Ivan was a timid little man---so timid that the villages called him "pigeon" or mocked him with the title "Ivan the terrible."
Every night ivan stopped in at the tavern which was one the edge of the village graveyard. Ivan never crossed the graveyard to get to his lonely shack on the other side. That path would save many minutes, but he had never taken it---not even in the full light of noon.
Late one winter's night, when bitter wind and snow beat against the tavern, customers took up the familiar mockery. Ivan's mother was scared by a canary when she carried him in her womb. "Ivan the terrible---Ivan the timid one."
Ivan's weak protest only encouraged them, and they jeered cruelly when the cossack captain flung his horrid challenge at their victim.
"You are a pigeon, Ivan. you'll walk around the graveyard in this cold---but you dare not cross it." Ivan murmured, "the graveyard is nothing to cross, captain. It is nothing but earth, like all the other earth."
The captain cried, "a challenge, then! Cross the graveyard tonight, Ivan, and I'll give you five rubles---five gold rubles!"
Perhaps it was the vodka. Perhaps it was the temptation of the five gold rubles. No one knew why. Ivan, moistening his lips, said suddenly: "Yes, captain, I'll cross the graveyard." The tavern echoed with their disbelief. The captain winked to the men and unbuckled his sword.
"Here, Ivan. When you get to the center of the graveyard, in front of the biggest tomb, stick the sword into the ground. In the morning we shall go there. If the sword is in the ground---five rubles to you!" Ivan took the sword. The men drank a toast: "to ivan the terrible!" They roared laughing.
The wind howled around ivan as he closed the door of the tavern behind him. The cold was knife-sharp. He buttoned his long coat and crossed the dirt road. he could hear the captain's voice, louder than the rest, yelling after him, "five rubles, pigeon! If you live!"
Ivan pushed the graveyard gate open. He walked fast. "Earth, just earth… just like any other earth." Nut the darkness was a massive dread.
"Five gold rubles…" The wind was cruel and the sword was like ice in his hands. Ivan shivered under the long, thick coat and broke into a limping run.
He stopped the large tomb. He must have sobbed---that was the sound that was drowned in the wind. And he kneeled, cold and terrified, and drove the sword through the crust into the hard ground. With all his strength, he pushed it down to the hilt. It was done. The graveyard… the challenge… five gold rubles.
Ivan started to rise from his knees. But he could not move. Something gripped him in an unyielding hold. Ivan tugged and lurched and pulled---gasping in his panic, shaken by a horrible fear. He cried out in terror, then made senseless, gurgling noises.
They found Ivan, next morning on the ground in front of the tomb that was in the center of the graveyard. He was frozen to death. The look on his face was not that of a frozen man, but of a man killed by some nameless horror.
And the captain's sword was in the ground where Ivan had pounded it---through the dragging folds of his long coat.
Ivan was a timid little man---so timid that the villages called him "pigeon" or mocked him with the title "Ivan the terrible."
Every night ivan stopped in at the tavern which was one the edge of the village graveyard. Ivan never crossed the graveyard to get to his lonely shack on the other side. That path would save many minutes, but he had never taken it---not even in the full light of noon.
Late one winter's night, when bitter wind and snow beat against the tavern, customers took up the familiar mockery. Ivan's mother was scared by a canary when she carried him in her womb. "Ivan the terrible---Ivan the timid one."
Ivan's weak protest only encouraged them, and they jeered cruelly when the cossack captain flung his horrid challenge at their victim.
"You are a pigeon, Ivan. you'll walk around the graveyard in this cold---but you dare not cross it." Ivan murmured, "the graveyard is nothing to cross, captain. It is nothing but earth, like all the other earth."
The captain cried, "a challenge, then! Cross the graveyard tonight, Ivan, and I'll give you five rubles---five gold rubles!"
Perhaps it was the vodka. Perhaps it was the temptation of the five gold rubles. No one knew why. Ivan, moistening his lips, said suddenly: "Yes, captain, I'll cross the graveyard." The tavern echoed with their disbelief. The captain winked to the men and unbuckled his sword.
"Here, Ivan. When you get to the center of the graveyard, in front of the biggest tomb, stick the sword into the ground. In the morning we shall go there. If the sword is in the ground---five rubles to you!" Ivan took the sword. The men drank a toast: "to ivan the terrible!" They roared laughing.
The wind howled around ivan as he closed the door of the tavern behind him. The cold was knife-sharp. He buttoned his long coat and crossed the dirt road. he could hear the captain's voice, louder than the rest, yelling after him, "five rubles, pigeon! If you live!"
Ivan pushed the graveyard gate open. He walked fast. "Earth, just earth… just like any other earth." Nut the darkness was a massive dread.
"Five gold rubles…" The wind was cruel and the sword was like ice in his hands. Ivan shivered under the long, thick coat and broke into a limping run.
He stopped the large tomb. He must have sobbed---that was the sound that was drowned in the wind. And he kneeled, cold and terrified, and drove the sword through the crust into the hard ground. With all his strength, he pushed it down to the hilt. It was done. The graveyard… the challenge… five gold rubles.
Ivan started to rise from his knees. But he could not move. Something gripped him in an unyielding hold. Ivan tugged and lurched and pulled---gasping in his panic, shaken by a horrible fear. He cried out in terror, then made senseless, gurgling noises.
They found Ivan, next morning on the ground in front of the tomb that was in the center of the graveyard. He was frozen to death. The look on his face was not that of a frozen man, but of a man killed by some nameless horror.
And the captain's sword was in the ground where Ivan had pounded it---through the dragging folds of his long coat.
世卫组织:地球上90%的人呼吸被污染的空气
Does Love at First Sight Exist 一见钟情存在吗
中国外交部长王毅即将访问朝鲜
国内英语资讯:China, Dominican Republic establish diplomatic ties
体坛英语资讯:Hamburg win, Cologne relegated in German Bundesliga
“郭冬临之陷落”炸出一堆神翻译,这些脑洞可以承包一整年的笑点
Suggestions For Young Girls 给年轻女孩的建议
喀布尔自杀袭击打死26人 包括9名媒体人
布拉德•皮特新女友竟是麻省理工副教授!
白宫举办“带孩子上班日” 特朗普不忘揶揄记者
警惕!烘手器其实在喷细菌
My Classmates 我的同学
尼日利亚总统在华盛顿与川普总统谈反恐和经济
Say No to Strangers 对陌生人说不
怎么能在3个月内改善健康?
国际英语资讯:British monarch reopens parliament in crunch week for Brexit
Present 礼物
恶心?美味?德国超市开卖“虫肉汉堡”
国际英语资讯:Time has come for further Greek debt relief: OECD head
国内英语资讯:Commentary: China-Dominican Republic ties open new chapter
Health and Wealth 健康与财富
美文阅读:珍惜你邂逅的每一个人
国际英语资讯:Cambodias elite Brigade 70 marks 25th founding anniversary
Mount Etna is 'sliding towards the sea' 西西里岛埃特纳火山“正滑向大海”
国际英语资讯:Leader of Libyas largest militant coalition confirmed dead
体坛英语资讯:Mainz win, Dortmund tie in German Bundesliga
国际英语资讯:5 related to Paris police HQ attacker arrested
程序员鼓励师?中国科技公司里的“漂亮女孩”们
国内英语资讯:Fighting against terrorism needs to continue in parallel with pushing for ceasefire in Syria
联合国敦促缅甸调查对罗兴亚穆斯林施暴的指控
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |