Waltey
Neodločna klopotača
061 THE UNDECIDED RATTLESNAKE
Živalske zgodbe Clare Dillingham Pierson · Clara Dillingham PiersonO besedilu
Neodločna klopotača
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- Živalske zgodbe Clare Dillingham Pierson
- Avtor
- Clara Dillingham Pierson
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 7 min branja
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- 6 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 061 THE UNDECIDED RATTLESNAKE
O izvirniku
Živalske zgodbe Clare Dillingham Pierson
Devetindevetdeset avtorskih zgodb o živalih na kmetiji, travniku, v gozdu, ob ribniku in ponoči. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Živalske zgodbe Clare Dillingham Pierson v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Neodločna klopotača
Ne zgodi se pogosto, da bi se kdo od gozdnih prebivalcev težko odločil, toda neka velika Klopotača je imela s tem hude težave. Živela je na južnem robu gozda, kjer je sonce sijalo svetlo in toplo, med skalami pa so bile prijetne razpoke, v katere so se lahko skrili ona ter vsi njeni prijatelji in sorodniki.
Zdelo se je zelo čudno, da je tako stara kača tako neodločna. Najbrž je imela malomarno mater, ki je ni prav vzgojila. Če je bilo tako, bi se nam res morala smiliti. A tudi to ne bi bilo pravo opravičilo, saj je bila vendar zdaj dovolj stara, da bi se vzgojila sama! Na repu je imela ropotuljo s sedmimi členki, osmi pa ji je že rasel, zato lahko vidite, da ni bila več mlada, čeprav so ji zaradi dobrega zdravja novi členki zrasli in se je levila pogosteje kakor nekatere njene prijateljice. Pravzaprav je imela že odrasle otroke in če se ne bi vrgli po očetu, bi bila to nadvse nebogljena družina. Na njihovo srečo je bil njihov oče zelo odločen kačon.
Da, zanje je bila to izredna sreča. Zanj pa morda ni bilo tako dobro. Njegova žena je bila vselej vesela, če se je kdo odločil namesto nje, in kadar je rekel: »Tole bova storila,« je odgovorila: »Da, dragi.« Kadar je rekel: »Tega ne bova storila,« je zamrmrala: »Ne, dragi.« Kadar pa je vprašal: »Kaj naj storiva?« je odvrnila: »Oh, ne vem. Kaj misliš, da bi bilo najbolje storiti?« Ni je prav pogosto spraševal za mnenje in nekateri v gozdu so govorili, da se z njo nikoli ne bi posvetoval, če ne bi vedel, da bo odločitev prepustila njemu.
Takšen red ni dober za nobeno družino in tudi tu se je zgodilo, kar bi se zgodilo kjer koli drugje. Ker je bilo vedno vse po njegovem, je postajal čedalje bolj sebičen, njegova žena pa je bila čedalje manj sposobna skrbeti zase. Večina ga je imela za zelo predanega moža. Morda je res bil. Lahko je biti predan mož, če je vedno vse po tvojem.
Nekega večera se gospod Klopotača ni vrnil domov. Nihče ni nikoli izvedel, kaj se je zgodilo z njim. Rdeča veverica je rekla, da je gospa Liščica rekla, da ji je največji mali Zajček povedal, da je Svizec slišal gospoda Vrana reči, da se mu zdi, da je videl nekoga, podobnega gospodu Klopotači, preganjati Poljsko miš proti kmetiji, vendar bi se lahko tudi motil. Vse to je bilo tako negotovo, da gospa Klopotača ni vedela nič več kot prej. To jo je hudo mučilo.
»Ko bi le zagotovo vedela,« je rekla prijateljici, gospe Progasti kači, »bi lahko kaj storila, čeprav res ne vem, kaj naj bi to bilo.«
Gospa Progasta kača ji je skušala pomagati. »Zakaj ne bi povabila katerega od svojih otrok, naj se vrne domov in živi s teboj?« je prijazno rekla, saj so bili letošnji otroci zdaj že dovolj stari, da so lahko skrbeli sami zase.
»Tudi na to sem pomislila,« je odgovorila gospa Klopotača, »ampak rada imam mirno življenje in saj veš, kako je. Mlade kače so pač mlade kače. Poleg tega mislim, da se ne bi hoteli vrniti.«
»No, zakaj pa potem ne bi živela sama?« »Oh, tako samotno je,« je z vzdihom odvrnila gospa Klopotača. »Vse me tako zelo spominja na moža in zaradi tega sem žalostna. Če bi živela kje drugje, bi bilo drugače.«
»Zakaj se potem ne preseliš?« je živahno rekla gospa Progasta kača. »Jaz bi se. Poišči si lepo razpoko v skali, ravno dovolj veliko za eno, ali pa si nekje tu blizu naredi prijetno luknjico v zemlji. Tako te bo zlahka našel, če se vrne. Jaz bi storila tako. Prav gotovo bi.«
Govorila je tako odločno, da je gospa Klopotača rekla, da se bo preselila, že jutri se bo. In prijateljica je odšla domov v prepričanju, da je vse dogovorjeno. To kaže, kako slabo je v resnici poznala gospo Klopotačo.
Bolj ko je gospa Klopotača tisto noč premišljevala o tem, bolj jo je bilo strah selitve. »Če se ne vrne,« je vzdihnila, »se bom spomladi morda spet poročila in potem se bom mogoče morala še enkrat preseliti. Mislim, da bom še koga vprašala, kaj naj storim.«
Zjutraj je torej začela spraševati prijatelje za nasvet. Vsi so ji rekli, naj se preseli, in odločila se je, da bo to storila. Potem pa se ni mogla odločiti, ali naj si izbere razpoko v skali ali si naredi luknjo v zemlji. Potreben je bil še en dan obiskovanja, da se je odločila za luknjo v zemlji. Četrti dan je porabila za iskanje najprimernejšega kraja za svoj dom, peti dan pa se je lotila dela.
Ko se je sonce dvignilo nad drevesne vrhove, ji je bilo že žal, da ni izbrala kakega drugega kraja, in zdelo se ji je najbolje, da neha delati in se o tem pogovori s katerim od prijateljev. Ko se je vrnila, se je morala leviti, saj ji je koža že nekaj časa postajala tesna in suha. To je bilo naporno delo in bila je preutrujena, da bi še naprej urejala svoj dom, zato je ležala na soncu in občudovala svoje lepo, dolgo, bleščeče rdečerjavo telo s črnimi lisami. Njena ropotulja je imela zdaj osem členkov, kajti kadar se klopotača levi, se na koncu repa vselej razkrije nov členek. Hitro je pomahala z njo, da bi slišala, kako zveni ropotulja z osmimi členki. »Čudovito!« je rekla. »Čudovito! Kakor semena divje kumare, ki se stresajo v svojem suhem, bodičastem ovoju.«
Nemogoče bi bilo povedati vse, kar se je zgodilo tisto jesen, ali opisati, kako zelo, zelo, zelo so se njeni prijatelji naveličali njenih prošenj za nasvet. Premislila si je večkrat, kot je semen v plodu svilnice, in edina stvar, o kateri je bila vedno prepričana, je bilo prehranjevanje. Kadar je zagledala hrano, ni čakala na nikogaršnji nasvet. Pojedla jo je, kakor hitro je mogla, in če je kaj dvomila, ali je to pametno, je dvome obdržala zase.
Ko je prišla zima, je ravno dokončala svoj novi dom, nazadnje pa je vendarle sprejela povabilo, naj prezimi v jami skupaj z drugimi kačami. Zvile so se druga ob drugi v velik klobčič in tam spale do pomladi. Ko je postajalo topleje, so se začele premikati ter se z zvijanjem in prepletanjem izvijati iz klobčiča.
Dva neporočena kačona sta jo zasnubila. Eden je bil postaven star kačon z dvanajstimi členki na ropotulji. Drugi je bil ravno njenih let. »Seveda se bom poročila!« je vzkliknila in jamice med nosnicami in ušesi so bile bolj kot kdaj prej podobne ljubkim vdolbinicam na licih. »Samo počakati morata, da se odločim, katerega bom vzela.«
»Oh, nikar,« sta odgovorila, »ne muči se s tem. Spopadla se bova in se odločila namesto tebe.« Boj je bil dolg in starejšemu kačonu sta se, še preden se je končal, odlomila dva členka ropotulje. Kljub temu je premagal drugega in ga pregnal. Ko se je vrnil po svojo nevesto, jo je našel objokano. »Kaj pa je?« je precej strogo vprašal.
»Oh, t-tisti u-ubogi drugi snubec!« je zaihtela. »M-mislim, da bom š-šla za njim. Zdi se mi, da ga imam m-morda r-raje.« »Ne, nimaš ga, gospa Klopotača,« je rekel postavni stari kačon, ki je pravkar zmagal v boju. »Nič takega ne boš storila. Poročila se boš z menoj in z njim ne boš nikoli več govorila. Ker sem v boju zate izgubil dva členka ropotulje, te nameravam imeti zase, in pravim ti, da me imaš zelo rada. Slišiš?«
»Da, ljubi,« je odgovorila in si ob travo obrisala oči, »zelo rada.« In skupaj sta živela nadvse srečno. »Tako zelo me spominja na prvega gospoda Klopotačo,« je govorila prijateljem. »Tako močan, tako odločen, tako hitro se odloči!«
Prijatelji pa so govorili drug drugemu: »No, bodimo hvaležni, da je tak. Dovolj nas je že nadlegovala s prošnjami za nasvete, ki jih nikoli ni upoštevala.«
Izvirnik
061 THE UNDECIDED RATTLESNAKE
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
It is not often that one of the Forest People has any trouble about making up his mind, but there was one large Rattlesnake who had great difficulty in doing so. She lived in the southern edge of the forest, where the sunshine was clear and warm, and there were delightful crevices among the rocks in which she and all her friends and relatives could hide.
It seemed very strange that so old a Snake should be so undecided as she was. It must be that she had a careless mother who did not bring her up in the right way. If that were so, one should indeed be sorry for her. Still even that would be no real excuse, for was she not old enough now to train herself? She had seven joints in the rattle on her tail and an eighth one growing, so you can see that she was no longer young, although, being healthy, she had grown her new joints and changed her skin oftener than some of her friends. In fact, she had grown children of her own, and if it had not been that they took after their father, they would have been a most helpless family. Fortunately for them, their father was a very decided Snake.
Yes, it was exceedingly lucky for them. It may not have been so good a thing for him. His wife was always glad to have things settled for her, and when he said, "We will do this," she answered, "Yes, dear." When he said, "We will not do that," she murmured, "No, dear." And when he said, "What shall we do?" she would reply, "Oh, I don't know. What do you think we might better do?" He did not very often ask her opinion, and there were people in the forest who said he would never have talked matters over with her if he had not known that she would leave the decision to him.
Now this is a bad way in which to have things go in any family, and it happened here as it would anywhere. He grew more and more selfish from having his own way all of the time, and his wife became less and less able to take care of herself. Most people thought him a very devoted husband. Perhaps he was. It is easy to be a devoted husband if you always have your own way.
One night Mr. Rattlesnake did not return to their home. Nobody ever knew what had become of him. The Red Squirrel said that Mrs. Goldfinch said that the biggest little Rabbit had told her that the Ground Hog had overheard Mr. Crow say that he thought he saw somebody that looked like Mr. Rattlesnake chasing a Field Mouse over toward the farm, but that he might have been mistaken. This was all so uncertain that Mrs. Rattlesnake knew no more than she had known before. It was very trying.
"If I only knew positively," she said to her friend, Mrs. Striped Snake, "I could do something, although I am sure I don't know what it would be."
Mrs. Striped Snake tried to help her. "Why not have one of your children come home to live with you?" she said pleasantly, for this year's children were now old enough to shift for themselves.
"I've thought of that," answered Mrs. Rattlesnake, "but I like a quiet life, and you know how it is. Young Snakes will be young Snakes. Besides, I don't think they would want to come back."
"Well, why not be alone, then?"
"Oh, it is so lonely," replied Mrs. Rattlesnake, with a sigh. "Everything reminds me so of my husband, and that makes me sad. If I lived somewhere else it would be different."
"Then why not move?" said Mrs. Striped Snake, briskly. "I would do that. Find a nice crack in the rock just big enough for one, or make a cosy little hole in the ground somewhere near here. Then if he comes back he can find you easily. I would do that. I certainly would."
She spoke so firmly that Mrs. Rattlesnake said she would, she would to-morrow. And her friend went home thinking it was all settled. That shows how little she really knew Mrs. Rattlesnake.
The more Mrs. Rattlesnake thought it over that night, the more she dreaded moving. "If he does not come back," she sighed, "I may marry again in the spring, and then I might have to move once more. I believe I will ask somebody else what I ought to do."
So in the morning she began to consult her friends. They all told her to move, and she decided to do it. Then she could not make up her mind whether to take a rock-crevice or make a hole in the ground. It took another day of visiting to settle that it should be a hole in the ground. A fourth day was spent in finding just the right place for her home, and on the fifth day she began work.
By the time the sun was over the tree-tops, she wished she had chosen some other place, and thought best to stop and talk to some of her friends about it. When she returned she found herself obliged to cast her skin, which had been growing tight and dry for some time. This was hard work, and she was too tired to go on with her home-making, so she lay in the sunshine and admired her beautiful, long, and shining body of reddish brown spotted with black. Her rattle had eight joints now, for when a Rattlesnake casts the old skin a new joint is always uncovered at the end of the tail. She waved it quickly to see how an eight-jointed rattle would sound. "Lovely!" she said. "Lovely! Like the seeds of the wild cucumber shaking around in their dry and prickly case."
One could not tell all the things that happened that fall, or how very, very, very tired her friends became of having her ask their advice. She changed her mind more times than there are seeds in a milkweed pod, and the only thing of which she was always sure was eating. When there was food in sight she did not stop for anybody's advice. She ate it as fast as she could, and if she had any doubts about the wisdom of doing so, she kept them to herself.
When winter came she had just got her new home ready, and after all she went when invited to spend the winter with a cave party of other Snakes. They coiled themselves together in a great mass and slept there until spring. As the weather grew warmer, they began to stir, wriggling and twisting themselves free.
Two bachelor Snakes asked her to marry. One was a fine old fellow with a twelve-jointed rattle. The other was just her own age.
"To be sure I will," she cried, and the pits between her nostrils and her ears looked more like dimples than ever. "Only you must wait until I can make up my mind which one to marry."
"Oh, no," they answered, "don't go to all that trouble. We will fight and decide it for you."
It was a long fight, and the older of the two Snakes had a couple of joints broken off from his rattle before it was over. Still he beat the other one and drove him away. When he came back for his bride he found her crying. "What is the matter?" said he, quite sternly.
"Oh, that p-poor other b-bachelor!" she sobbed. "I b-believe I will g-go after him. I think p-perhaps I l-love him the b-better."
"No, you don't, Mrs. Rattlesnake," said the fine old fellow who had just won the fight. "You will do no such thing. You will marry me and never speak to him again. When I have lost two joints of my rattle in fighting for you, I intend to have you myself, and I say that you love me very dearly. Do you hear?"
"Yes, darling," she answered, as she wiped her eyes on the grass, "very dearly." And they lived most happily together.
"He reminds me so much of the first Mr. Rattlesnake," she said to her friends. "So strong, so firm, so quick to decide!"
And the friends said to each other, "Well, let us be thankful he is. We have been bothered enough by her coming to us for advice which she never followed."
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