A esterna, la note es fria e moiada, ma en la salon peti de Lakesnam Villa la cortinas es cluida e la foco arde briliante. Padre e fio es a xace, la prima, ci posese ideas sur la jua envolvente cambias estrema, ponente sua re en periles tan forte e nonesesada ce los provoca an comentas de la fem vea con capeles blanca ci tricota pasosa ante la foco.
Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.
“Escuta la venta.” — sr White dise; vidente ja un era matante pos cuando lo es tro tarda, el desira amin preveni ce sua fio vide lo.
“Hark at the wind,” said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.
“Me escuta.” — la fio dise, sever studiante la table a cuando el estende sua mano. “Xace.”
“I’m listening,” said the latter, grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. “Check.”
“Me no ta pensa ce el ta veni a esta sera.” — la padre dise, con sua mano a pausa supra la table.
“I should hardly think that he’d come to-night,” said his father, with his hand poised over the board.
“Mata.” — la fio responde.
“Mate,” replied the son.
“Acel es la plu mal de abita a tan distante.” — Sr White cria, con violentia subita e nonprevideda. “De tota la locas odiable, moiada, nonasedable per abita, esta es la plu mal. La rueta es un pantan, e la via es un deluvia. Me no sabe cual on projeta. Me suposa ce car mera du casas sur la via es luada, on pensa ce lo no importa.”
“That’s the worst of living so far out,” bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; “of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway’s a bog, and the road’s a torrent. I don’t know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses on the road are let, they think it doesn’t matter.”
“No turba tu, mea cara,” — sua sposa dise calminte — “cisa tu va vinse la seguente.”
“Never mind, dear,” said his wife soothingly; “perhaps you’ll win the next one.”
Sr White leva rapida sua regarda, apena a bon tempo per vide un regardeta conosente entre madre e fio. La parolas estingui sur sua labios, e el asconde un surie culpable en sua barba gris e magra.
Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son. The words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard.
“Ala el es.” — Herbert White dise, a cuando la porteta clui puminte e pasos pesosa prosimi a la porte.
“There he is,” said Herbert White, as the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door.
La om vea leva se con freta bonveninte, e on oia ce el abri la porte e compatia la arivada nova. La arivada nova ance compatia se, donce sra White espresa blanda irita a cuando sua sposo entra a la salon, segueda par un om alta de forma forte, con oios perletin e un fas rojin.
The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, “Tut, tut!” and coughed gently as her husband entered the room, followed by a tall burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage.
“Sarjento-Major Morris.” — el dise per presenta el.
“Sergeant-Major Morris,” he said, introducing him.
La sarjento-major presa la manos, e pos prende la seja ofreda ante la foco, oserva contente en cuando sua ospitor trae la uisce e vitros e pone un caldera peti de cupre sur la foco.
The sergeant-major shook hands, and taking the proffered seat by the fire, watched contentedly while his host got out whisky and tumblers and stood a small copper kettle on the fire.
A la vitro tre sua oios deveni plu briliante, e el comensa parla, con ce la sirculo peti de familia regarda con interesa zelosa esta visitor de areas distante, en cuando el cuadri sua spalas larga en la seja e parla sur senas strana e fadas forte, sur geras e pestas e poplas strana.
At the third glass his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk, the little family circle regarding with eager interest this visitor from distant parts, as he squared his broad shoulders in the chair and spoke of strange scenes and doughty deeds; of wars and plagues and strange peoples.
“Dudes-un anios de acel,” — sr White dise, inclinante sua testa a sua sposa e fio. “Cuando el ia parti el ia es un joven magra en la beneria. Aora regarda el.”
“Twenty-one years of it,” said Mr. White, nodding at his wife and son. “When he went away he was a slip of a youth in the warehouse. Now look at him.”
“El no aspeta como el ia sufri multe feris.” — sra White dise cortes.
“He don’t look to have taken much harm,” said Mrs. White, politely.
“Me mesma vole vade a India,” — la om vea dise — “sola per vide alga vistas, tu sabe.”
“I’d like to go to India myself,” said the old man, “just to look round a bit, you know.”
“Plu bon do tu es” — la sarjento-major dise, negante con sua testa. El pone a su la vitro vacua, e mol suspirante, nega ancora.
“Better where you are,” said the sergeant-major, shaking his head. He put down the empty glass, and sighing softly, shook it again.
“Me ta vole vide acel temples vea e facires e joglores.” — la om vea dise. “Cual ia es ce tu ia comensa raconta a me a la otra dia sur un pedeta de simia o simil, Morris?”
“I should like to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers,” said the old man. “What was that you started telling me the other day about a monkey’s paw or something, Morris?”
“No cosa.” — la soldato dise fretante. “An tal, no cosa cual merita la oia.”
“Nothing,” said the soldier hastily. “Leastways, nothing worth hearing.”
“Pedeta de simia?” — sra White dise curiosa.
“Monkey’s paw?” said Mrs. White curiously.
“Alora, lo es mera un pico de cual on ta pote nomi majia, cisa.” — la sarjento-major dise casual.
“Well, it’s just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps,” said the sergeant-major off-handedly.
Sua tre escutores apoia zelosa a ante. Nonpensante el leva sua vitro vacua a sua labios e alora repone lo a su. Sua ospitor repleni lo per el.
His three listeners leaned forward eagerly. The visitor absentmindedly put his empty glass to his lips and then set it down again. His host filled it for him.
“En pare,” — la sarjento-major dise, torpe xercante en sua pox — “lo es mera un pedeta peti e normal, secida a un momia.”
“To look at,” said the sergeant-major, fumbling in his pocket, “it’s just an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy.”
El estrae un cosa de sua pox e presente lo. Sra White retira con un grima, ma sua fio prende lo e esamina lo curiosa.
He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it, examined it curiously.
“E cual es spesial sur lo?” — sr White dise, en cuando el prende lo de sua fio, esamina lo, e pone lo sur la table.
“And what is there special about it?” inquired Mr. White, as he took it from his son and, having examined it, placed it upon the table.
“Lo ia es encantada par un facir vea,” — la sarjento-major dise — “un om multe santa. El ia vole mostra ce la fortuna rena la vives de persones, e ce los ci interfere con lo, fa tal a sua tristia. El ia pone un encanta sur el, afin cada de tre omes pote ave tre desiras par lo.”
“It had a spell put on it by an old fakir,” said the sergeant-major, “a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it.”
Sua manera es tan impresante ce sua escutores es consensa ce sua rie cuieta desacorda alga.
His manner was so impressive that his hearers were conscious that their light laughter jarred somewhat.
“Alora, perce tu no ave tre, senior?” — sr White dise astuta.
“Well, why don’t you have three, sir?” said Herbert White cleverly.
La soldato regarda el en la modo cual la eda media tende regarda la jovenia noncortes. “Me ia ave.” — el dise cuieta, e sua fas manxosa blanci.
The soldier regarded him in the way that middle age is wont to regard presumptuous youth. “I have,” he said quietly, and his blotchy face whitened.
“E esce tu ia ave vera ce la tre desiras ia es realida?” — sra White demanda.
“And did you really have the three wishes granted?” asked Mrs. White.
“Me ia ave.” — la sarjento-major dise, e sua vitro tape contra sua dentes forte.
“I did,” said the sergeant-major, and his glass tapped against his strong teeth.
“E esce alga otra person ia fa desiras?” — la fem vea demanda.
“And has anybody else wished?” inquired the old lady.
“La om prima ia ave sua tre desiras, si.” — es la responde. “Me no sabe lo cual la desiras un e du ia es, ma sua desira tre ia es per mori. Acel es como me ia oteni la pedeta.”
“The first man had his three wishes, yes,” was the reply. “I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That’s how I got the paw.”
La modo de sua vose es tan grave ce un silente cade sur la grupo.
His tones were so grave that a hush fell upon the group.
“Si tu ia ave tua tre desiras, lo no es usable par tu aora, Morris.” — la om vea dise final. — “Perce tu reteni lo?”
“If you’ve had your three wishes, it’s no good to you now, then, Morris,” said the old man at last. “What do you keep it for?”
La soldato nega con sua testa. “Capris, me suposa.” — el dise lenta.
The soldier shook his head. “Fancy, I suppose,” he said slowly.
“Si tu ta pote ave denova tre desiras,” — la om vea dise, en vijila zelosa el — “esce tu ta vole ave los?”
“If you could have another three wishes,” said the old man, eyeing him keenly, “would you have them?”
“Me no sabe.” — la otra dise. “Me no sabe.”
“I don’t know,” said the other. “I don’t know.”
El prende la pedeta, e suspendente lo entre sua dito indicante e diton, lansa subita lo sur la foco. White, con un cria peti, curvi a su e estrae arancante lo.
He took the paw, and dangling it between his front finger and thumb, suddenly threw it upon the fire. White, with a slight cry, stooped down and snatched it off.
“Lasa plu bon lo arde.” — la soldato dise seria.
“Better let it burn,” said the soldier solemnly.
“Si tu no vole lo, Morris,” — la om vea dise — “dona lo a me.”
“If you don’t want it, Morris,” said the old man, “give it to me.”
“Me no va fa.” — sua ami dise ostinosa. “Me ia lansa lo sur la foco. Si tu reteni lo, no culpa me per cual aveni. Lansa denova lo sur la foco, como un om pratical.”
“I won’t,” said his friend doggedly. “I threw it on the fire. If you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again, like a sensible man.”
La otra nega con sua testa e esamina consentrada sua poseseda nova. “Como on fa lo?” — el demanda.
The other shook his head and examined his new possession closely. “How do you do it?” he inquired.
“Teni lo a supra en tua mano destra e fa la desira a vose,” — la sarjento-major dise — “ma me averti tu sur la resultas.”
“Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud,’ said the sergeant-major, “but I warn you of the consequences.”
“Lo sona como la Notes Arabi.” — sra White dise, a cuando el leva se e comensa prepara la table per la come de sera. “Esce tu no pensa ce tu ta vole fa un desira per cuatro duples de manos per me?”
“Sounds like the Arabian Nights,” said Mrs White, as she rose and began to set the supper. “Don’t you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?”
Sua sposo tira la encantada de sua pox e alora tota tre rie subita, a cuando la sarjento-major, con un aspeta temosa sur sua fas, saisi el a la braso.
Her husband drew the talisman from his pocket and then all three burst into laughter as the sergeant-major, with a look of alarm on his face, caught him by the arm.
“Si tu debe fa un desira,” — el dise roncin — “desira alga cosa pratical.”
“If you must wish,” he said gruffly, “wish for something sensible.”
Sr White lasa ce lo cade a en sua pox, e ponente sejas, el dirije sua ami a la table. En la conserna de come la encantada es partal oblidada, e a pos la tre senta en escuta en modo fasinada un parte du de la aventuras de la soldato en India.
Mr. White dropped it back into his pocket, and placing chairs, motioned his friend to the table. In the business of supper the talisman was partly forgotten, and afterward the three sat listening in an enthralled fashion to a second instalment of the soldier’s adventures in India.
“Si la nara sur la pedeta de simia no es plu vera ca los cual el ia raconta aora a nos” — Herbert dise, a cuando la porte clui a retro de sua invitada, apena a tempo per prende la tren final — “nos no va oteni multe de lo.”
“If the tale about the monkey paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us,” said Herbert, as the door closed behind their guest, just in time for him to catch the last train, “we shan’t make much out of it.”
“Esce tu ia dona alga a el per lo, padre?” — sra White demanda, regardante intensa sua sposo.
“Did you give him anything for it, father?” inquired Mrs. White, regarding her husband closely.
“Un pico.” — el dise, poca rojinte. “El no ia vole lo, ma me ia fa ce el prende lo. E denova el ia urje me a dejeta lo.”
“A trifle,” said he, colouring slightly. “He didn’t want it, but I made him take it. And he pressed me again to throw it away.”
“Probable,” — Herbert dise, con teror finjeda. “Nos va es rica e famosa e felis. Fa un desira per es un imperor, padre, a comensa; alora tu no pote es dominada par la sposa.”
“Likely,” said Herbert, with pretended horror. “Why, we’re going to be rich, and famous, and happy. Wish to be an emperor, father, to begin with; then you can’t be henpecked.”
El freta sirca la table, xasada par sra White la desvaluada enarmada con un covreseja.
He darted round the table, pursued by the maligned Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar.
Sr White tira la pedeta de sua pox e esamina lo dutante. “Me no sabe lo per cual me ta fa un desira, e acel es un fato.” — el dise lenta. “Lo pare a me ce me ave tota cual me desira.”
Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. “I don’t know what to wish for, and that’s a fact,” he said slowly. “It seems to me I’ve got all I want.”
“Si tu ta fini paia per la casa, tu ta es multe felis, esce no?” — Herbert dise, con sua mano sur la spala de el. “Bon, fa un desira per dusento paundes, acel sufisi esata.”
“If you only cleared the house, you’d be quite happy, wouldn’t you?” said Herbert, with his hand on his shoulder. “Well, wish for two hundred pounds, then; that’ll just do it.”
Sua padre, suriente con vergonia a sua propre credosia, teni la encantada a supra, a cuando sua fio, con un fas seria ma alga manxada par un ginia a sua madre, senta se a la piano e colpa alga cordas impresante.
His father, smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity, held up the talisman, as his son, with a solemn face somewhat marred by a wink at his mother, sat down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords.
“Me desira dusento paundes.” — la om vea dise clar.
“I wish for two hundred pounds,” said the old man distinctly.
Un bon pum de la piano saluta la parolas, interompeda par un cria tremante de la om vea. Sua sposa e fio core a el.
A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.
“Lo ia move!” — el cria, con un regardeta de repulsa a la cosa sur la solo. “A cuando me ia fa la desira, lo ia torse en mea manos como un serpente.”
“It moved, he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor. “As I wished it twisted in my hands like a snake.”
“Alora, me no vide la mone,” — sua fio dise, a cuando el prende lo e pone lo sur la table — “e me aposta ce me va fa nunca.”
“Well, I don’t see the money,” said his son, as he picked it up and placed it on the table, “and I bet I never shall.”
“Acel ia ta debe es la tua imajina, padre.” — sua sposa dise, en regarda el ansiosa.
“It must have been your fancy, father,” said his wife, regarding him anxiously.
El nega con sua testa. “No turba tu, on ave no feri, ma lo ia dona a me un xoca an tal.”
He shook his head. “Never mind, though; there’s no harm done, but it gave me a shock all the same.”
Los senta se ante la foco en cuando la du omes fini sua pipas. A estra, la venta es plu forte ca sempre, e la om vea salteta a la sona de un porte puminte a supra. Un silentia nonusual e depresante engoli tota la tre, cual continua asta cuando la duple vea leva se per retira per la note.
They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside, the wind was higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three, which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night.
“Me espeta ce tu va trova la mone liada en un saco grande en la media de tu leto,” — Herbert dise, a cuando el espresa bon note a los — “e alga cosa repulsante cual acrupi sur la armario, regardante tu en cuando tu poxi tua ganiadas malotenida.”
“I expect you’ll find the cash tied up in a big bag in the middle of your bed,” said Herbert, as he bade them good-night, “and something horrible squatting up on top of the wardrobe watching you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains.”
El senta solitar en la oscur, contemplante la foco morinte, e vidente fases en lo. La fas final es tan asustante e tan simin ce el regarda stonada lo. Lo deveni tan vivin ce, con un rie noncuieta, el palpa sur la table per un vitro conteninte un poca acua per lansa sur lo. Sua mano teni la pedeta de simia, e con un trema peti el limpi sua mano sur sua jaca e retira a leto.
He sat alone in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it. The last face was so horrible and so simian that he gazed at it in amazement. It got so vivid that, with a little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing a little water to throw over it. His hand grasped the monkey’s paw, and with a little shiver he wiped his hand on his coat and went up to bed.
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Lo ia es automatada jenerada de la paje corespondente en la Vici de Elefen a 4 april 2024 (17:36 UTC).