Whittington dan Kucingnya

Pada masa pemerintahan Raja Edward III yang terkenal, ada seorang anak laki-laki bernama Dick Whittington, yang ayah dan ibunya meninggal ketika ia masih sangat kecil.

In the reign of the famous King Edward III. there was a little boy called Dick Whittington, whose father and mother died when he was very young.

Karena Dick yang malang belum cukup umur untuk bekerja, keadaannya sangat menyedihkan; ia hanya mendapat sedikit makanan untuk makan siangnya, dan terkadang tidak mendapat apa-apa sama sekali untuk sarapannya; sebab orang-orang yang tinggal di desa itu memang sangat miskin, dan tidak bisa memberinya banyak selain kulit kentang, serta sesekali kerak roti yang keras.

As poor Dick was not old enough to work, he was very badly off; he got but little for his dinner, and sometimes nothing at all for his breakfast; for the people who lived in the village were very poor indeed, and could not spare him much more than the parings of potatoes, and now and then a hard crust of bread.

Kini Dick telah mendengar banyak hal yang sangat aneh tentang kota besar bernama London; sebab orang-orang desa pada waktu itu mengira bahwa orang-orang di London semuanya adalah tuan dan nyonya yang anggun; dan bahwa di sana ada nyanyian dan musik sepanjang hari; serta jalan-jalannya semuanya dilapisi emas.

Now Dick had heard a great many very strange things about the great city called London; for the country people at that time thought that folks in London were all fine gentlemen and ladies; and that there was singing and music there all day long; and that the streets were all paved with gold.

Suatu hari, sebuah pedati besar bermuatan delapan kuda, semuanya dengan lonceng di kepala mereka, melintas melalui desa saat Dick sedang berdiri di dekat tiang penunjuk jalan.

One day a large waggon and eight horses, all with bells at their heads, drove through the village while Dick was standing by the sign-post.

Ia mengira bahwa pedati ini pasti menuju ke kota London yang indah; jadi ia memberanikan diri, dan meminta kepada kusir pedati untuk mengizinkannya berjalan bersamanya di samping pedati.

He thought that this waggon must be going to the fine town of London; so he took courage, and asked the waggoner to let him walk with him by the side of the waggon.

Segera setelah kusir pedati mendengar bahwa Dick yang malang tidak memiliki ayah atau ibu, dan melihat dari pakaiannya yang compang-camping bahwa keadaannya tidak mungkin lebih buruk lagi, ia memberi tahu Dick bahwa ia boleh ikut jika mau, lalu mereka pun berangkat bersama.

As soon as the waggoner heard that poor Dick had no father or mother, and saw by his ragged clothes that he could not be worse off than he was, he told him he might go if he would, so off they set together.

Maka Dick tiba dengan selamat di London, dan ia sangat terburu-buru untuk melihat jalan-jalan indah yang seluruhnya dilapisi emas, sampai-sampai ia bahkan tidak tinggal sebentar untuk berterima kasih kepada kusir pedati yang baik hati itu; melainkan berlari secepat kakinya dapat membawanya, melintasi banyak jalan, berpikir setiap saat bahwa ia akan sampai ke jalan-jalan yang dilapisi emas; sebab Dick pernah melihat sekeping guinea sebanyak tiga kali di desanya sendiri yang kecil, dan mengingat betapa banyak uang yang didapat dari kembaliannya; jadi ia berpikir ia tidak perlu melakukan apa pun selain mengambil beberapa kepingan kecil dari trotoar jalan, dan kemudian akan memiliki uang sebanyak yang ia inginkan.

So Dick got safe to London, and was in such a hurry to see the fine streets paved all over with gold, that he did not even stay to thank the kind waggoner; but ran off as fast as his legs would carry him, through many of the streets, thinking every moment to come to those that were paved with gold; for Dick had seen a guinea three times in his own little village, and remembered what a deal of money it brought in change; so he thought he had nothing to do but to take up some little bits of the pavement, and should then have as much money as he could wish for.

Dick yang malang berlari sampai ia lelah, dan sama sekali melupakan temannya, si kusir pedati; tetapi akhirnya, mendapati hari mulai gelap, dan ke mana pun ia menoleh ia tidak melihat apa-apa selain kotoran dan bukannya emas, ia duduk di sudut yang gelap dan menangis hingga tertidur.

Poor Dick ran till he was tired, and had quite forgot his friend the waggoner; but at last, finding it grow dark, and that every way he turned he saw nothing but dirt instead of gold, he, sat down in a dark corner and cried himself to sleep.

Dick kecil berada di jalanan sepanjang malam; dan keesokan paginya, karena sangat lapar, ia bangun dan berjalan-jalan, lalu meminta kepada setiap orang yang ditemuinya untuk memberinya setengah peni agar ia tidak kelaparan; tetapi tidak ada seorang pun yang berhenti untuk menjawabnya, dan hanya dua atau tiga orang yang memberinya setengah peni; sehingga anak laki-laki yang malang itu segera menjadi sangat lemah dan lemas karena kekurangan makanan.

Little Dick was all night in the streets; and next morning, being very hungry, he got up and walked about, and asked everybody he met to give him a halfpenny to keep him from starving; but nobody stayed to answer him, and only two or three gave him a halfpenny; so that the poor boy was soon quite weak and faint for the want of victuals.

Dalam kesusahan ini ia meminta sedekah kepada beberapa orang, dan salah seorang dari mereka berkata dengan ketus: “Pergilah bekerja, dasar bajingan pemalas.” “Tentu saja saya mau,” kata Dick, “saya akan pergi bekerja untuk Anda, jika Anda mengizinkan saya.” Tetapi orang itu hanya memaki dirinya dan berlalu.

In this distress he asked charity of several people, and one of them said crossly: “Go to work, for an idle rogue.” “That I will,” says Dick, “I will to go work for you, if you will let me.” But the man only cursed at him and went on.