| The cat turned out to be not only a solvent but also a disciplined animal. At the very first shout from the conductress, he halted his advance, got off the footboard, and sat down at the stop, rubbing his whiskers with the ten-kopeck piece. But as soon as the conductress yanked the cord and the tram-car started moving off, the cat acted like anyone who has been expelled from a tram-car but sail needs a ride. Letting all three cars go by, the cat jumped on to the rear coupling-pin of the last one, wrapped its paws around some hose sticking out of the side, and rode off, thus saving himself ten kopecks. |
| Занявшись паскудным котом, Иван едва не потерял самого главного из трех -профессора. Но, по счастью, тот не успел улизнуть. Иван увидел серый берет в гуще в начале Большой Никитской, или улицы Герцена. В мгновение ока Иван и сам оказался там. Однако удачи не было. Поэт и шагу прибавлял, и рысцой начинал бежать, толкая прохожих, и ни на сантиметр не приблизился к профессору. | Occupied with the obnoxious cat, Ivan almost lost the main one of the three - the professor. But, fortunately, the man had not managed to slip away. Ivan saw the grey beret in the throng at the head of Bolshaya Nikitskaya, now Herzen, Street. In the twinkling of an eye, Ivan arrived there himself. However, he had no luck. The poet would quicken his pace, break into a trot, shove passers-by, yet not get an inch closer to the professor. |
| Как ни был расстроен Иван, все же его поражала та сверхъестественная скорость, с которой происходила погоня. И двадцати | Upset as he was, Ivan was still struck by the supernatural speed of the chase. Twenty seconds had not gone by when, after the |
