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The Adventures of Paddy Beaver by Thornton W. Burgess, IV

IV

WHEN Sammy Jay reached the place deep in the Green Forest where Paddy the Beaver was so hard at work, he didn't hide as had the little four-footed people. You see, of course, he had no reason to hide, because he felt perfectly safe. Paddy had just cut a big tree, and it fell with a crash as Sammy came hurrying up. Sammy was so surprised that for a minute he couldn't find his tongue. He had not supposed that anybody but Farmer Brown or Farmer Brown's boy could cut down so large a tree as that, and it quite took his breath away. But he got it again in a minute. He was boiling with anger, anyway, to think that he should have been the last to learn that Paddy had come down from the North to make his home in the Green Forest, and here was a chance to speak his mind.

"Thief! thief! thief!" he screamed in his harshest voice.

Paddy the Beaver looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. "Hello, Mr. Jay! I see you haven't any better manners than your cousin who lives up where I came from," said he. "Thief! thief! thief!" screamed Sammy, hopping up and down, he was so angry.

"Meaning yourself, I suppose," said Paddy. "I never did see an honest Jay, and I don't suppose I ever will." "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit, who had quite forgotten that he was hiding.

"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Rabbit? I'm very glad you have called on me this morning," said Paddy, just as if he hadn't known all the time just where Peter was. "Mr. Jay seems to have gotten out of the wrong side of his bed this morning." Peter laughed again. "He always does," said he. "If he didn't, he wouldn't be happy. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he is happy right now. He doesn't know it, but he is. He always is happy when he can show what a bad temper he has." Sammy Jay glared down at Peter. Then he glared at Paddy. And all the time he still shrieked "Thief!" as hard as ever he could. Paddy kept right on working, paying no attention to Sammy. This made Sammy more angry than ever. He kept coming nearer and nearer until at last he was in the very tree that Paddy happened to be cutting. Paddy's eyes twinkled. "I'm no thief!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"You are! You are! Thief! Thief!" shrieked Sammy. "You're stealing our trees!" "They're not your trees," retorted Paddy. "They belong to the Green Forest, and the Green Forest belongs to all who love it, and we all have a perfect right to take what we need from it. I need these trees, and I've just as much right to take them as you have to take the fat acorns that drop in the fall." "No such thing!" screamed Sammy. You know he can't talk without screaming, and the more excited he gets, the louder he screams. "No such thing! Acorns are food. They are meant to eat. I have to have them to live. But you are cutting down whole trees.You are spoiling the Green Forest. You don't belong here. Nobody invited you, and nobody wants you. You're a thief!" Then up spoke Jerry Muskrat, who, you know, is cousin to Paddy the Beaver.

"Don't you mind him," said he, pointing at Sammy Jay. "Nobody does. He's the greatest trouble-maker in the Green Forest or on the Green Meadows. He would steal from his own relatives. Don't mind what he says, Cousin Paddy." Now all this time Paddy had been working away just as if no one was around. Just as Jerry stopped speaking, Paddy thumped the ground with his tail, which is his way of warning people to watch out, and suddenly scurried away as fast as he could run. Sammy Jay was so surprised that he couldn't find his tongue for a minute, and he didn't notice anything peculiar about that tree. Then suddenly he felt himself falling. With a frightened scream, he spread his wings to fly, but branches of the tree swept him down with them right into the Laughing Brook.

You see while Sammy had been speaking his mind, Paddy the Beaver had cut down the very tree in which he was sitting.

Sammy wasn't hurt, but he was wet and muddy and terribly frightened,—the most miserable looking Jay that ever was seen. It was too much for all the little people who were hiding. They just had to laugh. Then they all came out to pay their respects to Paddy the Beaver.

IV IV

WHEN Sammy Jay reached the place deep in the Green Forest where Paddy the Beaver was so hard at work, he didn't hide as had the little four-footed people. КОЛИ Семмі Джей дійшов до того місця в глибині Зеленого лісу, де так старанно працював бобер Педді, він не сховався, як це зробили маленькі чотирилапі. You see, of course, he had no reason to hide, because he felt perfectly safe. Розумієте, звичайно, у нього не було причин ховатися, адже він відчував себе в цілковитій безпеці. Paddy had just cut a big tree, and it fell with a crash as Sammy came hurrying up. Педді щойно зрубав велике дерево, і воно впало з тріском, коли Семмі поспішив на допомогу. Sammy was so surprised that for a minute he couldn't find his tongue. Семмі був настільки здивований, що на хвилину не міг знайти язика. He had not supposed that anybody but Farmer Brown or Farmer Brown's boy could cut down so large a tree as that, and it quite took his breath away. Він не припускав, що хтось, окрім фермера Брауна чи його сина, може зрубати таке велике дерево, і йому аж дух перехопило. But he got it again in a minute. Але за хвилину він знову отримав його. He was boiling with anger, anyway, to think that he should have been the last to learn that Paddy had come down from the North to make his home in the Green Forest, and here was a chance to speak his mind. Він аж кипів від злості, думаючи про те, що мав би останнім дізнатися, що Педді спустився з Півночі, щоб оселитися в Зеленому Лісі, а тут випала нагода висловити свою думку.

"Thief! "Злодій! thief! thief!" he screamed in his harshest voice.

Paddy the Beaver looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. Бобер Педді підняв голову з блиском в очах. "Hello, Mr. Jay! I see you haven't any better manners than your cousin who lives up where I came from," said he. "Thief! thief! thief!" screamed Sammy, hopping up and down, he was so angry.

"Meaning yourself, I suppose," said Paddy. "Маєш на увазі себе, я гадаю", - відповів Педді. "I never did see an honest Jay, and I don't suppose I ever will." "Я ніколи не бачив чесного Джея, і навряд чи коли-небудь побачу". "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit, who had quite forgotten that he was hiding. засміявся Петрик Кролик, який зовсім забув, що ховається.

"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Rabbit? I'm very glad you have called on me this morning," said Paddy, just as if he hadn't known all the time just where Peter was. Я дуже радий, що ви завітали до мене сьогодні вранці, - сказав Педді так, ніби не знав, де перебуває Пітер. "Mr. Jay seems to have gotten out of the wrong side of his bed this morning." Peter laughed again. "He always does," said he. "If he didn't, he wouldn't be happy. "Якби він цього не зробив, він не був би щасливим. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he is happy right now. Дивлячись на нього, ви б так не подумали, але зараз він щасливий. He doesn't know it, but he is. Він цього не знає, але це так. He always is happy when he can show what a bad temper he has." Він завжди радіє, коли може показати, який у нього поганий характер". Sammy Jay glared down at Peter. Семмі Джей витріщився на Пітера. Then he glared at Paddy. Потім він подивився на Педді. And all the time he still shrieked "Thief!" as hard as ever he could. Paddy kept right on working, paying no attention to Sammy. This made Sammy more angry than ever. He kept coming nearer and nearer until at last he was in the very tree that Paddy happened to be cutting. Він підходив все ближче і ближче, поки нарешті не опинився на тому самому дереві, яке випадково зрізав Педді. Paddy's eyes twinkled. "I'm no thief!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"You are! You are! Thief! Thief!" shrieked Sammy. "You're stealing our trees!" "They're not your trees," retorted Paddy. "They belong to the Green Forest, and the Green Forest belongs to all who love it, and we all have a perfect right to take what we need from it. "Вони належать Зеленому лісу, а Зелений ліс належить усім, хто його любить, і ми всі маємо повне право брати з нього те, що нам потрібно. I need these trees, and I've just as much right to take them as you have to take the fat acorns that drop in the fall." Мені потрібні ці дерева, і я маю на них таке ж право, як і ви на жирні жолуді, що падають восени". "No such thing!" "Нічого подібного!" screamed Sammy. You know he can't talk without screaming, and the more excited he gets, the louder he screams. Ви знаєте, що він не може говорити без крику, і чим більше він збуджується, тим голосніше він кричить. "No such thing! "Нічого подібного! Acorns are food. They are meant to eat. Вони призначені для їжі. I have to have them to live. Я мушу мати їх, щоб жити. But you are cutting down whole trees.You are spoiling the Green Forest. Але ви рубаєте цілі дерева, ви псуєте зелений ліс. You don't belong here. Тобі тут не місце. Nobody invited you, and nobody wants you. You're a thief!" Then up spoke Jerry Muskrat, who, you know, is cousin to Paddy the Beaver. Потім виступив Джеррі Маскрат, який, як ви знаєте, є двоюрідним братом бобра Педді.

"Don't you mind him," said he, pointing at Sammy Jay. "Не звертай на нього уваги", - сказав він, вказуючи на Семмі Джея. "Nobody does. He's the greatest trouble-maker in the Green Forest or on the Green Meadows. He would steal from his own relatives. Він крав у власних родичів. Don't mind what he says, Cousin Paddy." Не зважай на те, що він каже, кузене Педді." Now all this time Paddy had been working away just as if no one was around. Just as Jerry stopped speaking, Paddy thumped the ground with his tail, which is his way of warning people to watch out, and suddenly scurried away as fast as he could run. Щойно Джеррі замовк, Педді вдарив хвостом по землі - так він попереджає людей бути обережними - і раптом кинувся навтьоки так швидко, як тільки міг бігти. Sammy Jay was so surprised that he couldn't find his tongue for a minute, and he didn't notice anything peculiar about that tree. Семмі Джей був настільки здивований, що на хвилину не міг знайти язика, і не помітив нічого особливого в цьому дереві. Then suddenly he felt himself falling. With a frightened scream, he spread his wings to fly, but branches of the tree swept him down with them right into the Laughing Brook. З переляканим криком він розправив крила, щоб полетіти, але гілки дерева змели його з собою прямо в Сміхотливий струмок.

You see while Sammy had been speaking his mind, Paddy the Beaver had cut down the very tree in which he was sitting. Розумієте, поки Семмі висловлював свої думки, бобер Педді зрубав саме те дерево, на якому він сидів.

Sammy wasn't hurt, but he was wet and muddy and terribly frightened,—the most miserable looking Jay that ever was seen. It was too much for all the little people who were hiding. They just had to laugh. Then they all came out to pay their respects to Paddy the Beaver. Потім всі вийшли, щоб віддати шану бобру Падді.