We were now kept indoors a great part of the time, but we kept ourselves occupied pleasantly, and the hours passed swiftly.
My first duty every morning was to read several chapters from the Bible. Then I instructed Friday in some of the truths of religion.
I was but an awkward teacher, but I did my best and was honest.
I began by asking him about the Creator.
I asked him who made the sea, the hills, the woods, the ground we walked on.
He told me it was one great being who lived beyond all.
I confess I could not have given a better answer.
He said that this great being was older than the sea or the land, the moon or the stars.
Then I said, "If this being has made all things, why do not all things worship him?"
He looked very grave, and with eyes full of innocence, answered, "All things say O to him."
Thus he taught me while I was trying to teach him.
I SEE A STRANGE SAIL
(я вижу незнакомый парус)
I PASS over some wonderful things that happened during my last year on the island (я пропускаю некоторые удивительные вещи, которые произошли в течение последнего моего года на острове). For I must not make this story too long (так как я не должен делать эту историю слишком длинной).
I was fast asleep in my castle one morning when Friday came running in (я крепко спал в моем замке одним утром, когда Пятница вбежал: «прибыл бежащим» внутрь).
"O master, master (о хозяин)!" he cried (прокричал он), "a boat, a boat (лодка)!"
I jumped up (я вскочил) and went out as quickly as could (и вышел так быстро, как мог). I was in such haste (я был в такой спешке) that I forgot to carry my gun with me (что забыл взять с собой ружье).
I looked toward the sea (я взглянул на море). About three miles from the shore I saw a strange boat coming to the island (примерно в трех милях от берега я увидел чужую лодку, плывущую к берегу). It carried a leg-of-mutton sail (на ней был треугольный парус: «она несла треугольный парус»; leg-of-mutton sail — треугольный парус: «парус "нога барана"») and was coming swiftly with the wind (и быстро подплывала, идя по ветру). "Surely (конечно/несомненно)," I thought, "this is not the kind of boat that savages sail in (это не того рода лодка, в каких плавают дикари)."
Then I saw that it was coming not from the open sea on my side of the island (затем я увидел, что она приближается не со стороны открытого моря на моей стороне острова), but from around a point on the south shore (а вокруг мыса на южном берегу).
I ran back to my castle (я побежал обратно в замок) and told Friday to stay inside and keep quiet (и сказал Пятнице оставаться внутри и сидеть тихо: «держаться/сохраняться тихо») till we could learn whether the people in the boat were friends or foes (пока мы не узнаем, были ли люди в лодке друзьями или врагами).
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