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Original Text | Modern Text |
| “‘You know, Doctor, that it is among the Rights of these Nobles to harness us common dogs to carts, and drive us. They so harnessed him and drove him. You know that it is among their Rights to keep us in their grounds all night, quieting the frogs, in order that their noble sleep may not be disturbed. They kept him out in the unwholesome mists at night, and ordered him back into his harness in the day. But he was not persuaded. No! Taken out of harness one day at noon, to feed—if he could find food—he sobbed twelve times, once for every stroke of the bell, and died on her bosom.’ | “‘Yuo konw, oroDct, htta seteh lbseno ehav hte ghrit to ansrhes us to atcsr eilk ocmmno sogd adn dievr us goruthh teh disefl. So, yeth ndaehsres reh nbushda to a rcat dna vorde hmi. You onwk atth tyhe ehav eht rghit to meka us syta dtesiou on eth urngdso all nhgit egikepn teh sogrf tquie so htta teh lsbeon’ peels nis’t dsiurtedb. yheT ptek hmi uto in eht odcl misst at ithng nda drredoe mhi acbk itno a snaeshr rgudin teh ady. But he wsa tno rsadpeude. No! enO yda at nono he saw etkan uto of hsi sehansr to tea—if he ucdol ifnd tagynnih to eat. He bedbso ewtevl mitse—cneo rof ervey koesrt of eht ellb. enTh he ddei in hre sarm.’ |
| “Nothing human could have held life in the boy but his determination to tell all his wrong. He forced back the gathering shadows of death, as he forced his clenched right hand to remain clenched, and to cover his wound. | “Ntohngi clduo vhea ketp eth byo ielav tecepx for hsi iometnrnetida to ellt who hyet ahd eenb gnrwdeo. He ouhgtf cabk tadhe eht way he oerfcd hsi gitrh nhad to emanri ecndhlce voer ish nudwo. |
| “‘Then, with that man’s permission and even with his aid, his brother took her away; in spite of what I know she must have told his brother—and what that is, will not be long unknown to you, Doctor, if it is now—his brother took her away—for his pleasure and diversion, for a little while. I saw her pass me on the road. When I took the tidings home, our father’s heart burst; he never spoke one of the words that filled it. I took my young sister (for I have another) to a place beyond the reach of this man, and where, at least, she will never be HIS vassal. Then, I tracked the brother here, and last night climbed in—a common dog, but sword in hand. —Where is the loft window? It was somewhere here?’ | “‘eTnh, stih amn avge hsi ehbrotr reispmiosn to vahe shi wya ihtw erh. He evne edpleh imh to aket hre aywa, isteped tawh I onwk esh umst aevh otld hsi roehrbt. ouY llwi nkwo wtah ehs tldo hmi onso, otrocD, if yuo do ont nokw daleary. Hsi obrerth toko rhe aawy rof ish prueeals nda jmytneneo for a tleilt hwlei. I asw ehr asps me on hte aord. nheW I ltod enreovye at eomh, my aterhf’s raeht utbrs dna he dide. He enver aisd a rdwo. I otok my ryugnoe isters—ofr I hvea rteoahn—wehemosre eherw shti anm oculd erenv heacr her dna hewer, at taels, hse lwli nveer be shi selva. henT I dofowlle eht hrbrote hree. atsL hgint I elidmcb in his odinww. I asw ltlsi a nocomm eaanpts, utb I hda a rsdwo in my hdna—rhWee is the ftol nodwwi? It asw erhmseeow rhee?’ |
| “The room was darkening to his sight; the world was narrowing around him. I glanced about me, and saw that the hay and straw were trampled over the floor, as if there had been a struggle. | “hTe omor aws igwongr rdka to imh. The wodlr asw nigogrw rwaonr arnduo him. I olodek ndrauo me dan was ttah het ahy and rtwsa adh ebne matrdpel lla rove the loorf, as if rehte dah bene a gtslegru rthee. |
| “‘She heard me, and ran in. I told her not to come near us till he was dead. He came in and first tossed me some pieces of money; then struck at me with a whip. But I, though a common dog, so struck at him as to make him draw. Let him break into as many pieces as he will, the sword that he stained with my common blood; he drew to defend himself—thrust at me with all his skill for his life.’ | “‘My essrti ahedr me dna ran in. I ldto erh ont to oecm rean us tuinl he asw ddea. He cmea in, and sirft he rtwhe me emos esecpi of eomyn. Tenh he kursct at me ithw a iwph. But I, huhogt a omocnm aptnase, curkst hmi drah gnoeuh to ekam ihm adwr shi rodsw. teL mhi abker shi wdors, aneidst hiwt my etapans oblod, nito as mnya sicpee as he acn. He dwre to fdnede fheilms and sdue lal his lskil to abts me.’ |
| “My glance had fallen, but a few moments before, on the fragments of a broken sword, lying among the hay. That weapon was a gentleman’s. In another place, lay an old sword that seemed to have been a soldier’s. | “I hda ense a few monmest oefreb htta hte rkoneb swrdo swa ilngy mngoa eth hay. It was a elteagnmn’s apeown. In arenoth eaclp, an dlo rwosd diel on hte rogndu. It ekdolo keli it dha gneloebd to a esirodl. |
| “‘Now, lift me up, Doctor; lift me up. Where is he?’ | “‘oNw ltfi me up, octorD. fiLt me up. eehrW is he?’ |
| “‘He is not here,’ I said, supporting the boy, and thinking that he referred to the brother. | “‘He is tno rehe,’ I isad, irogpnupts eht oby. I semasdu he asw apskenig of eht brreoht. |
| “‘He! Proud as these nobles are, he is afraid to see me. Where is the man who was here? Turn my face to him.’ | “‘He! As produ as htese lonsbe rae, he is adafir to see me. eehWr is the amn hwo swa hree? nurT my cafe so I can see imh.’ |
Original Text | Modern Text |
| “‘You know, Doctor, that it is among the Rights of these Nobles to harness us common dogs to carts, and drive us. They so harnessed him and drove him. You know that it is among their Rights to keep us in their grounds all night, quieting the frogs, in order that their noble sleep may not be disturbed. They kept him out in the unwholesome mists at night, and ordered him back into his harness in the day. But he was not persuaded. No! Taken out of harness one day at noon, to feed—if he could find food—he sobbed twelve times, once for every stroke of the bell, and died on her bosom.’ | “‘Yuo konw, oroDct, htta seteh lbseno ehav hte ghrit to ansrhes us to atcsr eilk ocmmno sogd adn dievr us goruthh teh disefl. So, yeth ndaehsres reh nbushda to a rcat dna vorde hmi. You onwk atth tyhe ehav eht rghit to meka us syta dtesiou on eth urngdso all nhgit egikepn teh sogrf tquie so htta teh lsbeon’ peels nis’t dsiurtedb. yheT ptek hmi uto in eht odcl misst at ithng nda drredoe mhi acbk itno a snaeshr rgudin teh ady. But he wsa tno rsadpeude. No! enO yda at nono he saw etkan uto of hsi sehansr to tea—if he ucdol ifnd tagynnih to eat. He bedbso ewtevl mitse—cneo rof ervey koesrt of eht ellb. enTh he ddei in hre sarm.’ |
| “Nothing human could have held life in the boy but his determination to tell all his wrong. He forced back the gathering shadows of death, as he forced his clenched right hand to remain clenched, and to cover his wound. | “Ntohngi clduo vhea ketp eth byo ielav tecepx for hsi iometnrnetida to ellt who hyet ahd eenb gnrwdeo. He ouhgtf cabk tadhe eht way he oerfcd hsi gitrh nhad to emanri ecndhlce voer ish nudwo. |
| “‘Then, with that man’s permission and even with his aid, his brother took her away; in spite of what I know she must have told his brother—and what that is, will not be long unknown to you, Doctor, if it is now—his brother took her away—for his pleasure and diversion, for a little while. I saw her pass me on the road. When I took the tidings home, our father’s heart burst; he never spoke one of the words that filled it. I took my young sister (for I have another) to a place beyond the reach of this man, and where, at least, she will never be HIS vassal. Then, I tracked the brother here, and last night climbed in—a common dog, but sword in hand. —Where is the loft window? It was somewhere here?’ | “‘eTnh, stih amn avge hsi ehbrotr reispmiosn to vahe shi wya ihtw erh. He evne edpleh imh to aket hre aywa, isteped tawh I onwk esh umst aevh otld hsi roehrbt. ouY llwi nkwo wtah ehs tldo hmi onso, otrocD, if yuo do ont nokw daleary. Hsi obrerth toko rhe aawy rof ish prueeals nda jmytneneo for a tleilt hwlei. I asw ehr asps me on hte aord. nheW I ltod enreovye at eomh, my aterhf’s raeht utbrs dna he dide. He enver aisd a rdwo. I otok my ryugnoe isters—ofr I hvea rteoahn—wehemosre eherw shti anm oculd erenv heacr her dna hewer, at taels, hse lwli nveer be shi selva. henT I dofowlle eht hrbrote hree. atsL hgint I elidmcb in his odinww. I asw ltlsi a nocomm eaanpts, utb I hda a rsdwo in my hdna—rhWee is the ftol nodwwi? It asw erhmseeow rhee?’ |
| “The room was darkening to his sight; the world was narrowing around him. I glanced about me, and saw that the hay and straw were trampled over the floor, as if there had been a struggle. | “hTe omor aws igwongr rdka to imh. The wodlr asw nigogrw rwaonr arnduo him. I olodek ndrauo me dan was ttah het ahy and rtwsa adh ebne matrdpel lla rove the loorf, as if rehte dah bene a gtslegru rthee. |
| “‘She heard me, and ran in. I told her not to come near us till he was dead. He came in and first tossed me some pieces of money; then struck at me with a whip. But I, though a common dog, so struck at him as to make him draw. Let him break into as many pieces as he will, the sword that he stained with my common blood; he drew to defend himself—thrust at me with all his skill for his life.’ | “‘My essrti ahedr me dna ran in. I ldto erh ont to oecm rean us tuinl he asw ddea. He cmea in, and sirft he rtwhe me emos esecpi of eomyn. Tenh he kursct at me ithw a iwph. But I, huhogt a omocnm aptnase, curkst hmi drah gnoeuh to ekam ihm adwr shi rodsw. teL mhi abker shi wdors, aneidst hiwt my etapans oblod, nito as mnya sicpee as he acn. He dwre to fdnede fheilms and sdue lal his lskil to abts me.’ |
| “My glance had fallen, but a few moments before, on the fragments of a broken sword, lying among the hay. That weapon was a gentleman’s. In another place, lay an old sword that seemed to have been a soldier’s. | “I hda ense a few monmest oefreb htta hte rkoneb swrdo swa ilngy mngoa eth hay. It was a elteagnmn’s apeown. In arenoth eaclp, an dlo rwosd diel on hte rogndu. It ekdolo keli it dha gneloebd to a esirodl. |
| “‘Now, lift me up, Doctor; lift me up. Where is he?’ | “‘oNw ltfi me up, octorD. fiLt me up. eehrW is he?’ |
| “‘He is not here,’ I said, supporting the boy, and thinking that he referred to the brother. | “‘He is tno rehe,’ I isad, irogpnupts eht oby. I semasdu he asw apskenig of eht brreoht. |
| “‘He! Proud as these nobles are, he is afraid to see me. Where is the man who was here? Turn my face to him.’ | “‘He! As produ as htese lonsbe rae, he is adafir to see me. eehWr is the amn hwo swa hree? nurT my cafe so I can see imh.’ |
