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Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin, 18. GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET

18. GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET

WHEN George Washington was quite a little boy, his father gave him a hatchet. It was bright and new, and George took great delight in going about and chopping things with it.

He ran into the garden, and there he saw a tree which seemed to say to him, "Come and cut me down!" George had often seen his father's men chop down the great trees in the forest, and he thought that it would be fine sport to see this tree fall with a crash to the ground. So he set to work with his little hatchet, and, as the tree was a very small one it did not take long to lay it low.

Soon after that, his father came home.

"Who has been cutting my fine young cherry tree?" he cried. "It was the only tree of its kind in this country, and it cost me a great deal of money." He was very angry when he came into the house.

"If I only knew who killed that cherry tree," he cried, "I would—yes, I would"— "Father!" cried little George. "I will tell you the truth about it. I chopped the tree down with my hatchet." His father forgot his anger.

"George," he said, and he took the little fellow in his arms, "George, I am glad that you told me about it. I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you should tell one falsehood."

18. GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET 18. GEORGE WASHINGTON E O SEU MACHADO DE GUERRA 18. ДЖОРДЖ ВАШИНГТОН И ЕГО ТОПОР

WHEN George Washington was quite a little boy, his father gave him a hatchet. It was bright and new, and George took great delight in going about and chopping things with it. Byla jasná a nová a George měl velkou radost z toho, že s ní chodil a sekal. それは明るくて新しく、ジョージはそれを使って物事を切り刻むことに大きな喜びを感じました。 Это было ярко и ново, и Джордж с огромным удовольствием поехал и порезал вещи этим.

He ran into the garden, and there he saw a tree which seemed to say to him, "Come and cut me down!" Vběhl do zahrady a tam uviděl strom, který jako by mu říkal: "Pojď mě porazit!" 彼は庭に走って行き、そこで彼に言っているように見える木を見ました。 George had often seen his father's men chop down the great trees in the forest, and he thought that it would be fine sport to see this tree fall with a crash to the ground. George často viděl, jak muži svého otce kácejí velké stromy v lese, a pomyslel si, že by byl dobrý sport vidět tento strom padat s rachotem k zemi. ジョージは、父親の部下が森の大きな木を切り倒すのをよく見ていました。彼は、この木が地面にぶつかって倒れるのを見るのは素晴らしいスポーツだと思いました。 So he set to work with his little hatchet, and, as the tree was a very small one it did not take long to lay it low. Pustil se tedy do práce se svou malou sekerkou, a protože strom byl velmi malý, netrvalo dlouho a položil jej nízko. それで彼は彼の小さな孵化場で働き始めました、そして、木が非常に小さいので、それを低く置くのにそれほど時間はかかりませんでした。

Soon after that, his father came home.

"Who has been cutting my fine young cherry tree?" 「誰が私の立派な若い桜の木を切っているのですか？」 he cried. "It was the only tree of its kind in this country, and it cost me a great deal of money." "Byl to jediný strom svého druhu v této zemi a stálo mě to hodně peněz." 「それはこの国で唯一のこの種の木で、私には多額の費用がかかりました。」 He was very angry when he came into the house. 彼が家に入ったとき、彼はとても怒っていました。

"If I only knew who killed that cherry tree," he cried, "I would—yes, I would"— 「誰がその桜の木を殺したのかしかわからなかったら、そうだろう」と彼は叫んだ。 "Father!" "Отец!" cried little George. плакал маленький Джордж. "I will tell you the truth about it. I chopped the tree down with my hatchet." His father forgot his anger.

"George," he said, and he took the little fellow in his arms, "George, I am glad that you told me about it. 「ジョージ」と彼は言い、小さな男を腕に抱き、「ジョージ、あなたがそのことを話してくれてうれしい。 I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you should tell one falsehood." Raději bych přišel o tucet třešní, než abyste řekl jednu nepravdu." 1つの誤りを告げるよりも、1ダースの桜の木を失いたいのです。」