Рудольф Распе – The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (страница 3)

and finds a wolf – Makes him draw his sledge – Promises to entertain

his company with a relation of such facts as are well deserving their

notice._

I set off from Rome on a journey to Russia, in the midst of winter, from

a just notion that frost and snow must of course mend the roads, which

every traveller had described as uncommonly bad through the northern

parts of Germany, Poland, Courland, and Livonia. I went on horseback, as

the most convenient manner of travelling; I was but lightly clothed, and

of this I felt the inconvenience the more I advanced north-east.

What must not a poor old man have suffered in that severe weather and

climate, whom I saw on a bleak common in Poland, lying on the road,

helpless, shivering, and hardly having wherewithal to cover his

nakedness? I pitied the poor soul: though I felt the severity of the air

myself, I threw my mantle over him, and immediately I heard a voice from

the heavens, blessing me for that piece of charity, saying —

«You will be rewarded, my son, for this in time.»

I went on: night and darkness overtook me. No village was to be seen.

The country was covered with snow, and I was unacquainted with the road.

Tired, I alighted, and fastened my horse to something like a pointed

stump of a tree, which appeared above the snow; for the sake of safety I

placed my pistols under my arm, and laid down on the snow, where I slept

so soundly that I did not open my eyes till full daylight. It is not

easy to conceive my astonishment to find myself in the midst of a

village, lying in a churchyard; nor was my horse to be seen, but I heard

him soon after neigh somewhere above me. On looking upwards I beheld him

hanging by his bridle to the weather-cock of the steeple. Matters were

now very plain to me: the village had been covered with snow overnight;

a sudden change of weather had taken place; I had sunk down to the

churchyard whilst asleep, gently, and in the same proportion as the snow

had melted away; and what in the dark I had taken to be a stump of a

little tree appearing above the snow, to which I had tied my horse,

proved to have been the cross or weather-cock of the steeple!

Without long consideration I took one of my pistols, shot the bridle

in two, brought the horse, and proceeded on my journey. [Here the Baron

seems to have forgot his feelings; he should certainly have ordered his

horse a feed of corn, after fasting so long.]

He carried me well – advancing into the interior parts of Russia. I found

travelling on horseback rather unfashionable in winter, therefore I

submitted, as I always do, to the custom of the country, took a single

horse sledge, and drove briskly towards St. Petersburg. I do not exactly

recollect whether it was in Eastland or Jugemanland, but I remember that

in the midst of a dreary forest I spied a terrible wolf making after me,

with all the speed of ravenous winter hunger. He soon overtook me. There

was no possibility of escape. Mechanically I laid myself down flat in

the sledge, and let my horse run for our safety. What I wished, but

hardly hoped or expected, happened immediately after. The wolf did not

mind me in the least, but took a leap over me, and falling furiously on

the horse, began instantly to tear and devour the hind-part of the poor

animal, which ran the faster for his pain and terror. Thus unnoticed and

safe myself, I lifted my head slyly up, and with horror I beheld that

the wolf had ate his way into the horse’s body; it was not long before

he had fairly forced himself into it, when I took my advantage, and fell

upon him with the butt-end of my whip. This unexpected attack in his

rear frightened him so much, that he leaped forward with all his might:

the horse’s carcase dropped on the ground, but in his place the wolf

was in the harness, and I on my part whipping him continually: we

both arrived in full career safe at St. Petersburg, contrary to our

respective expectations, and very much to the astonishment of the

spectators.

I shall not tire you, gentlemen, with the politics, arts, sciences, and

history of this magnificent metropolis of Russia, nor trouble you with

the various intrigues and pleasant adventures I had in the politer

circles of that country, where the lady of the house always receives the

visitor with a dram and a salute. I shall confine myself rather to

the greater and nobler objects of your attention, horses and dogs, my