The
wind blew with such ferocity that it was difficult not to think it an
animated being.
wind blew with such ferocity that it was difficult not to think it an
animated being.
Pushkin - Daughter of the Commandant
"
"Well, what does that matter? "
"And do you see what there is yonder? "
The driver pointed east with his whip.
"I see nothing more than the white steppe and the clear sky. "
"There, there; look, that little cloud! "
I did, in fact, perceive on the horizon a little white cloud which I
had at first taken for a distant hill. My driver explained to me that
this little cloud portended a "_bourane_. "[15] I had heard of the
snowstorms peculiar to these regions, and I knew of whole caravans
having been sometimes buried in the tremendous drifts of snow.
Saveliitch was of the same opinion as the driver, and advised me to turn
back, but the wind did not seem to me very violent, and hoping to reach
in time the next posting station, I bid him try and get on quickly. He
put his horses to a gallop, continually looking, however, towards the
east. But the wind increased in force, the little cloud rose rapidly,
became larger and thicker, at last covering the whole sky. The snow
began to fall lightly at first, but soon in large flakes. The wind
whistled and howled; in a moment the grey sky was lost in the whirlwind
of snow which the wind raised from the earth, hiding everything around
us.
"How unlucky we are, excellency," cried the driver; "it is the
_bourane_. "
I put my head out of the _kibitka_; all was darkness and confusion.
The
wind blew with such ferocity that it was difficult not to think it an
animated being.
The snow drifted round and covered us. The horses went at a walk, and
soon stopped altogether.
"Why don't you go on? " I said, impatiently, to the driver.
"But where to? " he replied, getting out of the sledge. "Heaven only
knows where we are now. There is no longer any road, and it is all
dark. "
I began to scold him, but Saveliitch took his part.
"Why did you not listen to him? " he said to me, angrily. "You would have
gone back to the post-house; you would have had some tea; you could
have slept till morning; the storm would have blown over, and we should
have started. And why such haste? Had it been to get married, now! "
Saveliitch was right.
"Well, what does that matter? "
"And do you see what there is yonder? "
The driver pointed east with his whip.
"I see nothing more than the white steppe and the clear sky. "
"There, there; look, that little cloud! "
I did, in fact, perceive on the horizon a little white cloud which I
had at first taken for a distant hill. My driver explained to me that
this little cloud portended a "_bourane_. "[15] I had heard of the
snowstorms peculiar to these regions, and I knew of whole caravans
having been sometimes buried in the tremendous drifts of snow.
Saveliitch was of the same opinion as the driver, and advised me to turn
back, but the wind did not seem to me very violent, and hoping to reach
in time the next posting station, I bid him try and get on quickly. He
put his horses to a gallop, continually looking, however, towards the
east. But the wind increased in force, the little cloud rose rapidly,
became larger and thicker, at last covering the whole sky. The snow
began to fall lightly at first, but soon in large flakes. The wind
whistled and howled; in a moment the grey sky was lost in the whirlwind
of snow which the wind raised from the earth, hiding everything around
us.
"How unlucky we are, excellency," cried the driver; "it is the
_bourane_. "
I put my head out of the _kibitka_; all was darkness and confusion.
The
wind blew with such ferocity that it was difficult not to think it an
animated being.
The snow drifted round and covered us. The horses went at a walk, and
soon stopped altogether.
"Why don't you go on? " I said, impatiently, to the driver.
"But where to? " he replied, getting out of the sledge. "Heaven only
knows where we are now. There is no longer any road, and it is all
dark. "
I began to scold him, but Saveliitch took his part.
"Why did you not listen to him? " he said to me, angrily. "You would have
gone back to the post-house; you would have had some tea; you could
have slept till morning; the storm would have blown over, and we should
have started. And why such haste? Had it been to get married, now! "
Saveliitch was right.
