Читать книгу The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen / Приключения барона Мюнхгаузена. Уровень 1 - Рудольф Эрих Распе, Готфрид Бюргер, Готфрид Август Бюргер - Страница 25

So the ship that saved me was heading for the Turkish capital. The Italians saw that I was a remarkable man, and proposed me to stay with them. I agreed, and in a week we saw the Turkish coast.

The Turkish Sultan heard of my arrival. Of course he invited me to dine with him in his palace. He said:

“I am happy, my dear Munchausen, to welcome you here. I hope you are quite well. I know all your great heroic deeds, and I want to ask you a favour. It is a very difficult task that no one else can manage. But I know you are the most intelligent and resourceful person in the world. Can you go to Egypt immediately?”

“With pleasure!” I said. “I like to travel and I’m ready to go anywhere right now!”

The Sultan was very much pleased with my answer. He entrusted me with the task which must remain a secret. Therefore I cannot tell you about it. Yes, the Sultan himself confided a great secret to me, for he knew that I was the most reliable man in the world. I bowed and immediately set off[27].

As soon as I left the Turkish capital, I came across a little man. He was running with unusual rapidity. Heavy weights were tied to his legs, and yet he flew like an arrow.

“Where are you going?” I asked him. “And why did you tie these weights to your legs?”

“Three minutes ago I was in Vienna,” the little man answered, “and now I am going to Constantinople to look for some job. I hung the weights not to run very fast, because I have time.”

I liked this amazing runner very much, and I took him into my service[28]. So he followed me.

The next day we saw a man. He was lying on the ground and was listening to something.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m listening how the grass grows in the field,” he answered.

“Do you hear that?”

“Of course I do. It’s very easy!”

And I took this wonderful man into my service, too. We went on. Soon I saw a hunter with a rifle in his hand.

“Listen,” I said. “What are you shooting at? I can see neither animal nor bird here.”

“There was a sparrow on the roof of a bell-tower[29] in Berlin, and I got it right in the eye[30].”

You know how much I like hunting, gentlemen. Of course, I took this good hunter into my service. He was happy to follow me.

We passed many countries and cities, and we came to a big forest. There was a great man near the forest. He was holding a rope and he fastened the forest with loop.

“What are you carrying?” I asked.

“I want to chop wood, but I forgot my axe at home,” he said. “That’s why I’m carrying this forest.”

He pulled the rope, and the great oaks flew into the air and fell to the ground.

Needless to say, I took this strong man into my service as well.

When we were approaching Egypt, there was such a terrible storm that all our carriages and horses were all in a tumble.

We saw seven windmills, their wings were whirling very fast. And a man was lying on a hillock. He pinched his left nostril with a finger. When he saw us, he greeted me courteously, and the storm stopped.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I turn my master’s windmills,” he replied, “and I don’t want to break them. That’s why I don’t blow too hard: from one nostril only.”

“This man will be useful to me,” I thought, and took him into my service, too.

So, gentlemen, such wonderful men became my servants. And they served me well!