спуститься глубоко внутрь. Я обвяжу тебя верёвкой и вытащу обратно, когда ты меня позовёшь.
“Do you see that big tree?” The witch pointed to a tree beside the road. “It's completely hollow inside. Climb right to the top: there's an opening there through which you can climb deep down inside. I'll tie a rope around you and pull you back up when you call me.”
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