"Tale of the Military Secret"

Page 11

Natka looked around. The children were not getting up. She saw their many different heads--white-haired, dark-haired, chestnut-colored, golden-colored. Gazing at her from all sides were eyes: big, brown ones like Alka's; clear, cornflower-blue ones like those of the girl who had asked for the story; narrow, black one's like Eminey's. And many, many other eyes--usually happy and mischievious, but now thoughful and serious.

"All right, children, I'll finish the story."

"...And we became frightened, Chief Bourgeois, that perhaps he hears our inescapable destruction moving along the secret pathways."

"What kind of country is this?" exclaimed the surprised Chief Bourgeois. "What kind of incomprehensible country is this where even little children know the Military Secret and yet so firmly keep their solemn word? Hurry, bourgeois, and kill this proud boy. Load the cannons, ready your sabres, unfurl our bourgeois banners, because I hear our buglars sounding the alarm and our signallers waving their flags. It seems we will not have an easy fight, but a fierce battle.

"And the boy Kibalchish died," said Natka.

Hearing these unexpected words, the Octobrist Karasinkov's face suddenly became sad and dismayed, and he no longer waved his arm. The blue-eyed girl frowned, and the freckled face of Ioskin became angry as if he had just been deceived or insulted. The children stirred, exchanged whispers. Only Alka, who already knew this story, sat quietly.

"Children, have you ever seen a storm?" Natka asked loudly, looking at the children who had fallen silent. "Just like that--like thunder--crashed the weapons in battle. Just like that--like lightening--flashed the firey explosions. Just like that--like the wind--raced in the calvary detachments. And just like that--like clouds--red banners covered the sky. Just like that, the Red Army attacked."

Russian Version

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