"TOM!"
-Tom!
No answer.
Cap resposta.
"TOM!"
-Tom!
No answer.
Cap resposta.
"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!"
-Què s'ha fet aquest noi? em demano. Tom!
No answer.
The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked through them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service--she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:
La vella senyora tirà per avall les seves ulleres i mirà per damunt elles al volt de la cambra. Després les tirà per amunt i sotjà sota d'elles. Poques vegades o mai no mirava a través d'elles per una cosa tan petita com és un noi, perquè les ulleres eren de cerimònia, i l'orgull de son cor, i cavalcaven per gala i no pas per servei: igual hauria pogut veure a través d'un parell de tapadores d'estufa. Semblà un moment perplexa, i digué, no pas ferotgement, però tanmateix en veu prou alta perquè el parament de la cambra la sentís:
"Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll--"
-Bé, m'hi jugo qualsevol cosa que si us atrapo us...
She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.
No acabà la frase, perquè en aquell moment estava decantant-se i furgant sota el llit amb l'escombra: així és que necessitava alè per al ritme de les furgades. No desenterrà cap cosa sinó el gat.
"I never did see the beat of that boy!"
-Mai no l'he vist atrapat, aquest noi!
She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom. So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and shouted:
Se n'anà cap a la porta oberta i s'hi aturà, i sotjà entre els emparrats de tomaqueres i herbes tauperes, que constituïen el jardí. Res de Tom. Així és que ella féu força per alçar la veu fins al grau exigit per la distància, i cridà:
"Y-o-u-u TOM!"
-O-o-o Tom!
There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.
Sentí una fressa lleu al darrera, i es girà a temps per a agafar un petit minyó per l'extrem de son gec, i aturar la seva fugida.
"There! I might 'a' thought of that closet. What you been doing in there?"
-Té! Hauria hagut de pensar en aquest recambró. Què hi féieu, aquí dins?
"Nothing."
-Res.
"Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What is that truck?"
-Res! Mireu-vos les mans i mireu-vos la boca. Què és, aquesta brutor?
"I don't know, aunt."
-No ho sé, tia.
"Well, I know. It's jam--that's what it is. Forty times I've said if you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch."
-Bé, jo sí, que ho sé. És melmelada: vet aquí el que és. Us he dit quaranta vegades que si no deixàveu la melmelada tranquila us llevaria la pell. Deu-me aquell fuet.
The switch hovered in the air--the peril was desperate--
El fuet fou brandat per l'aire. El perill era desesperat.
"My! Look behind you, aunt!"
-Ui! Mireu al darrera vostre, tia!
The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger. The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board-fence, and disappeared over it.
La vella senyora es girà arremolinadament, i arrabassà les faldilles cap enfora de l'amenaça; i el minyó fugí tot seguit, s'enfilà damunt el clos d'altes estaques, i desaparegué a l'altra banda.
His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh.
La tia Polly romangué sorpresa un moment i en acabat esclatá en una dolça rialla.
"Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old fools is the biggest fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy, and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good Book says. I'm a laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it's so. He'll play hookey this evening, * and [* Southwestern for "afternoon"] I'll just be obleeged to make him work, tomorrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I've got to do some of my duty by him, or I'll be the ruination of the child."
-Diastre de noi! Mireu's que és prou, que jo mai pugui escarmentar! No m'ha fet prou martingales, perquè ara m'emprengui de sotjar-lo? Però un vell ximple és el pitjor dels ximples. Un gos vell no aprèn cap traça nova, com diu la dita. Tanmateix, en nom de Déu, ell no s'empesca mai les mateixes coses dues vegades seguides; i còm pot conèixer un hom la que ha de venir? Sembla talment que sàpiga per quant de temps podrà de consumir-me les sangs sense que m'arribi a arborar, i sap que, si arriba a aconseguir de deixar-me en bitza per un minut o fer-me riure, jo m'aplaco i no puc ventar-li patacada. No hi compleixo pas la meva obligació amb aquest noi; i aquesta és la santa veritat, Déu ho sap. Plànyer el bastó malmet el minyó, com diu la Bíblia. Deixo que el pecat s'amuntegui, i pago la pena per tots dos, massa que ho veig. És un vailet endimoniat; però, caram!, és el noi de la meva germana morta, pobrissona!, i no tinc cor de ventar-li fuetada, sigui com sigui. Cada vegada que el deixo anar, la consciència em puny de allò més; i cada vegada que l'aporrino el cor se'm trenca. Tanmateix, home nat de dona és de pocs dies i ple de tribulacions, com diu l'Escriptura, i és la massíssima veritat. Farà campana aquesta tarda, i no tindré més remei que fer-lo treballar demà, per a castigar-lo. És ben dur de fer-lo treballar els dissabtes, quan tots els minyons fan festa; però ell té més rancúnia al treball que a cap altra cosa, i, no hi ha més, he de complir amb ell una mica de la meva obligació, o seré la seva ruïna.
Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day's wood and split the kindlings before supper--at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, trouble-some ways.
Tom va fer campana, i va passar una gentil estona. Tornà a casa amb prou feines a temps d'ajudar Jim, el vailet negre, a serrar la llenya del dia següent; i partí les teies abans de sopar, o almenys estigué allí a una hora escaient per a dir ses aventures a Jim, mentre Jim feia les tres quartes parts de la feina. El germà petit de Tom (o, millor, germanastre), Sid, estava ja enfeinat en la seva contribució al treball (arreplegant les miques de fusta), perquè era un noi tranquil, i no pas de mena aventurera ni enquimeradora.
While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep--for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments. Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning. Said she:
Mentre Tom anava menjant-se el seu sopar i robava el sucre en oferir-se-n'hi avinentesa, la tia Polly li feia preguntes que eren plenes d'artifici i molt pregones, perquè volia atrapar-lo en revelacions perjudicials. Com esdevé a moltes altres ànimes senzilles, la seva vanitat predilecta era de creure que tenia un talent especial per a l'ombrívola i misteriosa diplomàcia, i li plaïa de considerar sos enginys més transparents com a meravelles d'extraordinària trapelleria.
"Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it?"
-Tom- digué ella -feia bastanta calor a l'escola: veritat?
"Yes'm."
-Sí, senyora.
"Powerful warm, warn't it?"
-Molta calor: veritat?
"Yes'm."
-Sí, senyora.
"Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?"
-No teníeu ganes de rabejar-vos una mica a l'aigua, Tom?
A bit of a scare shot through Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing. So he said:
Tom es sentí ferit d'un bri d'alarma, d'un toc de sospita inquieta. Escrutà la cara de la tia Polly, però ella no li digué res. Així és que féu:
"No'm--well, not very much."
-No sé..., és a dir, no molt.
The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said:
La vella senyora estengué la seva mà i tocà la camisa de Tom, i digué:
"But you ain't too warm now, though." And it flattered her to reflect that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing that that was what she had in her mind. But in spite of her, Tom knew where the wind lay, now. So he forestalled what might be the next move:
-Però tampoc no esteu massa calent, ara.
I li fou cosa afalagadora, de reflexionar que ella havia descobert que la camisa era seca, sense que ningú s'adonés que això era la cosa que portava al magí. Però, a desgrat d'ella, Tom ara sabia d'on venia el vent. Així és que preveié quína seria la vinent jugada.
"Some of us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?"
-Alguns de nosaltres ens mullàrem el cap sota la bomba... Jo encara el tinc humit. Veieu?
Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick. Then she had a new inspiration:
La tia Polly va enrabinar-se de pensar que havia passat per alt aquell bocí de prova circumstancial i negligit una pista. Aleshores digué, amb nova inspiració:
"Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket!"
-Tom: no us calgué pas d'arrencar el coll de la camisa d'allà on jo l'havia cosit, per mullar-vos el cap: oi? Descordeu-vos el gec!
The trouble vanished out of Tom's face. He opened his jacket. His shirt collar was securely sewed.
A la cara de Tom s'hi esvaí la preocupació. Obrí son gec. Son coll de camisa estava sòlidament cosit.
"Bother! Well, go 'long with you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and been a-swimming. But I forgive ye, Tom. I reckon you're a kind of a singed cat, as the saying is--better'n you look. This time."
-Dolentot! Bé, ja podeu tocar pirandó. Estava segura que havíeu fet el plaga i havíeu anat a nedar. Però us perdono. Tom: em fa l'efecte que sou una mena de gat escaldat, com diu la gent... i millor del que sembleu, per aquesta vegada.
She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.
Mig li recava que la seva sagacitat hagués fet fallida, i mig s'alegrava que Tom s'hagués ensopegat, per una vegada, a servar obedient conducta.
But Sidney said:
Però Sidney digué:
"Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread, but it's black."
-Bé, jo diria que li havíeu cosit el coll amb fil blanc; però ara és negre.
"Why, I did sew it with white! Tom!"
-Oital, si el vaig cosir amb fil blanc! Tom!
But Tom did not wait for the rest. As he went out at the door he said:
Però Tom no n'esperà l'acabament. En passar la porta, digué:
"Siddy, I'll lick you for that."
-Siddy, això et valdrà una pallissa.
In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them--one needle carried white thread and the other black. He said:
En un indret segur, Tom examinà dues grans agulles clavades a les gires del seu gec; i estaven enfilades, l'una enfilada de fil blanc i l'altra de negre.
"She'd never noticed if it hadn't been for Sid. Confound it! sometimes she sews it with white, and sometimes she sews it with black. I wish to gee-miny she'd stick to one or t'other--I can't keep the run of 'em. But I bet you I'll lam Sid for that. I'll learn him!"
-Mai no n'hauria hagut esment, si no hagués estat per Sid. Llamp! De vegades ella ho cus amb fil blanc, i de vegades ho cus amb fil negre. Voldria, en nom de Déu, que sempre ho fes amb l'un o amb l'altre: no puc estar tan amatent als canvis. Però em jugo qualsevol cosa que a Sid l'estaborniré. Li daré una lliçó!
He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though--and loathed him.
Tom no era pas el noi model del poblet. Coneixia molt bé quin era el noi model, tanmateix, i li feia fàstic.
Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time--just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it un-disturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music--the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet--no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer.
Al cap de dos minuts, o menys i tot, havia oblidat tots els seus mals de cap. No era perquè sos mals de cap fossin per a ell ni una mica mica menys amargs i atuïdors que els d'un home gran per a un home gran, sinó perquè un nou i poderós interès els passà al davant, i els esvaí per aquella estona en la seva ment; igual que els infortunis dels homes són oblidats en l'exaltació de les empreses noves. Aquest nou interès era una valuosa novetat en l'art de xiular, que acabava d'adquirir d'un negre; i ell es delia per ensinistrar-s'hi sense noses. Consistia en un peculiar caient ocellívol, una mena de líquid refilet, que hom produïa per un contacte de la llengua amb el paladar, a breus intervals, en mig de la música. El lector probablement recorda com es fa, si mai ha estat noi. Diligència i atenció aviat aconseguiren de fer-l'hi dominar, i ell baixà a grans passes pel carrer, amb la boca plena d'harmonia i l'ànima plena de gratitud. Sos sentiments eren ben iguals als d'un astrònom que ha descobert un nou planeta. Sens dubte, pel que pertoca a un plaer intens, pregon, sense mescla, l'aventatge era per al noi i no pas per a l'astrònom.
The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him--a boy a shade larger than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an im-pressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too--well dressed on a week-day. This was simply as astounding. His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes on--and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved--but only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all the time. Finally Tom said:
Les tardes d'istiu són llargues. Encara no era fosc. De cop i volta, Tom parà de xiular. Tenia al davant un estrany: un noi una mica més gran que ell. Un nou vingut de qualsevol edat o sexe era una colpidora curiositat en el pobre poblet de Sant Petersburg. A més, el noi anava ben vestit: ben vestit en dia de feina. Això era simplement astorador. Sa gorra era una cosa bonica. Son gec de tela blava, ajustadament cordat, era nou i airós, i també ho eren sos pantalons. Duia sabates, i això que tot just era divendres. Fins i tot portava corbata, un bocí brillant de cinta. Tenia un tarannà aciutadanat que removia les entranyes de Tom. Quant més Tom badava en front de l'esplèndida meravella, més arremangava el nas, impressionat per aquella bellor, i li semblava que son propi abillament es tornava més i més arrossinat. Cap dels dos nois parlava. Si l'un es movia, l'altre es movia; però només que de flanc, en un cercle. Es mantingueren faç contra faç i fit a fit tota l'estona. A la fi, Tom digué:
"I can lick you!"
-Puc apallissar-vos!
"I'd like to see you try it."
-Em plauria de veure com ho intenteu.
"Well, I can do it."
-Bé, doncs, puc escometre-ho.
"No you can't, either."
-No, que no podeu, tanmateix.
"Yes I can."
-Sí, que puc.
"No you can't."
-No, que no podeu.
"I can."
-Puc.
"You can't."
-No podeu.
"Can!"
-Puc.
"Can't!"
-Que no.
An uncomfortable pause. Then Tom said:
Hi hagué una pausa inconfortable. Aleshores Tom digué:
"What's your name?"
-Com us dieu?
"'Tisn't any of your business, maybe."
-No és cosa del vostre ram. .
"Well I 'low I'll make it my business."
-Bé, doncs, jo ara en puc fer una cosa del meu ram.
"Well why don't you?"
-Bé, i per què no ho proveu?
"If you say much, I will."
-Si parleu gaire, ho faré.
"Much--much--much. There now."
-Gaire... gaire... gaire...! Que me'n doneu, de fil!
"Oh, you think you're mighty smart, don't you? I could lick you with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to."
-Oh! Us penseu que sou molt viu: oi? Podria apallissar-vos tenint una mà lligada al meu darrera, si volia.
"Well why don't you do it? You say you can do it."
-Bé, per què no voleu fer-ho? Perquè vós dieu que podeu fer-ho.
"Well I will, if you fool with me."
-Bé, ho faré, si beneitegeu gaire.
"Oh yes--I've seen whole families in the same fix."
-Oh! sí... He vist famílies senceres en el mateix compromís.
"Smarty! You think you're some, now, don't you? Oh, what a hat!"
-Murri! Us penseu que sou algú: veritat?
-Ai, ai! Quín capell!
"You can lump that hat if you don't like it. I dare you to knock it off--and anybody that'll take a dare will suck eggs."
-Podeu abonyegar-lo, aquest capell, si no us plau. Llengua que no li deu una patacada: qui li doni una patacada, rebrà.
"You're a liar!"
-Sou un mentider.
"You're another."
-Vós en sou un altre.
"You're a fighting liar and dasn't take it up."
-Us baralleu de per riure, i no goseu començar.
"Aw--take a walk!"
-Vejam... fugiu-me del davant!
"Say--if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a rock off'n your head."
-Escolteu: si ha de durar gaire més aquest desvergonyiment, agafo una pedra i us enceto el cap.
"Oh, of course you will."
-Oh! És clar que ho fareu.
"Well I will."
-Bé, doncs, ho faré.
"Well why don't you do it then? What do you keep saying you will for? Why don't you do it? It's because you're afraid."
-Bé, per què no ho feu, doncs? Per què aneu dient que ho fareu? Per què no ho feu? És perquè teniu por.
"I ain't afraid."
-No en tinc, de por.
"You are."
-Sí que en teniu.
"I ain't."
-No, que no en tinc.
"You are."
-Sí que en teniu.
Another pause, and more eying and sidling around each other. Presently they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said:
Una altra pausa, i més ullades i borneig, l'un al volt de l'altre. Al cap de poc estigueren espatlla contra espatlla. Tom digué:
"Get away from here!"
-Aneu-vos-en d'aquí.
"Go away yourself!"
-Aneu-vos-en vós.
"I won't."
-No vull, en bona refè.
"I won't either."
-En bona refè, no vull.
So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate. But neither could get an advantage. After struggling till both were hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with watchful caution, and Tom said:
Així romangueren, cadascú amb un peu fent angle, com un estrep, i tots dos empenyent, que més no podien, i mirant-se amb les celles arrufades d'odi; però cap dels dos no pogué guanyar aventatge. Després de lluitar fins que tots dos foren arborats i envermellits, cadascú relaxà la seva tensió amb vigilant cautela, i Tom digué:
"You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too."
-Sou un covard i un cadellet. Li parlaré de vós al meu germà gran, i ell us pot ben estabornir, i jo li diré que ho faci.
"What do I care for your big brother? I've got a brother that's bigger than he is--and what's more, he can throw him over that fence, too." [Both brothers were imaginary.]
-Què se me'n dóna, del vostre germà gran? Tinc un germà que és més gran que no pas ell; i, fins i tot, pot engegar-lo per damunt d'aquest clos.- (Tots dos germans eren imaginaris).
"That's a lie."
-Això és una bola.
"Your saying so don't make it so."
-Perquè vos ho digueu, no vol dir que en sigui.
Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said:
Tom féu una ratlla en la pols amb el seu dit gros, i digué:
"I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you till you can't stand up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep."
-Llengua que no camineu damunt d'això. I si ho feu us aporrinaré fins a aclotellar-vos en terra. Qualsevol que tingui llengua es guanyarà un pebrot.
The new boy stepped over promptly, and said:
El noi nou ho petjà cuitosament, i digué:
"Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it."
-Heu dit que ho faríeu: ara vejam còm ho feu.
"Don't you crowd me now; you better look out."
-No em feu més nosa, ja: val més que us en aneu a pendre la fresca.
"Well, you said you'd do it--why don't you do it?"
-Bé: heu dit que ho faríeu... Per què no ho feu?
"By jingo! for two cents I will do it."
-Vatuanada! Ho faig per dos cèntims.
The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and pounding him with his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" said he.
El noi nou es tragué de la butxaca dos coures dels grans, i els mostrà irrisòriament en la mà estesa. Tom, d'un patac, els tirà a terra. En un instant els dos nois caigueren i giravoltaren pel fang, aferrussats com a gats; i per espai d'un minut s'estiraren i esquinçaren el pèl i els vestits, es donaren cops de puny i esgarrapades al nas, i es cobriren de pols i de glòria. Al cap de poc, allò que era confusió anà precisant-se; i en mig de la boira del combat aparegué Tom, a cavall del noi nou, i pataquejant-lo amb els punys.
-Digueu: «Em dono!»- féu Tom.
The boy only struggled to free himself. He was crying--mainly from rage.
El minyó no feia sinó lluitar per alliberar-se. Plorava, principalment de ràbia.
"Holler 'nuff!"--and the pounding went on.
-Digueu: «Em dono!»- I els cops de puny continuaren.
At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up and said:
A la fi l'estranger deixà sentir un ofegat «-Em dono!», i Tom el deixà alçar i digué:
"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next time."
-Això us servirà de lliçó. Una altra vegada teniu més compte a mirar amb qui feu el poca-solta.
The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out." To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope. Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived. He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the window and declined. At last the enemy's mother appeared, and called Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar child, and ordered him away. So he went away; but he said he "'lowed" to "lay" for that boy.
El noi nou se n'anà tot raspallant la pols de sos vestits, sanglotant, rondinant, i girant-se, adesiara, i sacsejant el cap i amenaçant amb allò que faria a Tom «l'altra vegada que l'atrapés al carrer». A la qual cosa Tom respongué amb befes i emprengué el seu camí joiosament; i, tan prompte com hagué girat l'esquena, el noi nou arreplegà una pedra, l'engegà, i el tocà entre les espatlles, i després girà cua i corregué com un antílop. Tom empaità al traïdor fins a casa seva i així esbrinà on vivia. Mantingué la seva posició a la porta per algun temps, desafiant l'enemic a sortir a fora; però l'enemic es limità a fer-li ganyes darrera la finestra, i declinà la proposició. A la fi la mare de l'enemic aparegué, i digué a Tom que era un noi dolent, poca pena i ordinari, i li va manar que se n'anés. Així, doncs, ell se n'anà, però digué que, ell rai, es podia permetre d'ajornar-ho.
He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in its firmness.
Arribà a casa molt tard aquella nit; i, en enfilar-se cautament a la finestra, descobrí una emboscada en la persona de la seva tia; i quan ella veié l'estat en el qual es trobaven sos vestits, la seva resolució de convertir-li la festa del dissabte en captiveri i treballs forçats esdevingué d'una fermesa diamantina.