Лучшие сказки загадочной Шотландии. Уровень 1 / The Best Tales of Enchanted Scotland

He climbed up behind the rider. The rider shook his bridle rein. The great horse galloped off. On and on they went. They flew like the wind. At last they came to the edge of a huge precipice. The face of that precipice went sheer down to the sea. Here the mysterious horseman pulled up his steed with a jerk.

“Get off now[9 - Get off now. – Слезай.],” he said shortly.

The seal catcher got off. He found himself safe on the ground. Then he peeped cautiously over the edge of the cliff. Where are the seals? To his astonishment he saw only the blue sea.

“Where are your seals?” he asked anxiously.

“You will see them soon,” answered the stranger.

The seal catcher was frightened. It was useless to cry out for help in such a lonely place.

The next moment the stranger laid his hand upon the hunter's shoulder. Then the stranger pushed him over the cliff. The seal catcher fell with a splash into the sea. He thought that was his last hour.

But, to his astonishment, he could breathe quite easily.

He and his companion, sank quickly down through the sea.

Down and down they went. At last they came to a huge arched door. The door was made of pink coral and cockle-shells[10 - cockle-shells – ракушки]. It opened. When they entered they found themselves[11 - they found themselves – они оказались] in a huge hall. The walls of that hall were of mother-of-pearl[12 - mother-of-pearl – перламутр]. The floor of that hall was of sea-sand.

It was smooth, and firm, and yellow.

The hall was crowded with occupants. They were seals, not men. What it all meant? Suddenly the seal catcher found that his guide, too, became a seal. He was still more aghast when he saw himself in a large mirror. The mirror hung on the wall. The hunter saw that he was also no longer a man. He was a nice, hairy, brown seal!

“Ah, woe to me![13 - Ah, woe to me! – О, горе мне!]” he said to himself. “Why did this artful stranger cast some baneful charm upon me? In this awful guise I will remain for the rest of my life!”

At first none of the huge creatures spoke to him.

They were very sad. They moved gently about the hall. They talked quietly and mournfully to one another. The wiped big tears from their eyes with their soft furry fins.

But presently they noticed him. They began to whisper to one another. His guide moved away from him. He disappeared through a door at the end of the hall.