Life's Handicap: Being Stories of Mine Own PeopleKipling, Rudyard
History
Life's Handicap: Being Stories of Mine Own People
Kipling, Rudyard
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Fiction; India -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, English
‘Den I felt at der back of my neck der fingers of Bimi. Mein Gott! I
tell you dot he talked through dose fingers. It was der deaf-and-dumb
alphabet all gomplete. He slide his hairy arm round my neck, und he tilt
up my chin und looked into my face, shust to see if I understood his
talk so well as he understood mine.
‘“See now dere!” says Bertran, “und you would shoot him while he is
cuddlin’ you? Dot is der Teuton ingrate!”
‘But I knew dot I had made Bimi a life’s-enemy, pecause his fingers haf
talk murder through the back of my neck. Next dime I see Bimi dere was a
pistol in my belt, und he touched it once, und I open der breech to show
him it was loaded. He haf seen der liddle monkeys killed in der woods:
he understood.
‘So Bertran he was married, and he forgot clean about Bimi dot was
skippin’ alone on der beach mit der half of a human soul in his belly.
I was see him skip, und he took a big bough und thrash der sand till
he haf made a great hole like a grave. So I says to Bertran, “For any
sakes, kill Bimi. He is mad mit der jealousy.”
‘Bertran haf said “He is not mad at all. He haf obey und lofe my wife,
und if she speak he will get her slippers,” und he looked at his wife
agross der room. She was a very pretty girl.
‘Den I said to him, “Dost dou pretend to know monkeys und dis beast dot
is lashing himself mad upon der sands, pecause you do not talk to him?
Shoot him when he comes to der house, for he haf der light in his eye
dot means killing--und killing.” Bimi come to der house, but dere was no
light in his eye. It was all put away, cunning--so cunning--und he fetch
der girl her slippers, und Bertran turn to me und say, “Dost dou know
him in nine months more dan I haf known him in twelve years? Shall a
child stab his fader? I haf fed him, und he was my child. Do not speak
this nonsense to my wife or to me any more.”
‘Dot next day Bertran came to my house to help me make some wood cases
for der specimens, und he tell me dot he haf left his wife a liddle
while mit Bimi in der garden. Den I finish my cases quick, und I say,
“Let us go to your houses und get a trink.” He laugh and say, “Come
along, dry mans.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account